Lucy Nemeth's Symposium Playlist

Junior Advisory Council Member and Symposium Violinist Lucy Nemeth’s playlist featuring works from the Stay-at-Home Symposium.

1. "Thinking Too Much:" Mario Godoy, Sherry Karver, Alexander Hersh

Mario Godoy’s “Thinking too Much” examines the notion of “frantic stillness” through the use of fragmentation. This composition distorts the established perception of repetition and integrates fixed media electronics and the music for solo cello, generating a palette of glitchy, synthetic, and otherworldly timbres prompted by Sherry Karver’s glitch photography.

2. "Arrival (Premiere in Process):" Lia Roozendaal, Seare Farhat, Suren Barry

In “Arrival,” I found the sharp and angular strikes of sound juxtaposed with silence to exactly reflect my impressions of Lia Roozendaal’s artwork. Seare Farhat’s decisive use of silence reflects the vast, dark background of the photograph, and as melodic components begin to layer and intertwine, “weave and knot,” in his words, he reveals a striking sound world, with timbres echoing the twisted, unraveled, and almost alien textures presented in the art.

3. "Breathe:" Gustavo Casenave, Vicky Barranguet, Sami Merdinian

The intrinsic rhythmic intensity of “Breathe” by Gustavo Casenave wholly captivates me every time I listen to this work. Expertly canvassing the range of the violin, this solo piece captures the aesthetic intensity and dynamism illustrated by Vicky Barranguet in her painting.

4. "I Cried...:" Milad Yousufi, Audrey Vardanega, Andrew Janss

Inspired by his experience as a refugee, Milad Yousufi’s composition “I Cried...” begins with pencils plucking the strings of the piano, illustrating a desolate, reflective atmosphere that slowly opens to include a meandering, murky cello line. The two instruments imitate each other’s lines, creating a dialogue that slowly sharpens into focus.

5. "Passando:" Ben Rosenblum & Simon Toparovsky

“Passando” by Ben Rosenblum introduces a palette of warmer colors that feel incredibly full and resonant, especially after hearing colder pieces like “I Cried” and “Arrival.” Simon Toparovsky’s mixed media work includes themes of “hope and optimism,” heard in the form of cascading arpeggios and bubbling passages.