The Big Bang was featured as part of a live video Astrobiology concert held at Benaroya Hall in Seattle in 2015. Produced in collaboration with the Departments of Astrobiology and Astronomy at the University of Washington, the concert featured high resolution movies of the wonders of our solar system and Universe with live orchestral accompaniment. The Big Bang covers covers the 13.8 billion years of our Universe's history, from before the beginning to today, in just over 12 minutes. See the video here: https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/132608553

Origins: Life and the Universe

The Big Bang

Melancholy Tango for Trombone is an accompaniment to a Tango; composed by Glenna Burmer and choregraphed by Jennifer Porter.
Originally scheduled for a Celebrate Jazz concert in 2021, the premiere of the dance was postponed due to COVID, and will be featured in November. The picture was taken at the recording session at Studio X.

Melancholy Tango For Trombone

Bossa Nueva, composed by Glenna Burmer, was a dance to be featured at the Celebrate Dance concert in April 2021, but was canceled due to COVID. The piece was recorded at Studio X.

Bossa Nueva

Bippy the Demented Robot is an animation by Glenna Burmer about a robot who finds love in a post-apocalyptic world. The other movements to this piece were premiered at the Celebrate Jazz concert featuring the prodigy pianist Naemi Pomarede. This movement, where Bippy discovers the wonder of kitchen utensils, could not be played live because it was written for piano and 24 percussion instruments. This mix was captured by brilliant sound engineer Nemanja at the Seattle Drum School.

Bippy The Demented Robot Finds A Kitchen

The Impossible Sonata was written for and dedicated to my violin teacher, who once called me an impossible student, and flatly refused to look at it. I wrote in every conceivable difficult violin solo combination I could think of. The piece was premiered at a Music Center of the Northwest yearly gala by Artur Girsky of the Seattle Symphony, accompanied by a masterful string quartet. When I asked him if it was impossible to play, Artur kindly responded: "nothing is impossible if played at the right tempo."

Impossible Sonata For Violin And Strings

Moonlight Prowler is about cats that are searching for mates in the moonlight. It was going to feature five dancers for the Celebrate Dance! concert that was canceled due to COVID. The piece was recorded at Studio X with Tim Huling conducting an an expert jazz ensemble.

Celebrate Dance

Moonlight Prowler

Spanish Dances by Glenna Burmer from Celebrate World Music concert and CD. Featured guitarists James Howard and Danny Godinez, percussionist Arturo Rodriguez, Flamenco Dancer Ana Montes, and NW Sinfonia conducted by David Sabee. Held on March 24, 2013 at Benaroya Hall in Seattle. CD is available on CDBaby and iTunes. (www.celebrateworldmusic.com)

Spanish Dances

The ballet Dante's Inferno begins with Dante in the Forest of Sin, depressed and confronted by three beasts. Virgil appears to act as his guide, telling him that his one true love Beatrice sent him from Heaven to tell him that he must go through Hell in order to gain entrance to Purgatory and Heaven. The chorale features soprano Maria Mannisto, with conductor Nathaniel Papadakis and singers Christine Siemens, Linda Strandberg, Jennifer Ivester, Deborah Stephens, Stacey Sunde, Jeff Dubois, John Porter, Rob Kline, Martin Rothwell, and Manard Stewart. They are accompanied by the NW Sinfonia orchestra, conducted by David Sabee. (www.dantesinfernoballet.com).

Dante in the Forest of Sin and Heavenly Chorale Dante's Inferno Scene 1

In this scene of Dante's inferno (www.dantesinfernoballet.com) Dante and Virgil enter the Second Circle of Hell, where sinful lovers are punished by being blown about in a whirlwind, never to reach each other. The string section is exceedingly difficult, and played masterfully by the NW Sinfonia orchestra, conducted by David Sabee. Dante and Virgil then move to the third and fourth circles where sinners push weights back and forth for eternity. They then arrive at the river Styx, and are carried across to the Gate at the City of Dis. They are met at the gate by Furies and Fallen Angels who bar their entry until a Heavenly Messenger arrives to blow the gate open.

Whirlwind of the Carnals, Boatman of Styx and the Gate to Hell-Dantes Inferno Scene 3

During intermission for the ballet Dante's Inferno (www.dantesinfernoballet.com),  an image of an elevator door is projected onto the curtains, an elevator which goes only one way: down. Souls who are destined for Hell enter the elevator where Hell's Elevator Muzak is being played, until at each stop a bell sounds, the door opens, and chaos ensues while the soul destined for that level is pushed out. At the last level, the elevator stops and the bells end with the Devil's chord (augmented 4th). Featuring the NW Sinfonia orchestra, and conductor David Sabee. 

Hell's Elevator Muzak-Dantes Inferno Intermezzo

In the final scene of Dante's Inferno the Ballet, Dante and Virgil escape from Hell and emerge to see the night sky filled with stars. They are greeted by the voice of Beatrice (soprano Maria Mannisto) and the Heavenly Choir (Christine Siemens, Linda Strandberg, Jennifer Ivester, Deborah Stephens, Stacey Sunde, Jeff Dubois, John Porter, Rob Kline, Martin Rothwell, and Manard Stewart conducted by Nathaniel Papadakis). The chorale is accompanied by the NW Sinfonia orchestra, conducted by David Sabee. The ballet will premiere Feb 21, 2014 at the Meydenbauer Theater in Bellevue Washington (www.dantesinfernoballet.com). The CD is available at CDBaby and iTunes.

Glenna Burmer

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