Tree of Life
for string quartet and digital sound

2008 - duration: 16'
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Commissioned by the BMI Foundation, Inc.
to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Colorado Quartet
and the 30th anniversary of Symphony Space.
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I. White Birch
II. Weeping Willow
III. Coast Redwood
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Program note: The Tree of Life appears in numerous cultures throughout history and it represents the interconnectedness of everything on Earth and in the spirit world, above and below.  In the Japanese Shinto tradition, natural features such as waterfalls, mountains, and so on, are believed to house kami, or spirits, who bring blessings or mischief to the human realm.  I chose to integrate these ideas by exploring the spirit presences of my favorite types of trees and to consider what they might bring to share in the larger fabric of life, death, the world we can see, and the worlds we may not yet have experienced.
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This piece may be performed with or without the electronic component,
hence there also exists a Tree of Life Suite for string quartet alone (duration: 11.5').
Listen
Colorado Quartet premiere performance at Symphony Space, May 9, 2008.