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No great advancement occurs without struggle. For generations, American composers have endeavored for their unique voices to be heard, their ideas to take root, and their visions to rise. Steps Toward Ascent traces that journey through works that confront unrest, wrestle with fragility, and seek transcendence.
Ruth Crawford Seeger’s Music for Small Orchestra shines as an early example of her brilliance. As one of the first American female composers to be recognized, Crawford Seeger’s intricate harmonies and innovative textures demonstrate a mastery that still feels fresh today—and remind us of how much her work deserves to be celebrated anew.
Seare Ahmad Farhat’s Muzzahaimat takes its title from a word meaning “the state of being disturbed.” Written as part of a series investigating and reclaiming cultural identity, the work grapples with belated development, inverted responses, and sudden shocks that only later take shape as context. (West Coast Premiere)
Vivian Fung’s Ominous responds to the turbulence of the post-Covid era and to personal struggles within her own family, confronting fragility and loss through music that brims with urgency and raw intensity. (West Coast Premiere)
At the apex of this ascent, Steve Reich’s Jacob’s Ladder envisions the biblical dream of a stairway reaching toward the heavens, with angels ascending and descending as guides in the passage between worlds. Both grounded and transcendent, the piece invites listeners into a vision of spiritual rising. (West Coast Premiere)
Moving through complexity and tension, the music invites you on a musical journey that climbs through struggle, reflection, and resilience—ultimately pointing toward renewal and transformation.
Guest artists: Winnie Nieh, soprano; Tonia D'Amelio, soprano; Jonathan Smucker, tenor; Sidney Chen, baritone
