European Premiere of Nancy Galbraith Orchestral Work this Summer

European Premiere of Nancy Galbraith’s De profundis ad lucem in the Netherlands

Composer, Nancy GalbraithJuly 2, 2011 will feature the European premiere of De profundis ad lucem, a one movement orchestral work by Subito composer Nancy Galbraith. This 20-minute piece will be performed by the Limburg Symphony Orchestra in the Netherlands, and will be conducted by Ed Spanjaard, the renowned Dutch conductor and pianist.

De profundis ad lucem (out of the depths towards light) was commissioned by The Fund for California University of Pennsylvania as part of the school’s 150th anniversary celebration, and received its world premiere in October of 2002 by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. While the composer cautions against the idea that the work is a ‘symphonic poem’, De profundis ad lucem does reflect the mood and spirit of Alan Cotrill’s bronze sculpture “Ascent of Humanity,” which is located on the C.U. campus.

“The music opens with an atmosphere of stillness,” explains composer Nancy Galbraith of the work, “out of which two main sections emerge, one reflecting hope and the other struggle. Hope is expressed with a recurring theme that gradually layers upon itself, imparting a feeling of birth. This section suddenly gives way to struggle, represented with loud brass, biting accents, and thundering timpani figures. Following an extended musical landscape, these two sections return, only in reverse, with struggle resolving into hope. The work ends in tranquility as it began.”

Nancy Galbraith has been composing music since the late 1970’s, creating instrumental and vocal sound praised for its rich harmonic texture, rhythmic vitality, emotional and spiritual depth, and wide range of expression. With major contributions to the repertoires of symphony orchestras, concert choirs, wind ensembles, chamber ensembles, electroacoustic ensembles, and soloists, Galbraith plays a leading role in defining the sound of contemporary classical music.Nancy Galbraith resides in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where she is Professor of Composition at Carnegie Mellon University.

“Galbraith, one of the most outstanding composers of her generation, along with Philip Glass and John Adams…” — San Miguel de Tucumán, La Gazetta

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