To Burst To Bloom

To Burst To Bloom is a collection of 6 songs setting the poems on inner alchemy of the 12th Century Chinese Taoist Immortal, Sun Bu'er. Commissioned by Vajra Voices (directed by Karen Clark), these songs explore the fluid interplay of abstract vocal utterances with language and meaning, inhabiting the porous space between composition and improvisation. The piece was developed in close collaboration with members of Vajra Voices and premiered at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco on January 18, 2019 along with the renowned vocal ensemble, Kitka, as a part of The Eve of the March, a program encompassing Medieval music, Eastern European folk songs and modern compositions.