Esprit Orchestra presents COSMIC HEARTBEATS

Thursday, April 17th / 2025 | Koerner Hall
8:00PM Concert | 7:15PM Musical Insights with Alexina Louie and guests
Alex Pauk, Music Director & conductor
Sophia Burgos (USA), soprano


Festival #5:   COSMIC HEARTBEATS
Alluding to ritual Korean court music as well as lively traditional Korean folkloric music, Chin’s depiction of “heartbeat stars” in Alaraph blends a large array percussion instruments with massive orchestral forces to create a work of tremendous energy and physicality.
Esprit’s premiere of Ma’s Hijinks launches not only an exciting new work but also a young composer’s early career in the manner Esprit has done for young composers through its history.
The world premiere of O’Callaghan’s new work provides the composer with the opportunity to drop his usual blend of acoustic and electronic instruments and focus intensely on writing for the orchestra alone.
Vivier’s “long song of solitude,” in both French and the invented language from the composer’s extraordinary imagination, is autobiographical and subconsciously self-revelatory in nature.  Lonely Child conveys childlike innocence as well as a profound reaching out to the heavens and the solace of eternity.
 
Nicholas Ma (CA): Hijinks* (2024-25)
James O’Callaghan (CA): New Work* (2025)
Claude Vivier (CA): Lonely Child (1980)
Unsuk Chin (KR): Alaraph ‘Ritus des Herschlagz’** (2023)
 
*World premiere & Esprit Orchestra commission
**Canadian premiere