For violin, piano, electronics
Duration: 17 minutes
Commissioned by Francesca dePasquale and Philadelphia Chamber Music Society

Program Note:

On the Blue Shore of Silence is one of the most touching books of poetry I’ve ever read with “The Sea,” “It is Born,” “Soliloquy in the Waves,” and “Here, There, Everywhere” being the four poems that resonated with me most. The first three poems have meditative overtones, depicting the beautiful and often introverted nature of the poet’s voice. I have attempted to capture each poem’s rich spectrum of emotions through careful choice of instrumentation, tempo, structural design, and dramatic trajectory.

Throughout the whole set, the violin signifies the poet’s psyche while the piano and electronics capture the world around him. Nearly all of the electronics in the backing track is composed of acoustic sounds, a result of pre-recoded and processed violin and piano. “Here, There, Everywhere” is the only poem in the set where the reader (and in this case, I hope, the listener) experiences the poet’s relationship with the external world and community. I’ve attempted to capture this through a fast tempo and lively piano part reflective of a bustling society. In this movement, the violin (always representing the poet) carries a subdued, less prominent part, signifying his lifelong commitment to serve as a citizen, diplomat, and politician within Chilean society.

For a complete set of performance materials, please contact me directly.