PROGRAM NOTES

Acadia Summit is a work that was inspired by my experiences exploring Acadia National Park. The piece aims to evoke feelings of excitement while hiking Cadillac Mountain and nearing Acadia’s highest peak. While standing atop the mountain, sounds of wind harmonize with birds soaring at eye level and below. In the work, there are moments of cacophonous sounds and rapidly-changing textures, which represent the adventurous ascent up the mountain, as well as the accompanying natural sounds, swaying trees, ubiquitous blueberry bushes, and jagged cliffs.

 

Further, the work alludes to Acadia’s colorful, transcendent horizons and expansive landscapes, as represented by lyrical melodic lines and dense textures. As a whole, the work aims to evoke a sense of excitement, serenity, calmness, and adventure.

 

For Peter Kurau and the Eastman Horn Choir.