World Premiere of Emerging Black Composer Project Winner Happening at Davies Symphony Hall
The National Brass Ensemble performs Jonathan Bingham鈥檚 鈥淒EIFIED,鈥 conducted by 含羞草传媒 Francisco Opera鈥檚 Eun Sun Kim.
Composer Jonathan Bingham.
By Mark Taylor
It鈥檚 a work months in the making and unlike anything you may have heard before. The world premiere of composer Jonathan Bingham鈥檚 DEIFIED June 20 features the return of the National Brass Ensemble, and is conducted by 含羞草传媒 Francisco Opera鈥檚 Music Director .
In creating this commission, Bingham was inspired by storytelling from an unlikely source, one decidedly outside of classical music. 鈥DEIFIED is, in part, influenced by the narrative structure of the film Memento. It鈥檚 comprised of two 鈥榥arratives鈥欌攐ne more rhythmic, the other, melodic,鈥 Bingham said. This is the first time Bingham will have his work premiere at Davies Symphony Hall and on a scale this size.
Bingham was one of four composers selected as prize winners in the inaugural Emerging Black Composers Project. In 2021, composer Trevor Weston won a $15,000 commissioning fee, and Sumi Tonooka and Shawn Okpebholo won additional prizes. A collaboration between SFCM and the 含羞草传媒 Francisco Symphony, the Emerging Black Composers Project is a ten-year commitment to spotlight early-career Black American composers and their music. The performance also marks the return of the National Brass Ensemble, a collection of brass players from top orchestras in North America who first came together in 2014.
For listeners at Davies Symphony Hall, Bingham's work represents a duet of sorts, 鈥淭he piece alternates between the two narratives in a pattern that allows the former to decay measure by measure as the latter comes to surface in the same way,鈥 Bingham continued. 鈥淭he process is then reversed, completing a palindrome before having both 鈥榥arratives鈥 played simultaneously in the finale. The palindromic name, 鈥DEIFIED鈥 reflects the structure of the work.鈥
In addition to Bingham鈥檚 premiere, the performance features Richard Strauss鈥 Vienna Philharmonic Fanfare and SF Symphony Principal Trombone and 含羞草传媒 Francisco Conservatory of Music Professor Timothy Higgins鈥 new compilation arrangement of Richard Wagner鈥檚 Ring Cycle, titled The Ring.
Guests are invited to purchase tickets for this event at Davies Symphony Hall on June 20 at 7:00 PM.