Cabrillo Festival: A Tapestry of Diverse Voices and Innovative Orchestral Experiences

The Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, a renowned summer festival in Santa Cruz, California, is set to captivate audiences with its 2023 lineup. This year's edition features a diverse array of world premieres, West Coast debuts, and a celebration of living composers. From Bora Yoon's multimedia exploration to Iván Enrique Rodríguez's powerful social commentary, the festival promises to push the boundaries of orchestral music and engage listeners in thought-provoking experiences.

Orchestral Innovations and Multimedia Marvels

Bora Yoon's PARHELION: Blending Sight and Sound

Bora Yoon, a versatile singer and sound artist, returns to Cabrillo this year with her new piece, PARHELION. Commissioned for the festival's inaugural Creative Lab, the work promises to enhance the live orchestral experience through the integration of amplification, lighting design, audio and video playback, spatial placement of instruments, and Yoon's captivating live vocals. Drawing inspiration from her multimedia project ((PHONATION)), PARHELION will transport the audience with its distinctive soundscapes and visuals, creating a truly immersive experience.

Iván Enrique Rodríguez's Casting the Dice: Confronting Topical Controversies

Composer Iván Enrique Rodríguez, born in Puerto Rico, brings his powerful voice to Cabrillo with the world premiere of Casting the Dice. Commissioned by the festival, the piece features narration performed by Rodríguez himself, drawing from the personal stories of immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. By weaving these narratives into a late-Romantic musical tapestry, Rodríguez confronts topical controversies and amplifies the experiences of those seeking a better life.

Nathaniel Heyder's unbound: Phase 1: Embracing Artistic Freedom

Nathaniel Heyder, a recent Juilliard graduate, presents the world premiere of his first orchestral work, unbound: Phase 1. Composed during the final months of his studies, the piece reflects the anxiety and newfound freedom of transitioning out of the academic realm, as Heyder explores the artistic possibilities that lie beyond previous constraints.

Karim Al-Zand's Al Hakawati: Exploring the Origins of the "Arabian Nights"

Composer Karim Al-Zand's world premiere, Al Hakawati, delves into the true origins of the "Arabian Nights" tales. Featuring fragments from an opera-in-progress, the work weaves together stories from across time and place, linking the present day to the imaginary world of the storyteller Scheherazade.

Lembit Beecher's Tell Me Again: Passing Down Stories of Migration and Origin

Lembit Beecher's cello concerto, Tell Me Again, receives its West Coast premiere at Cabrillo. Commissioned by the Orlando Philharmonic in 2021, the work is inspired by the stories and songs passed down through Beecher's Armenian-Lebanese-Canadian and Estonian-American family histories, exploring how these narratives evolve and acquire new meaning over time.

Helen Grime's Violin Concerto: A Sparkling and Agitated Exploration

The Cabrillo Festival will also feature the West Coast premiere of Helen Grime's Violin Concerto, performed by new-music specialist Leila Josefowicz. Grime's work, described as "sparkling and agitated," promises to showcase Josefowicz's virtuosic abilities and her complete embodiment of the piece's character.

Pierre Jalbert's Passage: Connecting the Past and the Present

Composer Pierre Jalbert's Passage, commissioned by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra for Beethoven's 250th anniversary, receives its West Coast premiere at Cabrillo. The work, which responds to different aspects of Beethoven's Symphony No. 4, aims to create connections between the past and the present, allowing audiences to experience a thoroughly modern piece alongside the classical masterwork.