c a s c a d e s
for string quartet, live electronics, & (optional) video
2021
philosopher and ecologist Timothy Morton refers to climate change as a hyperobject, “a conceptual fact so large and complex that, like the internet, it can never be properly comprehended.”* much of the complexity surrounding the idea of climate change is due to the incomprehensibility of the extent of an intricate and seemingly infinitely connected web of biofeedback loops, such as forest dieback and the albedo effect, which are accelerating the already staggering rate of climate change. these loops create a snowball effect, a cascade of impact escaping our control. c a s c a d e s is informed by these feedback loops and attempts to bring the intimately impactful, yet seemingly distant, effects of these feedback loops to the forefront of our perception. throughout the piece, electronics distort the listeners perception of cause and effect, what is real and what is artificial, what is impacting and what is being impacted.
*quoted from a description in David Wallace-Wells’ The Uninhabitable Earth.
described by the jury of the International Youth Music Competition as “exceptionally captivating and relevant,” “[dealing] with our most inner self - the desire to conquer and own, without regard of consequences for now, or the future,” “[opening] up the chasm of self-examination: why are we toying with God's creation at the peril of all?,” and “[serving] the larger purpose - of opening our heart to Mother Nature's heartbeat”.
virtually premiered by the UW Modern Music Ensemble June 8, 2021
public performances:
May 25, 2023 at Cankar Hall in Ljubljana, Slovenia by .abeceda ensemble
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