“Derek Bermel, the Seattle Symphony’s 2018-19 composer in residence, rarely lands on the compass point he initially charted when working on a new piece of music,” writes Chris Talbott in Friday’s (4/19) Seattle Times. “His latest commission for the Seattle Symphony … ‘Nine Revolutions,’ is a synthesis of live string quartet, recorded orchestral pieces, visual content and the cutting-edge immersive sound system at the Symphony’s new Octave 9 facility, where it will debut on April 28…. After the April 28 performance … he’s due to unveil music created in partnership with veterans he met through the Compass Housing Alliance, which serves people experiencing homelessness and poverty, in a free performance on May 11 at Benaroya Hall. Bermel went through a learning session about the Alliance’s residents, then began meeting with a group of veterans to teach them a limited musical vocabulary that would allow everybody to converse about music in a creative way.” Says Bermel, “It’s profound, and I understand why the orchestra has to do this. Because they’ve connected on a profound level with a part of the community that may not be connecting with them. And if they want to truly serve their community, there’s a place for this.”
Posted April 24, 2019
