“The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra spent last week in Princeton coaching and guiding four contemporary composers in an immersive laboratory experience” led by Institute Director Steven Mackey, writes Nancy Plum in Wednesday’s (7/24) Town Topics (Princeton, N.J.). “Dichotomy, conflict, and ultimate hope seemed to be the overriding themes of the pieces resulting from this year’s Edward T. Cone Composition Institute [performed] … last Saturday night…. Led by Romanian conductor Cristian Macelaru, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra performed four works…. Puerto Rican composer and conductor Iván Enrique Rodríguez’s … A Metaphor for Power … has been characterized as centered on ‘the current Latinx experience.’ … Dan Caputo’s … Liminal explored the concept of ‘in-betweenness, much like the time between wakefulness and sleep.’ … Orchestral and film composer Patrick O’Malley’s Rest and Restless, originally composed as a solo for double bass … explored the idea of dichotomy, creating a musical ‘emotional landscape’ in which moods alternate…. Korean-American composer, vocalist and sound artist Bora Yoon’s … two-movement The Wind of Two Koreas … sought to depict how a culture has been split apart, and with the incorporation of well-known Korean folk tunes.”
Posted July 29, 2019
