What are the special challenges/pleasures of working on a commissioned piece?
It is a total honour to be commissioned to write a piece. A commission conveys the understanding that my music has resonated meaningfully with a musician or an ensemble. And, in return, it carries the opportunity for me, as a composer, to become intimately acquainted with the particular characteristics, strengths and style of the individual musicians. It’s an inspiring affirmation of connection and an exciting opportunity to hear a new work brought to life within the musician’s unique artistry and sensibilities.
Currently, I am delighted to have just finished a commissioned work for a wonderful trio, Palisades Virtuosi. My piece will be one of four short compositions to be premiered in November 2023, to mark the occasion of Palisades Virtuosi’s Commission Project milestone of 100 commissioned works!
What are the special challenges/pleasures of working with particular musicians, singers, ensembles or orchestras?
I love becoming acquainted with a musician’s or an ensemble’s particular style of playing. I am generally awed by the sensitivity, subtlety and technical skill masterful musicians will infuse into the music as they bring the musical notation to life. I live the music in the core of my being as I compose a work and hope that the notation will come close to translating the emotionality I experience, but it relies on the musicians’ deep connection to the layers of notational clues to lift the music off the page and into the aural dimension. A prime example is how cellist, Carmine Miranda breathes life into his recording of “Resolves” with his soulful artistry and nuanced mastery. https://rainworthington.com/works-catalog/resolves/
Another example is at the beginning of 2020, I was working on a commission from violinist Audrey Wright to compose a short work for violin and piano. Audrey is an extraordinary violinist with the virtuosic skill to perform extremely complex works. But as I became acquainted with her playing through concert videos, even beyond her technical virtuosity, I was taken with the exquisite emotionality of her playing. This is what I kept in mind as I wrote “Balancing on the Edge of Shadows” for her and is evident in this beautiful video premiere which she performed with pianist, Yundu Wang.
Of which works are you most proud?
I would say that I am probably most proud of the works that arose from some of the deepest emotional source points. I am proud to be able to translate these experiences into music that touches upon the commonality of human experiences and have resonated with listeners.
How would you characterise your compositional language?
I believe my music taps into the subliminal universality of non-verbal communication and the commonality of emotions and life experiences. The effectiveness of the emotional intentions of my music as described in my program notes have often been affirmed in reviews and listeners’ comments.
I believe that my work “Shredding Glass” is an effective example of how my music delves into a primal non-verbal realm to convey a profound experience – this work “speaks” to bearing witness to the tragedy of September 11, 2001 – but is ultimately about finding emotional resolution and peace.
How do you work?
My compositional process is intuition-based, rather than building from a specific musical concept, theory or architecture. I write in a “through-composed” manner, following the music as it evolves – in a sense, being open in the moment and living it as I comes through me.
What advice would you give to young/aspiring composers?
I would suggest celebrating the successes of colleagues, rather than seeing others’ accomplishments and accolades in a competitive way. Creativity is not a competitive endeavour. The successes of peers can enrich the field and open audiences’ ears to contemporary music for further interest.
Also, importantly, I would recommend unplugging from the constant media stimulus and omnipresent audio/visual overload that now fills every possible corner of our everyday environment. Allowing yourself to be “in the quiet” you can begin to hear your personal life rhythms and sounds that will inform your own inner voice and music.
What do you feel needs to be done to grow classical music’s audiences?
I feel there is a lot of mistaken concern about the “death of classical music” and diminishing audiences. I believe that different music appeals to different ages and phases of life. So, it makes sense to me that the layered complexity of classical music might generally resonate more naturally with audiences who have lived more life experiences. Similarly, dance music and “sentimental” songs might have other specifically personal resonances at different times in life, or during different ages. With all that said, while I believe that classical music will always have the capacity to connect deeply with audiences, it is also necessary to do a better job of making it more available to reach a wider demographic diversity. I feel hopeful for the future that there will be a greater cross-cultural/cross-genre appreciation of music that will expand audiences across the musical spectrum.
What’s the one thing in the music industry we’re not talking about, but you think we should be?
I think we need to talk more about the recognition of the rights of composers, the acknowledgement and financial compensation for use of their works, especially on music streaming platforms. For example, not only are the per-stream royalties minuscule, but when listening to music through a digital music provider, it is nearly impossible to find the name of the composer for a particular work. This limits possibilities for even learning about new composers. And, for my own music, it’s maddingly frustrating not to at least receive acknowledgement credit for my compositions on streaming services.
What next – where would you like to be in 10 years?
Well, this is a tall hope, but I would like to be… Living in a more enlightened world where…
– art and music are more valued,
– the interconnectedness between all living creatures and the health of the planet is embraced and protected, and
– the universality of human emotions and the commonality of life experiences are compassionately recognized and respected.
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