Michelle Li's Symposium Playlist
Junior Advisory Council Member and Symposium Composer Michelle Li has curated a special playlist, "Rich and Delicate Sounds" featuring works from the Stay-at-Home Symposium.
1. "Wherever I Go, You Go:" Elise Arancio, Maya Buchanan, Timotheos Petrin
Inspired by a painting by Timotheos Perin, Elise Arancio’s “Wherever I Go, You Go,” starts with dramatic gestures as violinist Maya Buchanan launches into the lower range of the violin. Later on, the piece transitions into a more contemplative melody, creating a sort of stillness contrasting the earlier movements.
2. "Unnatural Air:" Nicholas Politi, Bruce Herman, Charles Stacey
Similar in expressive interplay to Arancio's "Wherever I Go, You Go," composer-cellist Nicholas Politi and composer Charles Stacey’s work “Unnatural Air” creates a sense of drama and tenderness as Politi’s cello improvisation is accompanied by electronics, formulating a pseudo-orchestra. Based on Bruce Herman’s painting, “Nexus: Watering Hole,” “Unnatural Air” manages to maintain the intimate space between the cello and the “orchestra” through Politi’s exploration of delicate timbres found in his instrument.
3. "A Perfect Day:" Sae Hashimoto, Christopher Goodpasture, Gus Reed
Another improvisatory composition, “A Perfect Day” by percussionist Sae Hasimoto and pianist Christopher Goodpasture uses repeated motifs to recreate the tension within film-maker Gus Reed’s film of the same title. In their work, the piano assumes the role of a percussive instrument, while the percussion assumes the role of a melodic instrument; the layering of the two creates a collective rhythmic texture throughout the work.
4. "Isochronal:" Jihwan Yoon, Penelope Anstruther, Yeji Pyun, Youngwoo Jeon
Continuing with the duo setup, composer Jihwan Yoon presents violinist Yeji Pyun and clarinetist Youngwoo Jeon in his piece “Isochronal.” His piece, based on Penelope Anstruther’s “Isochronal II,” features vibrant gestures bouncing between the two instruments, creating a sort of conversation.
5. "Piccolo Pezzo:" Luke Hsu, Andrei Gologan, Darril Tighe
Alike in dramatic effect, Luke Hsu’s piece “Piccolo Pezzo” for pianist Andrei Gologan reflects on Darril Tighe’s “Homage to Edmundo,” gathering intense, explosive moments accompanied by instances of temporary jittering, quiet motions. This juxtaposition of hushed and dramatic maintains the suspense matching the tumult within Tighe’s painting. Through bringing forth the essence of each artwork, these composers explore the quiet and electrifying expressive ranges of the instruments while creating nuanced textural layers.