Details

Year: 2024
Duration: 9’
Instrumentation: solo violin and orchestra
Commissioner: Young Concert Artists
Premiere: Lun Li and the Curtis Symphony Orchestra

Violin Concerto, Mvt I. “Labyrinth” (2024)

Program Notes

This piece draws inspiration from film-noir aesthetics, with a solo line embodying the essence of an "anti-hero” in dialogue with the orchestra. The first movement, “Labyrinth,” is influenced by the Hitchcock-inspired immersive-theater piece Sleep No More in New York City.

A proposed second movement is inspired by “Victim,” the 1961 neo-noir film about the blackmailing of a closeted gay man, starring Dirk Bogarde. This film was groundbreaking and controversial, credited for helping change the law on homosexuality in the UK. As a closeted individual in real-life, Bogarde's role in the film was both a professional gamble and a personal act of defiance. This music reflects on the psychology inherent in both playing a role on screen while secretly living that character’s truth in reality. By contemplating society’s imposed roles, this movement seeks to capture the tension and vulnerability in blurring the lines between fiction and truth.