Live performance on November 24, 2024, at Old St. Joseph's Church in Philadelphia, PA.

Alexander Scriabin: Poème op. 32, no. 1 In F-sharp Major

The world of classical music is a lot like a video game: when first learning music, a person starts at level one. As music becomes more challenging, the musician levels up; competition and audition victories can be equated to conquering a final boss. In pairing violin virtuosity with video game violence, this work examines artistic ambition, the demands of performance, the pain of failure and the fleeting pleasure of achievement.

Aaron Israel Levin: Videogame Vespers

This composition’s title is derived from a work by the 20th century Catalan visual artist Joan Miró. The piece captures the experience of looking at the strikingly beautiful painting for the first time and gradually taking it all in in: first, as an incredibly rich and colorful composite, then honing in on specific shapes.

Benjamin T. Martin: Ladders Cross the Blue Sky in a Wheel of Fire

Thematically, the title of this composition references the idea that the creation of a work of art, or anything, is one continuous process with the creation of the universe. This piece gives a great deal of control to the performers through improvised sections, aleatoric elements, and even the length of each section — which is determined by the musicians in the moment.

Taylor Schultz: Creation

“Belén: Un canto sagrado a mis ancestros” (Belén: A sacred chant to my ancestors) is a piece that honors and recognizes the beautiful legacy and inheritance of our ancestors. Skin, philosophy, religion, culture and music are exalted through the work. The composition explores the variety of sonorities of bomba, an African-based musical genre born in Puerto Rico.

Johanny Navarro: Belén: un canto sagrado a mis ancestros

The Rust Belt, formerly known as the Steel Belt, is an area of the United States that was once characterized by manufacturing success. As time passed, the gradual decline of industry in the region sparked urban decay and economic distress. This composition is about the region’s “rusting out” and the phantoms of past industrial prosperity.

Isaac Creager: Rot Town

Alpenglow is a string quartet about the little moments that matter the most. It is about the seemingly insignificant things that evoke a warm and fuzzy feeling, about something as simple as the joy of watching the sunrise or sunset against the Rocky Mountains.

Alexander Scriabin: Poème op. 32, no. 1 In F-sharp Major

Ryan Dahn