Premiered by the Louisville Orchestra on February 27, 2024, as part of the "In Harmony" tour of Kentucky.

In the short time I have lived in Louisville, I’ve learned one thing: Kentuckians love bluegrass. The syncopation, tight harmony, and soul embedded so deeply in the music is infectious. As a new Kentucky resident and admirer of this genre and its connection to this region, I wanted to pay homage to the art form.

"Unstrung" is a deconstructed bluegrass tune. Traditionally speaking, string instruments (bass, guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle) comprise the heart and soul of the sound. I was interested in the hallmark techniques associated with these instruments and the bluegrass sound: plucking, strumming, and chopping. I decided to bring these characteristics to the forefront while maintaining the spirit of the music. I imagined taking off the strings and putting them back together again.

-- Alex Berko

Alex Berko - Unstrung (excerpt)

World premiere by the Louisville Orchestra on May 10, 2024.

Heirlooms is a piece about remembrance. It is a piece about how we live through physical mementos that are left behind; how they represent a part of our personalities, a moment in time, a particular life event. Written in three parts for eight singers and orchestra, each movement draws inspiration from someone with a connection to Kentucky and/or Appalachia.

Through each of these stories (a beekeeper, an artist, and a granddaughter), we get a sense of where each writer is from, how they love, how they grieve, and what rituals they create to remember those who have passed on. It is my hope that this piece itself serves as an heirloom.

Text by Rūta Kuzmickas, Alex Berko, and Laura Berko based on stories written by and about Dr. Kellie D. Brown, Julie Baldyga, and the Louisville Story Program.

— Alex Berko

Alex Berko - Heirlooms: Mvt. 3, "Laura's Letter" (excerpt)

Alex Berko - Heirlooms: Mvt. 1, "Telling the Bees" (excerpt)

World premiere by the Louisville Orchestra (TJ Cole, synthesizer) on March 4, 2023.

When I found out I was accepted into the Creator Corps program, one of my first thoughts was, “I hope they’ll let me write a synthesizer concerto about the Earth and perform the synthesizer part, even though I’ve never soloed with an orchestra and I don’t know a lot about nature.” Thankfully, Teddy and the LO team welcomed my idea without hesitation. 

Not having much time to compose the piece, I found myself turning to nature whenever and wherever I could for inspiration. The most vibrant memories I have were playing in my yard with my cat under a big tree, watching brightly colored sunsets while driving down I-65, visiting Seneca Park with Tyler Taylor and hitting stones against each other to see how they sounded, harvesting kale in my yard, walking past the autumn red trees in Shelby Park during a rainstorm, and watching a flock of birds flying in a V formation over Logan Street Market. I found so much beauty and joy in collecting inspiration in Louisville, and I believe that the spirit of these little moments made their way into the piece. 

One of the most formative parts of my writing process was being able to stay at the Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest. My time at Bernheim consisted of a few dreamy days of hiking interspersed with fervent writing. Instead of feeding off of my mostly urban surroundings, I was able to exist and create in an environment that immediately felt gradual, spiritual, balanced, cleansing, and focused. During a rehearsal, Lisa Bielawa leaned over and said to me, “This piece isn’t working in musical time. It’s working in nature time.”

I want to extend a ginormous thank you to Jenny Zeller and Hannah Coleman-Zaitzeff of the Bernheim Forest for setting up my stay, Teddy Abrams and Jacob Gotlib for their support, the entire LO team for their dedication, and Lisa and Tyler for their incredible friendship.

TJ Cole - Phenomenal of the Earth (excerpt 2)

TJ Cole - Phenomenal of the Earth (excerpt 1)

World premiere by the Louisville Orchestra on February 27, 2024.

As a string player, I love exploring harmonies that incorporate alternative open-string tunings and I have been reminded of the beautiful tuning variations of the Mountain Dulcimer these last months in Kentucky. For fun one night, I set out to explore a dulcimer-esque DAD tuning on my cello, with the drone of the 5th below and the melody above it. It was the first time in a long time that I’ve tried writing at the cello, which was once my primary tool for composing but has gathered dust in recent years. I was struck by the chaos, joy, and anxiety of old muscles picking up where they left off, remembering and relearning what was once familiar— the feeling of suddenly being thrown back into something. The mixed-meter melody that I wrote that night became the foundation of this piece, with the DA drone still sitting beneath it throughout the piece.

"Back At It" was written for the Louisville Orchestra with conductor Teddy Abrams as part of the 2023-2024 LO Creators Corps Residency.

Tanner Porter - Back At It

World premiere by the Louisville Orchestra (Tanner Porter, voice; Nicole Ritchie, drums; Liz Faure, guitar) on May 9, 2024.

True Lover’s Knot is a reimagining of “Barbara Allen," the beloved traditional ballad (Child 84) that dates back to the 17th century. Specifically, it is based on the version sung by the late, great Kentuckian Jean Ritchie, “Barby Ellen.” Although there are many versions of “Barbara Allen,” the underlying themes of each are similar. The ballad tells the tragic story of two lovers— young William Greene, who, on his deathbed, asks for the affection of his scorned love, Barbara Allen. She refuses him, but when she hears the knelling of his death bell, she too perishes of a broken heart. Their love is honored in the afterlife when out of his grave grows a red rose and out of hers a green briar, which entwines in a true lover’s knot. It’s a story of pride, the bitter reluctance of the broken-hearted to forgive, and the complexities of loneliness and guilt. In reimagining this story as a new song cycle, I wanted to use the imagery of the original ballad to offer a version where the two reconcile and live on. In my version, the pride of the jilted lover is eased, the death bells of the original ballad are turned to wedding bells, and the true lover’s knot that was found only in the grave is found instead in life.

True Lover's Knot was commissioned by the Louisville Orchestra as a part of the Creators Corps program. It was workshopped and premiered by the members of the Louisville Orchestra under the baton of Teddy Abrams, with additional conducting by Gabriel Lefkowitz during the reading sessions.

Tanner Porter - True Lover's Knot, Mvt. 4: "True Lover's Knot" (excerpt)

Tanner Porter - True Lover's Knot, Mvt. 2: "Hard-Hearted" (excerpt)

World premiere by the Louisville Orchestra (Lisa Bielawa, voice) on July 4, 2023.

In Memory’s Safe is a piece inspired by my visits to Somerset, Glasgow, and Bardstown, Kentucky during the early Spring of 2023. During these visits, I met with people from each community to ask them what tunes, songs, hymns, or musical traditions they felt represented them and their communities. What I learned was that my question stemmed from an erroneous assumption that there were unifying traditions or tunes that broadly represented each of these towns and the people who lived in them. Instead, we had conversations about the confluence of several influential traditions and styles that groups of people from these communities might identify with. During two of the visits, people performed some of these songs for me. I came away with a long list of songs and tunes to listen to, new friends, and a deeper understanding of these communities in my hometown state. Perhaps most importantly, I realized after posing this question to so many people that I didn’t have a good answer to it myself. I was forced to investigate my own relationship to the music I find foundational to me, my state, and my community and the ways I do and do not engage with it. This understanding, along with the encouragement of Somerset-based artist Dan Dutton, led me to the final form of this piece. I present In Memory’s Safe as my response to the tunes I collected featuring orchestral textures and gestures imbued with my own Kentucky voice. 

The tunes used are: 
I.	Lord Bateman – traditional ballad via Dan Dutton 
II.	Grapefruit Man – original song by Daniel Stroud (used with permission). 
III.	Maria’s Gone – traditional song via Carmel Bowman 

Lastly, the title In Memory’s Safe suggests the existence of an actual safe where memories can be kept. We hold the traditions, influences, and music at the core of this piece safe in our memories—we are Memory’s Safe.

Tyler Taylor - In Memory's Safe: II. "Lord Bateman" (excerpt)

World premiere by the Louisville Orchestra on March 10, 2023.

“Revisions” draws its inspiration from the historical relationship – or lack thereof – between the saxophone and the orchestra. In Europe, the instrument’s creator, Adolph Sax, was known as an arrogant and difficult man whose new and advanced instruments threatened to disrupt the scene as it was. His reputation, alongside performers’ general fear and distrust of change, kept his instruments from being widely used at the time. In early 20th century America, the saxophone had become an instrument associated with jazz and black expressions of music, and therefore, it was associated with a race of people who were viewed as inferior by a majority in the classical scene. Classical music institutions, the orchestra being a prime example, were not known for welcoming these expressions, or things associated with them, into their traditions. In both cases, the saxophone was viewed as a potential threat – unworthy infiltrators of something sacred. Thus, the saxophone, with few exceptions, became a family of instruments othered by the orchestra.

I have experienced the residue of this attitude toward the saxophone in my lifetime, with composers and performers frequently perpetuating the erroneous idea that saxophones do not blend well with orchestral instruments and, therefore, do not belong. The saxophone’s specifically engineered ability to blend well with orchestral instruments, in addition to the tremendous strides made by saxophone players in the last 50 years, has proven the instrument to be extremely versatile and valuable in many contexts, including the symphony orchestra. Even still, we rarely see them included.

Lately, I have thought about how an instrument or a group of instruments’ “meaning” or connotation can be used to inform dramatic musical scenarios. In a broad sense, these scenarios create abstract analogies for social-political happenings. In the case of “Revisions,” the saxophone’s history comes charged with immense dramatic and symbolic potential. The presence of the saxophone quartet, seated alongside the string section principals, creates a dramatic tension within the orchestra as part of a scenario that explores power dynamics, unity, division, companionship, and finding a sense of place.

The piece is cast in four sections that blend seamlessly into each other. I. is a chorale initiated by the saxophones – the orchestra listens and joins in, echoing the music of the Saxophones. II. explores what happens when the Saxophone quartet separates and takes members of the orchestra with them into new territories. III. Deals with the aftermath of the previous scenario, recovering from chaotic tuttis by favoring more intimate settings. A brass chorale signals the orchestra’s ultimate rejection of the Saxophones’ play and a new, dire direction. IV. Sets up an unlikely pairing between the Saxophone Quartet and solo String Quartet as the orchestra attempts to annihilate them.

I offer “Revisions” to you with many thanks to Teddy Abrams and the Louisville Orchestra for their trust in and commitment to my work, and to my fellow Creators, Lisa and TJ, for their unending support and friendship.

Tyler Taylor - Revisions (excerpt 2/2)

Tyler Taylor - Revisions (excerpt 1/2)

World premiere by VOICES of Kentuckiana and members of the Louisville Orchestra on May 20, 2023.

Originally commissioned and performed by Nashville in Harmony and Intersection, Nashville, TN. Inspired by the members of Nashville in Harmony who shared their stories and perspectives on the topic of gender

Pre-recorded audio includes stories provided by members of VOICES of Kentuckiana, recorded and produced by TJ Cole and Hallie Decker.

Libretto by Aiv Rubino and TJ Cole

TJ Cole - Those Moments: V. "Sheltering" (excerpt)

Libretto by Claire Solomon.

World premiere by the Louisville Orchestra with Lisa Bielawa (narrator) on March 15, 2023.

Composed for Louisville Orchestra’s celebrated “Making Music” educational concert series, which has brought live orchestral music to every 4th and 5th grader in the public school system for over 80 years, Spacelord and Queen is a “musical fairy tale” with an ecological theme for narrator and orchestra with a libretto by Claire Solomon. The story concerns an ambitious drop of water named Spacelord and his various sparring encounters with a vain stinkbug named Queen. Concepts from the school science curriculum – precipitation, evaporation, weather systems – appear as plot elements alongside conflicts that stem from the wasteful and environmentally disruptive behaviors of the “Human Geniuses.” The orchestra illustrates and dramatizes these environments and conflicts as the narrator engages the live audience in active storytelling. Bielawa performed as narrator for the six premiere performances, which reached thousands of schoolkids.

Lisa Bielawa - Spacelord And Queen (excerpt)

World premiere by the Louisville Orchestra, Lindsey Branson (guitar and voice), Renee Chapman (voice), Tessa Lark (violin), Scott Napier (mandolin), Dean Osborne (banjo), and Paul Wooton (violin) on May 17, 2023.

Our new piece, “Home,” has had a variety of homes. Before starting my tenure as one of the Louisville Orchestra Creators Corps members in September, making my home for a year in Louisville, I had never been to Kentucky before. My only direct connection to the traditional music of Appalachia, which – as a former violinist myself – I had always admired and enjoyed, was through my friend and colleague violinist Tessa Lark, who was born and raised in Lexington, KY, but ended up in my life, many years later, because she was living on my floor in my building in Manhattan. (She reached out via email one day, having seen my name both in a professional context and on a package delivered downstairs, saying, “I think you live in my building!” …and sure enough, there she was: we could wave at each other through our windows, across the air shaft.) 

When I got the opportunity to come to Hazard, KY, this Spring to open my ears to the music happening there, I reached out to Tessa in advance for a listener’s/composer’s guide. Thanks to the Appalachian Arts Alliance and its director, Tim Deaton, I met Lindsey Branson, a graduate of the Bluegrass School, Director of Education at the Arts Alliance, and a brilliant singer-songwriter. We went as a team to the Bluegrass School, where I was welcomed into a weekly song circle that called themselves Mountain Traditions, and I learned some songs from these esteemed veterans first-hand. In the midst of it all, I met mezzo-soprano Renée Chapman, whose luminous voice is well-known through her role in choral and classical music-making in Hazard, also a vibrant part of Hazard's musical life. At the end of the trip, after hearing her sing some of her own songs at the local pub, Lindsey spoke of her musical inspirations in ways that resonated for me, like the pervasiveness of a kind of yearning that evokes both placelessness and nostalgia. Over the next weeks, I shared some of my own music with her, and she responded in words and melodies that I then wove together in an orchestral language, incorporating parts for both Renée and Tessa while leaving room for Lindsey to continue developing the melodies in collaboration with traditional music colleagues in Hazard. – Lisa Bielawa

Home is a word many people can relate to. Most think of a physical place, but home isn’t always that. Home is a feeling, a person, a song, and it’s within you. This piece is about longing for what home means to me. – Lindsey Branson

LYRICS by Lindsey Branson

I’mma Goin’ Home. 
I’mma Goin’ Home. 
It’s the place that I call mine, the sun always shines.
I’mma Goin’ Home.

I’mma Goin’ Home.
I’mma Goin’ Home. 
It’s a feeling I can’t forget, to live without regrets.
I’mma Goin’ Home

I’mma Goin’ Home. 
I’mma Goin’ Home. 
Where the River Flows, where I can sing my woes.
I’mma Goin’ Home.

Let’s go home. Let’s go home. 
I’mma 
Goin’ Home.

Lisa Bielawa/Lindsey Branson - Home (excerpt)

World premiere by the Louisville Orchestra on January 13, 2023.

I set out to compose this piece knowing it would be premiered alongside two of the best-loved works by Beethoven, history’s most celebrated composer. As it turned out, I spent that morning watching the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, one of history’s most celebrated monarchs. She had in fact “composed” the whole pageant herself, down to every detail – and there she was, at the center of it all, yet absent from it. As I watched the astounding choreography of the procession, I ruminated: what does the way we enshrine people who are gone, especially great leaders, say about us? The mystique of great musical leaders crumbles somewhat when one takes a closer look. In Beethoven’s time, the leadership paradigm for the orchestra was in great flux. Composers usually led their own works, sometimes from the keyboard or from the concertmaster’s chair. When they did not also play, they conducted facing the audience, sometimes banging a stick on the ground. (Beethoven was a notoriously poor leader, especially as his hearing loss became more advanced. He yelled during loud passages and crouched out of sight during pianissimos. His musicians learned to ignore him in order to stay together.) The word “conductor” did not appear in print until 1820, years after his Fifth Symphony and Emperor Concerto were composed. I began to imagine a piece in which we could take a ride through this colorful history of musical leadership. How many different forms can (musical) leadership take? 

I watched the Queen’s slow, solemn progress. No one person was “conducting” the epic spectacle. From different locations at different moments, the rhythmic commands rang out – “Bearer party – slow march,” “remove headdress,” and, most poetic of all, “Send the carriage through.” I began transcribing the rhythms of these commands and the patterned groove of the drums (at exactly 75 beats a minute, presumably as specified by the Queen herself in her role as composer) as they ricocheted off of the buildings along the route. But what began as a rumination on greatness and mortality took on more and more playfulness and joy as the weeks and months went by, and my relationship with Louisville – the city, its Orchestra, its audience and community – became more and more colorful and engaged. I began to celebrate the exhilaration of music-making as a team sport, a kind of relay race in which one could literally “pass the baton,” sometimes leading, sometimes following. Six players start the piece in the balcony, sometimes leading and sometimes following. The role of conductor/leader multiplies, splits and flows. Eventually we find ourselves in a game featuring orchestra members in smaller groups, passing the baton until their balcony friends retake their chairs onstage. Meanwhile the conductor effectively holds the carriage until the whole team is together again, then sends it through, into the unknown.

"Send the Carriage Through" is at its core a gift of gratitude to the players of the LO and a celebration of Teddy’s own open-hearted vision of leadership as connection and invitation.

Fifths of Beethoven

Lisa Bielawa - Send the Carriage Through (excerpt)

World premiere by the Louisville Orchestra on January 25, 2025.

Thread and Pull explores concepts of restraint, constraint, and dissension. Driving rhythms move throughout the ensemble in tandem and opposition, halted by gestures of silence. The piece utilizes text from Ghazal 1419 by Jalāl al-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī (public domain).

Brittany J. Green - Thread and Pull (excerpt)

World premiere by the Louisville Orchestra and the LO Rap School on March 12, 2025.

Take Some Time is a collaboration between LOCC composer Brittany J. Green and HHN2L as a part of the Louisville Orchestra Rap School program. Green partnered with Rap school student-producers Oren Hatchett and Kamari Harper and producer Jon Woo to produce an original track and arrange it for orchestra. Student rappers from the rap school then worked with Teddy Abrams and Green to write lyrics for the track inspired by themes of self-esteem and self-determination. Take Some Time was premiered at the Louisville Orchestra's Making Music Concert series, conducted by Kalena Bovell.

Kamari Harper/Oren Hatchett/Jon Woo/Brittany J. Green (arr.) - Take Some Time (excerpt)

World premiere by the Louisville Orchestra on May 10, 2025.

The Lands of Hypnagogia follows the adventure of Cyan, a young person who turns into a dragon in his dreams. As they travel through the Lands of Hypnagogia, Cyan encounters a dream tree and a band of mystical characters and goes on a thrilling journey of deceit, teamwork, and hijinks before returning home. The Lands of Hypnagogia is a collaborative project between the Louisville Orchestra, the Waldorf School of Louisville, and the University of Louisville. The piece is comprised of an original short story written by students in the Waldorf School's Creator Club under the direction of Gregory Acker, original animation by University of Louisville students AJ Ruffra and Isabel Ahnemiller under the direction of Ryan O'Hare, and original music composed by Waldorf School's Creator Club and LO Creators Corps composer Brittany J. Green.

Brittany J. Green - The Lands of Hypnagogia (audio-only excerpt)

World premiere by the Louisville Orchestra with Gabe Lefkowitz (violin soloist) and Nicholas Finch (cello soloist) on March 7, 2025 (Joseph Young, cond.).

As my residency with the Louisville Orchestra came to a close last year, I was approached with the idea of composing a new work for violin, cello, and orchestra. The piece was to be commemorative and feature two principal players in the orchestra: Gabe Lefkowitz (violin) and Nick Finch (cello). I was also told that my piece would be paired with Ellen Zwilich’s Double Concerto, commissioned by the Louisville Orchestra in 1991. 

I was initially daunted by the task of composing a work that features two instruments I do not play. At the same time, I was honored to be included in the orchestra’s rich history of commissioning new music and knew that with some score study and back and forth with Gabe and Nick, it would be an exciting challenge. I also knew I wanted to compose a piece that showcased both the youthful spirit and mature sensitivity of the soloists and the ensemble. 

In order to feature these different aspects, I decided to break the piece up into six continuous movements of various lengths. The work begins with a spark and propels into a consistent groove. The soloists fly over and collide with the orchestra until they reach a breaking point. The opening material is then transformed into an arching melody that peaks and slides its way back into pulse, plummeting towards the finale.

Typically, when I set out to compose a piece, I start with some sort of programmatic element. Recently, those elements have included historical narratives, religious principles, or personal stories. However, in this case, rather than having a specific story in mind, I allowed the music to be its own narrative. I decided to keep the title simple: Double Concerto as a way of honoring Zwilich’s work and to allow the audience to create their own story as they listen.

Alex Berko - Double Concerto: mvts. 1 and 2 (excerpt)

World premiere by the Louisville Orchestra with Gabe Lefkowitz (violin soloist) and Nicholas Finch (cello soloist) on March 7, 2025 (Joseph Young, cond.).

As my residency with the Louisville Orchestra came to a close last year, I was approached with the idea of composing a new work for violin, cello, and orchestra. The piece was to be commemorative and feature two principal players in the orchestra: Gabe Lefkowitz (violin) and Nick Finch (cello). I was also told that my piece would be paired with Ellen Zwilich’s Double Concerto, commissioned by the Louisville Orchestra in 1991.

I was initially daunted by the task of composing a work that features two instruments I do not play. At the same time, I was honored to be included in the orchestra’s rich history of commissioning new music and knew that with some score study and back and forth with Gabe and Nick, it would be an exciting challenge. I also knew I wanted to compose a piece that showcased both the youthful spirit and mature sensitivity of the soloists and the ensemble.

In order to feature these different aspects, I decided to break the piece up into six continuous movements of various lengths. The work begins with a spark and propels into a consistent groove. The soloists fly over and collide with the orchestra until they reach a breaking point. The opening material is then transformed into an arching melody that peaks and slides its way back into pulse, plummeting towards the finale.

Typically, when I set out to compose a piece, I start with some sort of programmatic element. Recently, those elements have included historical narratives, religious principles, or personal stories. However, in this case, rather than having a specific story in mind, I allowed the music to be its own narrative. I decided to keep the title simple: Double Concerto as a way of honoring Zwilich’s work and to allow the audience to create their own story as they listen.

Alex Berko - Double Concerto: mvts. 4 and 5 (excerpt)

Alex Berko - Double Concerto: mvt. 6 (excerpt)

World premiere by the Louisville Orchestra on November 15, 2024.

"intimacies, interruptions" is inspired by the furtive moments that exist only within the cracks
and fissures of today's hyper-fast and fragmented life-world. In the age of oversaturation and
instant gratification, sitting down and sharing a traditional concert hall ritual can open the
door to a surprisingly radical kind of intimacy.

Threads of lyricism are strewn throughout this work, but they are often presented alongside a
shifting cornucopia of orchestral color. A rich diversity of musical material and techniques of
ensemble coordination create the tensions and contradictions that shape one level of this
work. As these contrasting musical materials collide with and interrupt each other, the
resonances they leave behind trace subtle, ephemeral connections that may be even more
alluring to the listener than the work's energetic surface. Through this work, I invite the
audience to contemplate how moments of intimacy can take on new richness after they are
interrupted.

Baldwin Giang - intimacies, interruptions (excerpt)

World premiere by the Louisville Orchestra on March 27, 2025 (David Baker, cond.).

The musical ideas for "leviathan" first came to me in late summer 2023, when I first arrived to Taiwan, my new home for the year. This also happened to be when then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi came to visit Taiwan. In response to her visit, China deployed warships to conduct military drills surrounding the island of Taiwan on all sides, including firing missiles into her waters. The US Navy also sent two warships to the Taiwan strait during Speaker Pelosi's visit. The image of all these warships formed the shape of a giant sea serpent in my mind, whose length was so gargantuan that its body would coil around itself until its beginning and end were no longer clearly perceptible, rising from and hiding under the water. My piece for large orchestra similarly contains melodic material that twists and wraps around itself in a complex counterpoint of canons at the third, second, and unison. Further engaging with this network of meanings, I wondered how the traditionally hierarchical organization of a western classical orchestra could, with nuance, reflect on the concept of a 'leviathan' in affect and embodiment.

Baldwin Giang - leviathan (excerpt)

World premiere by the Louisville Orchestra and Baldwin Giang (pipa) on April 26, 2025.

The PIPA BOY series began during my Fulbright Artist Fellowship in Taiwan, where I studied how to play the pipa (a traditional Chinese lute) and composed for the instrument. Conceptualizing a hybrid context in which to feature the pipa alongside Western instruments, I realized that the pipa is as much a product of human migration as I am. The video part to PIPA BOY features myself in places where I’ve lived in which identity needs to be interpreted and negotiated, and critically imagines what belonging to a diaspora could mean in the future.

This orchestral version and wholescale musical revision of PIPA BOY III was commissioned by the Louisville Orchestra's Creators Corps program for the occasion of their In Harmony Tour.

Baldwin Giang - PIPA BOY III: "encounters between past and future" (excerpt)

World premiere by the Louisville Orchestra and Scott Leger (horn) on May 9, 2025. 

At a time when our country is more divided than ever, I reflected on a passage from the bible that is particularly important to many Pentecostal communities in Kentucky. In Acts of the Apostles Chapter 2, on the day of the Pentecost, Jesus gives his disciples the ability to suddenly be heard speaking in languages they did not know. Rather than attempting a kind of programmatic description, my horn concerto investigates the affects and emotional content of a miraculous moment when divided communities could, in an instant, feel recognized and heard. As a political metaphor, I think the gift of tongues is a particularly utopian and desirable vision for our world today. Though sustained hard work bridging political lines is no doubt necessary, perhaps this passage reminds us that we must also be open to the serendipitous and surprising moments when we can connect with those of radically different political communities. 

This passage of the Pentecost inspired me to think of the French horn as a particularly gifted and versatile communicator within the orchestra. The solo horn part is nearly constantly in contrapuntal conversation with other sections of the orchestra, exchanging and developing musical ideas with each new passing context. At different times, many principals in the orchestra are given a soloistic and virtuosic passage when in dialogue directly with the solo horn, including the flutes, trumpets, violins, section horns, harp, double bass, timpani, and celli. Through these many encounters, the solo horn part evolves through a very intricate and nuanced microtonal language that reflects on the idiosyncrasies of each of its conversational partners in summation. 

The first movement considers the astonishment and wonder of that moment when Jesus gave his apostles "divided tongues" in an instant, "as of fire." The slow and lyrical second movement ponders the ramifications of that moment, when his apostles had the new ability to spread his message "near and far" to different linguistic communities, and I explore the horn's ability to communicate spatially within the orchestra. The third movement reflects on a leader of monatanism, a mid-late 2nd century Christian sect, the prophet Maximilia who proclaimed "I am speech, spirit, and power." The montanists believed that divine revelation could come directly through ecstatic fits of where followers would speak spontaneously in tongues. They were labeled as heretics and false prophets by the early Catholic church. 

This piece owes a special debt of gratitude to Scott Leger for his many years of collaboration and friendship and to whom the solo horn part is dedicated. I write this piece also with sincere appreciation to the many principal players of the Louisville Orchestra with whom I met and for whose gifts and interests I especially wrote

Baldwin Giang - gift of tongues: Mvt. 1, "divided tongues, as of fire" (excerpt 1/2)

World premiere by the Louisville Orchestra and Scott Leger (horn) on May 9, 2025. 

At a time when our country is more divided than ever, I reflected on a passage from the bible that is particularly important to many Pentecostal communities in Kentucky. In Acts of the Apostles Chapter 2, on the day of the Pentecost, Jesus gives his disciples the ability to suddenly be heard speaking in languages they did not know. Rather than attempting a kind of programmatic description, my horn concerto investigates the affects and emotional content of a miraculous moment when divided communities could, in an instant, feel recognized and heard. As a political metaphor, I think the gift of tongues is a particularly utopian and desirable vision for our world today. Though sustained hard work bridging political lines is no doubt necessary, perhaps this passage reminds us that we must also be open to the serendipitous and surprising moments when we can connect with those of radically different political communities. 

This passage of the Pentecost inspired me to think of the French horn as a particularly gifted and versatile communicator within the orchestra. The solo horn part is nearly constantly in contrapuntal conversation with other sections of the orchestra, exchanging and developing musical ideas with each new passing context. At different times, many principals in the orchestra are given a soloistic and virtuosic passage when in dialogue directly with the solo horn, including the flutes, trumpets, violins, section horns, harp, double bass, timpani, and celli. Through these many encounters, the solo horn part evolves through a very intricate and nuanced microtonal language that reflects on the idiosyncrasies of each of its conversational partners in summation. 

The first movement considers the astonishment and wonder of that moment when Jesus gave his apostles "divided tongues" in an instant, "as of fire." The slow and lyrical second movement ponders the ramifications of that moment, when his apostles had the new ability to spread his message "near and far" to different linguistic communities, and I explore the horn's ability to communicate spatially within the orchestra. The third movement reflects on a leader of monatanism, a mid-late 2nd century Christian sect, the prophet Maximilia who proclaimed "I am speech, spirit, and power." The montanists believed that divine revelation could come directly through ecstatic fits of where followers would speak spontaneously in tongues. They were labeled as heretics and false prophets by the early Catholic church. 

This piece owes a special debt of gratitude to Scott Leger for his many years of collaboration and friendship and to whom the solo horn part is dedicated. I write this piece also with sincere appreciation to the many principal players of the Louisville Orchestra with whom I met and for whose gifts and interests I especially wrote.

Baldwin Giang - gift of tongues: Mvt. 1, "divided tongues, as of fire" (excerpt 2/2)

World premiere by the Louisville Orchestra and Scott Leger (horn) on May 9, 2025. 

At a time when our country is more divided than ever, I reflected on a passage from the bible that is particularly important to many Pentecostal communities in Kentucky. In Acts of the Apostles Chapter 2, on the day of the Pentecost, Jesus gives his disciples the ability to suddenly be heard speaking in languages they did not know. Rather than attempting a kind of programmatic description, my horn concerto investigates the affects and emotional content of a miraculous moment when divided communities could, in an instant, feel recognized and heard. As a political metaphor, I think the gift of tongues is a particularly utopian and desirable vision for our world today. Though sustained hard work bridging political lines is no doubt necessary, perhaps this passage reminds us that we must also be open to the serendipitous and surprising moments when we can connect with those of radically different political communities. 

This passage of the Pentecost inspired me to think of the French horn as a particularly gifted and versatile communicator within the orchestra. The solo horn part is nearly constantly in contrapuntal conversation with other sections of the orchestra, exchanging and developing musical ideas with each new passing context. At different times, many principals in the orchestra are given a soloistic and virtuosic passage when in dialogue directly with the solo horn, including the flutes, trumpets, violins, section horns, harp, double bass, timpani, and celli. Through these many encounters, the solo horn part evolves through a very intricate and nuanced microtonal language that reflects on the idiosyncrasies of each of its conversational partners in summation. 

The first movement considers the astonishment and wonder of that moment when Jesus gave his apostles "divided tongues" in an instant, "as of fire." The slow and lyrical second movement ponders the ramifications of that moment, when his apostles had the new ability to spread his message "near and far" to different linguistic communities, and I explore the horn's ability to communicate spatially within the orchestra. The third movement reflects on a leader of monatanism, a mid-late 2nd century Christian sect, the prophet Maximilia who proclaimed "I am speech, spirit, and power." The montanists believed that divine revelation could come directly through ecstatic fits of where followers would speak spontaneously in tongues. They were labeled as heretics and false prophets by the early Catholic church. 

This piece owes a special debt of gratitude to Scott Leger for his many years of collaboration and friendship and to whom the solo horn part is dedicated. I write this piece also with sincere appreciation to the many principal players of the Louisville Orchestra with whom I met and for whose gifts and interests I especially wrote.


Baldwin Giang - gift of tongues: Mvt. 2, "to be near and far" (excerpt)

World premiere by the Louisville Orchestra on July 3, 2025.

The word "cleave" means both to split and to adhere. At once attached and severed, identity can exist in a constant state of being cleaved: through separation, one may begin to unite the self. "re: cleaving" responds to Li-Young Lee's Poem "The Cleaving," which explores this paradox through the lens of the Asian American experience and the metaphor of butchering meat. This piece also functions as part-orchestration and part-expansion of an earlier chamber work of mine, "Yellow Peril" - a musical response to the waves of anti-Asian hate during the early years of the COVID pandemic, which drew on Vietnamese funeral music as its source material. I examine this notion of being cleaved as it relates to being an Asian American and the tension of wanting to simultaneously embrace and detach from both sides of that label. 

Oswald Huỳnh - re: cleaving

World premiere by the Louisville Orchestra on May 9, 2025.

In Vietnamese, the word Tiếng means both “language” and “sound.” It is the interplay of those two ideas that is at the core of this work. I grew up speaking Vietnamese (inherited from my parents) and English (learned from watching television), and the role of translator was an everyday occurrence for me as a child, from parent-teacher conferences to reading court documents for family members. Moving in between those two disparate worlds, translation would often fail me in conversation, just as much as I failed the languages that were passed down to me. This work navigates that tension of language and translation, and observes both as tools of violence, forms of grief, and points of empathy. While I recognize this is a myopic view of what are complex linguistic histories, this piece places English as a language of violence and Vietnamese as a language of grief. Interconnected by music, literature, and art, Tiếng attempts to reconcile the two languages while searching for what it means to speak a language of empathy.

Each movement of Tiếng is based on one of the six tones of the modern Vietnamese language: ngang, huyền, sắc, hỏi, ngã, and nặng. Every tone is represented by a diacritic that uniquely transforms the pronunciation of words and syllables. From these tones, I derive shape, gesture, and character, which are then used as material for the piece. Lines of poetry that explore violence, grief, and empathy—from poets Li-Young Lee, Nam Le, Ocean Vuong, and Cathy Linh Che—are paired with each of the tones, which inspired the emotional content of the music. Art inspired by the six Vietnamese tones (illustrated by longtime friend and collaborator ‘Apikale Fouch) are projected during each movement. 

The poems quoted are:

"Have You Prayed?” by Li-Young Lee

"To My Father / To My Future Son?” by Ocean Vuong

"[15. Dire critical]” by Nam Le

"Go Forget Your Father” by Cathy Linh Che

Oswald Huỳnh - Tiêng: Mvt. I, "Dấu Huyền / Have you prayed?" (excerpt)

World premiere by the Louisville Orchestra on May 9, 2025.

In Vietnamese, the word Tiếng means both “language” and “sound.” It is the interplay of those two ideas that is at the core of this work. I grew up speaking Vietnamese (inherited from my parents) and English (learned from watching television), and the role of translator was an everyday occurrence for me as a child, from parent-teacher conferences to reading court documents for family members. Moving in between those two disparate worlds, translation would often fail me in conversation, just as much as I failed the languages that were passed down to me. This work navigates that tension of language and translation, and observes both as tools of violence, forms of grief, and points of empathy. While I recognize this is a myopic view of what are complex linguistic histories, this piece places English as a language of violence and Vietnamese as a language of grief. Interconnected by music, literature, and art, Tiếng attempts to reconcile the two languages while searching for what it means to speak a language of empathy.

Each movement of Tiếng is based on one of the six tones of the modern Vietnamese language: ngang, huyền, sắc, hỏi, ngã, and nặng. Every tone is represented by a diacritic that uniquely transforms the pronunciation of words and syllables. From these tones, I derive shape, gesture, and character, which are then used as material for the piece. Lines of poetry that explore violence, grief, and empathy—from poets Li-Young Lee, Nam Le, Ocean Vuong, and Cathy Linh Che—are paired with each of the tones, which inspired the emotional content of the music. Art inspired by the six Vietnamese tones (illustrated by longtime friend and collaborator ‘Apikale Fouch) are projected during each movement. 

The poems quoted are:

"Have You Prayed?” by Li-Young Lee

"To My Father / To My Future Son?” by Ocean Vuong

"[15. Dire critical]” by Nam Le

"Go Forget Your Father” by Cathy Linh Che


Oswald Huỳnh - Tiêng: Mvt. II, "Dấu Ngã / the exit wounds of every misfired word" (excerpt)

In Vietnamese, the word Tiếng means both “language” and “sound.” It is the interplay of those two ideas that is at the core of this work. I grew up speaking Vietnamese (inherited from my parents) and English (learned from watching television), and the role of translator was an everyday occurrence for me as a child, from parent-teacher conferences to reading court documents for family members. Moving in between those two disparate worlds, translation would often fail me in conversation, just as much as I failed the languages that were passed down to me. This work navigates that tension of language and translation, and observes both as tools of violence, forms of grief, and points of empathy. While I recognize this is a myopic view of what are complex linguistic histories, this piece places English as a language of violence and Vietnamese as a language of grief. Interconnected by music, literature, and art, Tiếng attempts to reconcile the two languages while searching for what it means to speak a language of empathy.

Each movement of Tiếng is based on one of the six tones of the modern Vietnamese language: ngang, huyền, sắc, hỏi, ngã, and nặng. Every tone is represented by a diacritic that uniquely transforms the pronunciation of words and syllables. From these tones, I derive shape, gesture, and character, which are then used as material for the piece. Lines of poetry that explore violence, grief, and empathy—from poets Li-Young Lee, Nam Le, Ocean Vuong, and Cathy Linh Che—are paired with each of the tones, which inspired the emotional content of the music. Art inspired by the six Vietnamese tones (illustrated by longtime friend and collaborator ‘Apikale Fouch) are projected during each movement. 

The poems quoted are:

"Have You Prayed?” by Li-Young Lee

"To My Father / To My Future Son?” by Ocean Vuong

"[15. Dire critical]” by Nam Le

"Go Forget Your Father” by Cathy Linh Che

Oswald Huỳnh - Tiêng: Mvt. III, "Dấu Ngang / your squeezed, frictioned speech" (excerpt)

Oswald Huỳnh - Tiêng: Mvt. IV, "Dấu Sắc / from agent orange, from yellow rain, from grief" (excerpt)

Oswald Huỳnh - Tiêng: Mvt.V, "Dấu Nặng / to show each other who we used to be" (excerpt)

Oswald Huỳnh - Tiêng: Mvt. VI, "Dấu Hỏi / Have you found your refuge yet?" (excerpt)

Long praised for visionary thinking about the role of an orchestra in its community, The Louisville Orchestra launched its Louisville Orchestra Creators Corps (LOCC) program in the 2022-23 season. The LOCC is the only program of its kind that deeply integrates artists into the orchestra and the city. Each year, three Creators move to Louisville for the entirety of the concert season. These Creators serve as full-time LO staff members, receiving an annual salary, health insurance, housing, and custom studio workspaces. During their time in Louisville, the Creators compose new works for the orchestra, design educational and community projects, and become active participants in the fabric of city life. 

Hear excerpts of the works they've composed during their residency, written for and performed by the Louisville Orchestra.

Louisville Orchestra Creators Corps

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