Denali (2011)
This piece is part of my National Park Series.
In June of 2011 I was fortunate to be a guest of the Denali Arts and Humanities Alliance and spend a week living deep inside this iconic Alaska wilderness. This rare opportunity to commune with nature, watch wildlife, hike the tundra, and be reminded of my own smallness was a deeply inspirational experience. The events and emotions of my time in Denali are given sound and form in this celebratory piece as it moves through exuberance, grace, danger, and grandeur. I hope, as always, that this music will stir a sense of adventure in the listener and allow them, even if just for a few minutes, to feel the lure of the wild. Many thanks to Denali National Park for their hospitality, and the Chamber Orchestra Kremlin for graciously agreeing to premiere the piece. In 2012, the Alaska premiere took part as part of Denali National Park's first-ever orchestra concert in the park with the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival Orchestra under the direction of Robert Franz.
Premiere Performance:
With synchronized score:
With synchronized images:
As part of the centennial celebration of the National Park Service, the Fairbanks Symphony will perform Gates of the Arctic and Denali.