I was honored to have been awarded a commission to write a site-specific work for the famous Newberry Library (https://www.newberry.org/) as part of Open House Chicago (https://openhousechicago.org/), funded by Access Contemporary Music https://www.acmusic.org/. My piece focuses on the front lobby and stairwell, with the instruments separated spatially. Event is Saturday, October 13, 2018. The work was played continuously (with short breaks) throughout the afternoon.
The video below was performed by Cory Tiffin – clarinet and Violetta Todorova – violin.
Founded in 1887, the Newberry Library was designed by Henry Ives Cobb, whose taste for both architectural detail and monumentality is reflected in the neo-Romanesque exterior of the building. The interior took shape according to the vision of the Newberry’s first president, William Frederick Poole, who restrained Cobb’s grandeur in favor of more practical considerations: rooms allowing users to access reading material as easily as possible. Since opening its doors 125 years ago, the Newberry has undergone a number of renovations, including a project completed this September that modernizes the first floor with a new welcome center, redesigned galleries, an expanded bookshop, and a range of spaces for public programming.