Façade (2021)
For dancing flutist (or solo flute)
Duration: 4 minutes
For Annie Nikunen (choreography by Zara Lawler)
World premiere: October 20, 2021
The DiMenna Center for Classical Music
Annie Nikunen, dancing flutist
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Program note:
I wrote this work, the first of a projected series, to explore and highlight the unique talents of Annie Nikunen, which include, among other things, flute and dance performance. Each Façade is intended to evoke a different character and would likely be choreographed by a different choreographer. While these may certainly be performed without choreography, simply as concert works, they may also be seen as studies for a dancing flutist.
As the first study, the character of this Façade is primarily about setting the stage and becoming open to the theatrical availabilities of the genre. Through Periapsis Music and Dance, I commissioned Zara Lawler to choreograph it because, as an experienced dancing flutist herself, she has a deep awareness of the practical challenges and the expressive possibilities in crafting such a performance.