Bouvetøya, a small ice-covered island in the south Atlantic, is the most remote island in the world. The closest landmass is the coast of Antarctica at just over 1,100 miles away, followed by the coast of South Africa at 1,600 miles away. I was inspired by the extreme isolation of the island in writing this piece, as in today's modern technological world, it seems impossible to find such solitude. In keeping with the idea of solitude, at times you will hear whispering coming from the orchestra; I've asked the players to whisper to themselves their most recent dream. To me, this act of sharing something so personal and intimate represents the projection of one's inner psychological machinations, which are so rarely revealed to the outside world, onto the aural canvas of the piece. In this way, the piece is highly personalized and shaped by the individuals who perform it. The irony of the piece is that the musicians must collaborate together, each musician conveying their own experiential solitude, to create a stark sense of serenity. I don't intend for this piece to be a lament for the concept of isolation, but rather a meditation on the idea of self awareness and introspection.
These almost heartbreakingly gentle felted piano compositions have the delicacy and loveliness of slow-falling snow. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 30, 2023
This elegantly composed chamber album from Ellen Tsai has a playful feel, almost like the soundtrack to a storybook. Bandcamp New & Notable Aug 23, 2022