About the Work

This concerto will be in two large, contrasting sections, with an interlude in between. The first section will be a deep exploration of the vibraphone as an instrument of combination. The vibraphone will combine with other orchestral families and combinations of instruments to create new colors and sounds. The various themes that emerge from these different combinations will engage in play with one another, building the broader narrative of the movement. After a short, static interlude that explores the idea of clouds of sound out of which the vibraphone emerges, a sudden break will mark the beginning of the second of the two large sections — the vibraphone presenting itself as an instrument of contrast. In this section, the accumulated musical material is used as a means of creating dialogue between the soloist and different groups of instruments, echoing at times the elements that emerged in the first large section. Toward the end of this second section, the two large concepts fold back in on themselves, and the vibraphone retraces its dual roles from the entire composition before exploding into an ending that reaches new, unexplored heights.

Judd Greenstein

is an American composer and advocate for the independent new music community in the US and around the world. His works for standout groups such as Roomful of Teeth, NOW Ensemble, and yMusic have reached global audiences and received widespread critical acclaim. As a founder of New Amsterdam Records and the Ecstatic Music Festival, Judd has been a leading voice in developing a genre-fluid musical infrastructure that endeavors to open new channels of participation and representation in contemporary music.

George Nickson

is a percussionist and conductor of great versatility and virtuosity who holds the Margie and William H. Seay Chair as Principal Percussionist of The Dallas Symphony Orchestra, serves as Chair of the Percussion Department and Professor of Practice at Southern Methodist University, is Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director of ensemblenewSRQ and teaches contemporary chamber music studies at SMU, including the musical collective SYZYGY . In addition to his position with the DSO, George has performed with many of North America's orchestras, as well as concerto performances at Tanglewood, solo performances at The Spoleto Festival, and solo recording projects for NAXOS, Bridge, and Albany Records.

For more information: judd@juddgreenstein.com / 917-941-1603