Emergent
Emergent is a program of five contemporary chamber works built on a shared idea: structure that doesn't sit still. A spark catches and spreads. A repeated note hardens into conviction. A live computer listens and answers back. Tarot cards arrange themselves into stories. Each piece begins with something small and watches what it becomes — chamber music as a system that organizes itself in real time.
Read about each piece below and feel free to click on the composer photos to read more about them.
Kindling
Charles Peck
Kindling is a reflection on the spontaneous, yet repetitive motion of fire. From the outset of the piece, the ricochet bowing of the cello and the steady pulse of the kick drum stoke the flame, while the violin flickers and flares in response. As the piece builds, a flurry of tremolos and natural harmonics are used to express motion that is both active and static. Eventually, the ensemble, led by the piano and strings, conjures a steady orange glow with a series of phrases that quickly appear and dissipate. The rapid alternations between these distinct phrases coalesce to form a continuous, burning texture.
Lyric for solo cello
Michael Rothkopf
The cello has always impressed me as an instrument with lyrical vocal qualities. In composing Lyric, I sought to capture that lyricism. The computer, on the other hand, is an instrument capable of instant changes in character and mood. In Lyric, I juxtaposed these two qualities in the musical dialogue between the cello and the computer.This version the Lyric employs an interactive program in which the computer is listening to the cello and responding with musical decisions in real-time regarding musical gestures and timbre.
Crossed Destinies (WORLD PREMIERE)
Michael Rothkopf
The composition was inspired by a novel by Italvo Calvino titled The Castle of Crossed Destinies. In his novel, Calvino creates a sequence of interlocking stories from Tarot cards. Calvino’s story is told from a castle/tavern where people gather to tell their stories through Tarot card readings. This music translates Calvino’s premise into sound, exploring how composed material and real-time improvisation can intertwine to produce emergent musical narratives.
Tourmaline (Catchfire Collective Commission)
Hilary Purrington
Named for a mineral believed to promote inspiration, diminish fear, and bolster self-confidence, Tourmaline contrasts moments of unrest and uncertainty with passages of confidence and conviction. This contrast is most evident in the development of the opening passage’s motif of quickly repeated notes. In Tourmaline’s introductory measures, this motif is playful and whimsical; by the time we reach the work’s climax, these repeated notes have transformed into an insistent declaration.
Orchestrationally, I sought to extend the sound world of the sextet by adding non-standard percussion instruments, including acoustic guitar, two harmonicas, and slide whistle. The harmonicas and slide whistle lend an added sense of whimsy to the work, heightening the contrast with Tourmaline’s more introspective passages.
Platter of Discontent
Marc Mellits
