OPERAORCHESTRAELECTROACOUSTICCHAMBERELECTRONICSOLO

 

OPERA

• Languagemachine

  A chamber opera in one act

  – LIBRETTO: LAUREN D’ERRICO
  – 2 SOPRANO, TENOR, BARITON, FLUTE, CLARINET, BASSOON, 2VIOLIN, VIOLA, VIOLONCELLO, DOUBLE BASS, PIANO, PERCUSSION*, ELECTRONIC SOUNDS (FIXED MEDIA)
  – PREMIER: APRIL 13TH 2019, PITTSBURGH OPERA, CMU MUSIC ENSEMBLE CONDUCTOR: DANIEL NESTA CURTIS
  – Synopsis: In a not-so-distant future, a waste prevention initiative called The Language Machine has been put in place to cut down the time that people spend speaking — but what began as the erasure of “um” and “like” has eliminated almost all of the English language. Amidst global institution of the initiative, Diana and Andy struggle through the last full conversation of their marriage. Meanwhile, Charles and Lucie, two operators of The Language Machine, irreversibly change their once-successful working relationship when they peak inside of the machine and gain access to all the world’s words. As language grows less and less and more and more, the two pairs must learn how to navigate the complexities of communication anew.
  

---

 

ORCHESTRA

• Vasna II

  Symphony Orchestra in one movement (2018)

  • – 3233/4331/[3perc]/hrp/pno/str
  • – premiered by CMU Philharmonic Orchestra. Carnegie Music Hall. Pittsburgh, USA. March 5th, 2019.
  Duration 9′

   

• Vasna

  Symphony Orchestra in one movement (2015)

  • – 2222/2231/[3perc]/hrp/str
  • – Winner of ABLAZE Records; International Composition Competition for recording the Orchestral Masters vol.4 disc. Vasna is recorded by Brno Philharmonic Orchestra along with Mikel Toms as a conductor, to be distributed worldwide by NAXOS of America, Albany music, Amazon, iTunes, Super D One- Stop; in spring 2017. Cincinnati OH, USA, 2016.
  • – Vasna is now available on iTunes, Amazon, Naxos Music Library.
  • – Selected for recording with Moscow Studio Symphony Orchestra [Music Director of the Orchestra: Yuri Sazonoff].
  Duration 9′

   

• de

  String Orchestra (2014)

  • • Duration 6′

    ---

ELECTROACOUSTIC

• THE

  The multiple components of this complex of pieces are impacted by living in a multicultural environment that is surrounded and complicated by diversity. This environment has generated a compositional identity that serves to both render itself and to reconsider its place within a context of diversity that includes preceding influences. The regeneration and rethinking of this diversity demands improvisation, which Kamancheh accomplishes on this album by anchoring dialogic free-play inside the fluid flow of creative expression, much as the growing roots swarm the creator’s face in the image. Convergence of identity also prompts deviating from the traditional orchestra’s acoustic positionality, which is accomplished through the use of virtual sample instruments (except for Kamancheh, all sounds on this album are VST samples), while maintaining a practice of listening to the resultant sound on an individual basis without taking into account the sound source’s context—social, political, cultural, etc.—even though the pieces were purposefully constructed to represent societal concerns. Although various binaries such as east/west, live/virtual, singular/plural may be seen in this anthology, there is no effort to infer any specific subjectivities, and the composer considers all of them as subsets of a wider complex.

• A World from a Distance

  Technology is the primary link between the pieces in this collection. I use technology to generate sounds or manipulate them. The acoustic sections of this collection have, like the electronically generated sounds, been created through technology by using VST samples, and, in some parts, sound processing has modified its quality (as in track No. 4, Dots). Working with tech for many years has led me to approach my compositional process in new ways. While composing, I balance the connections I’ve formed between my musical habits and the technological tools available to me. This balanced interaction is what differs between my approaches to acoustic and electronic composition.
  In this collection, I confront the entire field of sound and time with differing notions of distance and coordination, two of the embedded characters of electronic music. During my compositional process, I navigate textures, rhythmic frames, and embedded sounds within varying virtual acousmatic distances. From this vast array of options in creating sound structures, I’ve, ironically, come to kinds of repetition as structures within my electronic work. I approach many of these pieces as various fractions of sound and time that are all moving inward to a nucleus. My movement between differing layers of superimposed multi-tracks intensifies their convergence toward this nucleus. Its gravity pulls listeners in many directions, creating shifting aural relations. Each time I listen to these pieces my aural perception shifts and warps differently towards each piece’s multi-dimensional nucleus. At times I find myself being pulled with these sounds toward the nucleus. Other times I find myself within the nucleus as sounds rush towards me from many angles. At any rate, it is not a left-right listening experience for me. Rather, it is a nucleocentric listening experience. This way of listening greatly informs my compositional process for this series of electronic pieces.

CHAMBER

• Will I Be Remembered

  sextet (2021)

  • – Flute, Clarinet, Violin, Violoncello, Piano, and Percussion (fixed media)
  • – recorded by Da Capo ensemble
  Duration 5′

• a miniature opera: censorship

  string quartet (2022)

  • – recorded by JACK Quartet. Oktaven audiO USA- 2021
  • – recorded by JACK Quartet. New Music On the Point, USA- 2021
  • – performed by Argus Quartet. Temple University’s Rock Hall, USA- 2021

  The “censorship” is a miniature opera that projects the form of censorship by gradually filtering sounds into noises. This composition is like fireworks. There are noises and floating materials in it. All materials happen extremely rapidly in the piece, much like fireworks. Although we can’t see its details clearly, we can perceive its overall form. Censorship might also be viewed as a firework. It is difficult to oppose it because its form is constantly changing and appears soft, innocent, and more beautiful while also becoming crueler. We censor at times and are censored at others. It has devolved into a commodity. Then it may need the use of a barcode.

  a miniature opera: censorship no.1

  a miniature opera: censorship no.2

  a miniature opera: censorship no.3

  score

• Be New Too

  Quintet Ensemble No.4 (2018)

  • – Flute, Clarinet, Violin, violoncello, Soprano, and Electronic sounds (fixed media)
  • – based on “New” by Gertrude Stein
  • – commissioned by Kamraton Ensemble
  • – world premiere by Kamraton. Pittsburgh USA, November 11th, 2018
  Duration 8′

• String Quartet No.2

  String Quartet No.2 (2018)

  • – World premiere by Argus Quartet; New York City, October 21st, 2018
  Duration 13+′

• Miniature Sounds

  Quintet Ensemble (2017)

  • – Flute, Clarinet, Oboe, Violin, and Piano
  • – Winner at NAT28; Call for scores 2017-18
  Duration 7′

• Hanging Time

  For ensemble; Soprano, Piano, Flute, Clarinet, Trumpet, Horn, Trombone, 2 percussions, Violin, Viola, and Cello.

  • – Based on Burnt Norton poem by Thomas Stearns Eliot
  Duration 8′

• Miniature Triology

  Trio (2017)

  • – Clarinet, Bassoon, and Violoncello
  Duration 6′

• X5 (X to the power of five)

  Quintet Ensemble (2017)

  • – Oboe, Clarinet, Violin, Viola, and Piano
  Duration 10′

• X4 (X to the power of four)

  Flute Quartet Ensemble (2017)

  • – Recorded by Sarah Steranka at Carnegie Mellon University Sound Recording Studio
  Duration 7′

• Vasna Trio

  Flute, Oboe, and Piano (another version with percussion, and septet, 2015)

  • – winner of the competition by the use of trio in Orient/Occident; International Composition Competition and Forum 2015 – 3rd Edition, Ukraine, 2015
  • – First Prize of the competition by the use of quartet in National Composition Competition held by Iranian Music Association, Tehran Iran, winter 2015
  • – winner of the competition by the use of septet in Contempora Festival, Association of Macedonia- SOKOM, Skopje, Macedonia, 2015
  • – Trio version premiered by soloists of Lviv Philharmonic on 6 November 2015, Lviv, Ukraine
  Duration 6′

• Ashem Vohu, the main motto

  Alto, Flute, Clarinet, Horn, Violin, Violoncello, and Piano (2015)

  • – Based on Zoroaster hymn (Gatha text)
  Duration 2′

• Gatha Song 1

  Mezzo-soprano, Flute, Clarinet, Horn, Violin, Violoncello, and Piano (2015)

  Duration 2′

• Asha

  • – Chamber ensemble and Iranian traditional instruments (2014)
  • – Flute, Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, 2 Violins, Violoncello, Piano, Santoor, duduk (2015)
  • – Second prize of IMHM; International Composition Competition, London, England, Autumn 2014. The IMHM Composition Competition organized by Brunel institute with the sponsorship of Renaissance Project Worldwide and support of Royal College of Music.
  • – Premiered by Royal College Ensemble.
  Duration 5′

• String Quartet No.1

  • – Special Mention award at BRUNO MADERNA; Internation Composition Competition’ Forum and Competition
  • – Premiered and recorded by Phoenix Ensemble at the final concerts 29-30 July 2016- Lviv Philharmonic Hall
  • – Music and score are published worldwide by Aldebaran Editions as “Bruno Maderna Competition” title and is available on the company’s website: http://aldebaraneditions.com/en
  Duration 6′

• String Quartet

  • – Based on Arvo Part composition theory (tintinabuli)
  Duration 5′

• Third Diagram

  Flute, Violoncello, and Piano (2014)

  • – Based on Olivier Messian Composition theory
  Duration 3′

• Estinto

  Percussion Ensemble; Timpani, Triangle, Wood blocks, Xylophone, Marimba (2014)

  Duration 2′

• Quintet No.1

  Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, and Horn in 3 movements (2013)

  Duration 7′

• Ajhaman

  Clarinet and Violin (2013)

  • – winner of the competition by the use of Ajhaman in Contempora Festival, Association of Macedonia- SOKOM, Skopje, Macedonia, 2015
  • – premiered by ConTempora ensemble on 1 february 2016, Tetovo, Macedonia
  Duration 5′

• Havan

  Soprano and Piano (2013)

  • – Based on Zoroastrian morning prayers text
  Duration 3′

• Mentalities

  Soprano and Piano (2013)

  • – Based on Zoroastrian morning prayers text
  Duration 2′

ELECTRONIC/COMPUTER MUSIC

• Electronic 4 (2018)

  • – Recording from nature and Iranian traditional instrument (Santoor). Duration 11′
  • – World premiere in Gindroz Exhibition at Carnegie Mellon University, Nov. 16th, 2018
  • – As a winner of Gindroz Prize, I visited eight cities in Europe and I had some recordings from different things. For this project, I put the microphone inside the piano and Santoor (Iranian instrument) and used the result either directly or after some processing such as convolution, twisted signal, etc.
  – A combination of acoustic, electroacoustic, and electronic sounds. I used Ableton Live, ProTools, Sibelius software, Audacity, VST Sample, and acoustic instruments

• Electronic 3 (2018)

  • – Recording from nature and Sound processing
  – Used Ableton Live, ProTools, VST Sample, acoustic instruments

• Electronic 2 (2017)

  – Recording from nature and Sound processing

• Electronic 1 (2015)

  – solo for piano and electronic sound. Used PureData and Csound application

• Brightness (2018): MAX MSP

  – Getting brightness data from camera and using the data to do processing on electronic sounds

• Image sound (2018): MAX MSP

  – illustrating frequency on screen as an image, modifying the image by changing parameters (image processing) which finally leads to sound processing

• Fugue (2018): MAX MSP

  – Running the program based on modern fugue structure and gaining the sound from vst sample

• Video (2018): MAX MSP

  – Changing the saturation of video based on the data gaining from microphone