We asked our 2024–25 fellows—Sam Pichardo, Danity Pike, Mia Turakhia, Zoe Verduin, Brannon Warn-Johnston, and Emilie Wolff—what inspired the pieces they have been working on with their mentors throughout this year. Read on to see where they each found inspiration and hear the world premieres live on June 26 at Carnegie Hall, performed by International Contemporary Ensemble.
What inspired you to write your new piece?
Sam Pichardo: My mentor Angélica Negron, and one of my favorite composers, Michael Markowski, inspired me to write this piece. I incorporated programmatic elements and used some of my original poetry in it. My main challenge was to step out of my comfort zone. I never considered using electronics in my work until I began my mentorship under Angélica. My poem “Burning Building” examines dealing with the loss of innocence and the painful realization that the world isn’t safe. My poem “what about me” is about feeling unseen, exploring themes of self-pity and the realization that no one truly understands the speaker.
Danity Pike: My first idea came musically by experimenting with a major chord over its seventh, bringing a mysterious and unresolved feel—this is the first chord of the piece. I wrote the text on a plane, describing a girl transforming into a doll by a cruel doll-maker. Stories like Coraline and The Metamorphosis inspired this depiction, but on a broader note, I wanted to comment on the loss of individuality that comes with social conformity. Each section represents a new narrative progression, told through electronic narration, as the piece navigates themes of change and uniformity.
Mia Turakhia: Beneath Dying Skies, depicts the negative path our world is heading towards if we continue to ignore climate change. It envisions the gradual unraveling of our planet, highlighting issues like environmental degradation, hunger, poverty, and societal chaos. I wanted to explore blending various timbres and textures in my piece. At times, I aimed for the flute and viola to work together hand-in-hand and blend harmoniously to create a smooth color and texture. Other times, I envisioned the flute providing a glossy texture while the viola would create rapid and sharp attacks.
Zoe Verduin: My piece, Joshua Tree, is inspired by a trip I took two years ago to California, where my family and I visited Joshua Tree National Park. I was fascinated by the unique desert landscape, the wildlife, and the dark night sky which allowed for stargazing. The form of my piece is based on the cycle of a day, with different intensities representing different temperatures. The piece begins and ends quietly and slowly, symbolizing coolness during the sunrise and sunset, while the middle of the piece is loud and driving to portray the high heat of the afternoon. With this piece, I challenged myself to write for vibraphone for the first time. I learned about and utilized the different sounds it could make, like using a bow for an ethereal, glassy sound.
Brannon Warn-Johnston: Stages of Inspiration represents an arc of a creative process, particularly the experience of composing music. It starts with a “thoughtful and searching” section in the whole tone scale, as ideas slowly form. Later excitement starts to build, representing the exhilarating feelings of ideas coming to life. That energy intensifies, shifting from “excited and nervous” to “frustration” as endless possibilities are tried, clashing and layering frantically until everything crashes to silence. Then “recentering,” as inspiration returns, and the melodies transform into the “joyful and triumphant” ending, with the final statement of the themes representing the emotions of hearing the finished work.
Emilie Wolff: In my piece I wanted to address why we do things as a society. Why Dance uses a frequently repeating melody and an ever progressing tempo, which encapsulates chaotic movement that keeps the listener guessing when it will end.