Composer
Program Notes This Lacrimosa interweaves the original Latin text from the requiem mass with the beautiful poetry of William O’Daly. The Lacrimosa begins: “Full of tears shall be that [judgement] day…” But O’Daly’s text asks a broader question: Without the presence of water, around us and inside us, how can we weep? It was this … Read more
Program Notes In Hindustani music, Malhaar(p/d) refers to a family of raags that beckon rain. As the legend goes, the greatest musicians could cause a downpour from even the most severely parched skies by the power of their song. This is the inspiration for Malhaar: A Requiem for Water. As drought worsened in Southern California, … Read more
Program Notes Earth Speaks is a large 45-minute choral work that explores different perspectives on our earth through the lens of three Pasadena institutions. It was commissioned by Pasadena Master Chorale in 2015. Embedded in this multi movement work is a movement for treble choir, which sets the text of Ohlone poet Stephen Meadows. The poem, … Read more
Program Notes Carol Muske-Dukes’s poem, White Key, evokes the feeling of suspension. A woman makes the difficult journey by plane back to her home after receiving the news of her husband’s sudden death. As she is suspended in the air between two cities, she is also suspended between two lives, between a beautiful past and the uncertain … Read more