I had no idea I’d be performing with Yo-Yo Ma at the start of 2021. Nor did I expect to be christening a new concert hall in San Diego with a new piece, or syncing a live orchestra with a video game in real time. I also didn’t expect to become the owner of a large rabbit. But normality was thrown out the window in this second year of the pandemic, and I was happy to jump on the opportunities as they came:
Hymn for the Future with Yo-Yo Ma
Yo-Yo and I have crossed paths on many occasions during overlapping residencies at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, from hangs backstage to late-night dinners. But we’ve never made music together. So it was quite a thing to be asked to write him a piece for a performance in San Francisco this winter, and then accompany Yo-Yo in the performance.
The piece is inspired by the starry-sky photograph on the cover of Yo-Yo Ma’s latest release, Notes for the Future, which offers tributes to the next generation in a diversity of styles. Paying homage to the humanistic sentiment behind the musician, I created a soulful electro-acoustic hymn that conjures the artist amidst a magnificent celestial backdrop, dreaming of hopeful days ahead.
“You can play louder,” he said in the dress rehearsal, “and let’s slow it down at the end.” Louder/softer, faster/slower: what a joy to engage in simple, pure music-making with a figure who uses music as a kind of superpower. The morning of our rehearsal, Yo-Yo had been standing in the Grand Canyon with several indigenous tribes. That’s a normal day for the world’s leading cultural ambassador — but it all started with the cello. And it was a highlight of my year to share the stage with this extraordinary human being, a true Citizen Musician.
Philharmonia Fantastique: recording in the age of Covid
Back in February 2021, when covid cases were in a winter surge and live music was illegal, the entire Chicago Symphony Orchestra came together to record Philharmonia Fantastique: The Making of the Orchestra. How?
First off, the CSO tirelessly worked through covid protocols to make this phenomenal studio recording. They were the first orchestra to commission this ‘concerto for animated film and orchestra’ and committed to making this happen. It was the first time the orchestra had gathered since the start of the pandemic, and the experience was incredibly poignant.
Secondly, we brought a world-class team of recording engineers, led by Shawn Murphy. Fresh off recording West Side Story, Shawn knew exactly how to record the orchestra in five sections with ten feet between each player. The result is unique in the history of classical music: we now have a concerto for orchestra with every instrument isolated. This allowed for unprecedented control in the mixing room, and we can’t wait to release it this year.
The piece’s premiere by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra was followed by an exciting performance by the American Youth Symphony in Los Angeles, where we filmed the event. Director Gary Rydstrom and animation director Jim Capobianco have been my creative partners for several years, and it will be extraordinarily meaningful when the film is released.
Mercury Soul Productions
When the world went digital in 2021, my classical-club organization Mercury Soul turned its production know-how to music videos. In collaboration with the DeYoung Museum, we created three dynamic short films weaving art and music together. Being the only non-staff allowed into this architectural wonder at the height of a covid surge was one of the highlights of the year – you can explore the series here.
Mercury Soul’s film series caught the attention of Intel, which engaged us to produce a fascinating event for their Gamer Days festival. Forget tiny-screen mobile games; Gamer Days is about immersive console games that have narratives and budgets on the Hollywood level. Intel asked if it was possible to have a live orchestra performing the music of Destiny 2 in sync with famous gamer Dr Lupo. This was a fascinating challenge, since the music changes depending on what happens in the game. So I devised a complex system of vamps, repeats, and stingers that were cued with hand signals between me, conductor Sarah Hicks, and the orchestra. Coordinating an orchestra with a team of gamers – a lot of technologies dancing together – was one of the most exciting highlights of 2021, and I was thankful that Mercury Soul could produce such a complex event from top to bottom.
The Shell world premiere & BBC Proms
And, yes, some actual live music happened in 2021 too. The San Diego Symphony commissioned a piece to open their stunning new concert hall The Shell, which features a state-of-the-art surround-sound speaker system. I created a ‘fanfare with sonic effects,’ flying sonorities over and around the audience. Maestro Rafael Payare is one of the most exciting conductors in America, and performing the electronica with him and his superb orchestra was my first experience performing since the start of the pandemic.
I would have made it to London to perform Auditorium at the BBC Proms, but the UK closed its borders. So Kirill Karabits and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra brought this ‘Baroque thriller’ to life on their own – and I enjoyed the live-stream back in California.
And the rabbit? My family teamed up against me to insist on acquiring one very large, very cute English Spotted Rabbit. Disinclined to add another lifeform to my home, I grew to appreciate the stud-muffin known as Pillow. I’m not exactly sure what goes through his head, but I appreciate that he’s always listening: his massive ears are like satellite dishes.
He probably has a few questions about the noises coming from my studio…
