Program Note:

Portals for orchestra (2017-18) depicts the journey of a spirit, and is loosely inspired by Dante's Divina Commedia. I had such subjects on my mind at the time of writing this piece. My composition is a musical response to my mother's unexpected and premature death. One realm within the work is volcanic, chaotic, and filled with demons, while another is a vast arctic midnight desert with faint flickers of warmth. A recurring chorale represents turning towards and away from these different worlds. At the end of the work, the final portal is found, which emits incomprehensibly bright light; a soul slowly rises towards this light.

Performances:

• Régulo Stabilito and the University of Michigan Philharmonia Orchestra, Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor, Michigan, January 31, 2018.