Music inspired by Impressionist painters Monet and Seurat
Performed by NZTrio: Amalia Hall (violin), Ashley Brown (cello), Somi Kim (piano)
NZTrio - Somi Kim, Amalia Hall, Ashley Brown Photo: Tai Nelson/NZTrio
Jennifer Higdon Photo: J D Scott, ex artist website jenniferhigdon.com
Jennifer Higdon is an American composer. She grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and then in semi-rural Tennessee, in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Her father was a commercial artist and she was surrounded by paintings, experimental film and 1960 rock and folk music. She joined the high school concert band as a percussionist and then picked up a flute, teaching herself to play. But she didn’t really hear much classical music until she went to college.
Now she’s one of America’s most prolific and popular composers, having won a couple of Grammys and the Pulitzer Prize.
‘Pale Yellow’ and ‘Fiery Red’ belong to a whole series of pieces inspired by colour. More than just the obvious colour connection, they were also inspired by a couple of Higdon’s favourite impressionists, Monet and Seurat respectively.
Recorded by RNZ in the Loft at Q Theatre, Auckland, 14 July 2019
Producer: Tim Dodd; Engineer: Adrian Hollay
