Magneticfireflies

Augusta Read Thomas

The composer describes this piece as "very rhapsodic, lyrical, rich and majestic, but also quite playful.” In the score, she writes, "One of the main intentions of this music is the juxtaposition between stark, bold, individual colors, such as a loud solo trumpet, Mahler style, with a completely blended timbre, Debussy style."

Composer Augusta Read Thomas was born in New York in 1964. She is a Professor of Composition at The University of Chicago, where she founded the Center for Contemporary Composition. She writes: “I stay absolutely flexible. Everything is malleable, springy, stretchy, coil-able, color-able, twistable, bouncing, zig-zagging, and splinter-able. It feels like I am dancing with contrapuntal flickering sonic lights that accumulate into a spinning pinwheel spawning sound and form. I slide, skate, swivel, and spin with my materials, crafting nuance and finesse – and then I sculpt, shape, chisel, fashion and form.”

Last updated on April 10, 2023 by Palatine Concert Band