Contemporary Classic

Composer Jennifer Higdon hasn't had much time to bask in her recent Grammy win for her Viola Concerto -- she's been a bit busy with six premieres in four months and sticking to her constant commission and performance schedule. But Higdon was particularly excited when her 22,203-note concerto received this year's award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition.

"The viola is often, for some reason, the butt of a lot of jokes. It was nice to have the instrument get some recognition," she shares. "The viola is a darker instrument than a violin because it's just a little bit bigger. But it also means it has a rich sort of sound. So my job was to write interesting musical material for that instrument and keep the orchestra from covering it."

The piece will be included as part of the Artosphere Festival Orchestra's finale performance, "The American Spirit." A contemporary American sampler, the concert will celebrate today's classical music and innovative composers.

"It's an audience-friendly piece, and it's a lot of fun," Higdon says of the "very American-sounding" piece. "One of the things about this concerto, you can tell it was written now. It's got interesting tunes, and you can tap your foot to it. And it moves at a faster speed. I write things at faster tempos because I feel like our lives move at a faster tempo to begin with."

As a special treat, Higdon's friend and colleague, internationally renowned violist Roberto Diaz -- to whom the piece is dedicated because he was instrumental in its development -- will be the featured soloist performing with the AFO at the June 23 performance at Walton Arts Center.

"Composing is putting interesting sounds down so other people can play them. That's what it comes down to," Higdon says with a laugh. "But it's a lot of fun, too, because you're creating something from nothing."

-- Jocelyn Murphy

jmurphy@nwadg.com

NAN What's Up on 06/17/2018