Such a thrill to have my viola concertino Hotwire premiered by Stefanie Farrands and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Elena Schwarz. It was an absolute joy to collaborate with Stef throughout the process and see her rock out on stage (photographic evidence below). Much thanks to Matthew Hindson and Paul Stanhope for their support and mentoring across the week.
Program note:
Hotwire is inspired by the act of hotwiring: starting an engine without the key, usually associated with vehicle theft. In this analogy, the orchestra is a luxury car and the viola, the thief. The viola hijacks the orchestra, taking it for an off-road spin across rugged terrain and cruise-control motorways. A wild police chase ensues! Stylistically, the work embraces bluegrass and metal guitar techniques, reimagined on viola, including a high amount of slides, scrapes, bends, power chords, and whammy-bar wails.
All photos by Brad Harris Photography. Hand actions by me.
In the second half of the week, I worked on orchestral arrangements for electronic producer Jerome Blazé and singer Ivy-Jane Browne, as well as singer-songwriter Naomi Jones. Who knew I had a ballad in me! Special thanks to Jessica Wells for her insight.
A quick shout out to my composer friends also involved in the program, Harry Sdraulig, Mark Holdsworth, and Ella Macens. Go check out their music!