The Last Seven Words is an orchestral piece with double woodwind, double brass, and two sets of timpani. The duration of the work is seventeen minutes. The forty-six pages which precede the musical score present a discussion and an analysis of the composition. The purpose of this project was to provide the composer an opportunity to write an orchestra piece with a single scale and seven rhythmic patterns.

ACAB is a work of notated music for string orchestra, synthesizer, piano, timpani, and tape. The piece serves as a commentary and critique of police in American society, utilizing excerpted recordings of poetry and speeches, in conjunction with various noises such as sirens and gunshots, alongside an orchestral background to abstractly depict a dynamic and critical view of the role of the police in America. The piece is approximately fifteen minutes in duration.

Ma Sicong was a violinist, composer, and educator of the highest caliber in China who devoted his entire professional life to the instrument. Known for producing violin music in various styles and forms for more than fifty years, Ma Sicong contributed to the violin's popularization in China through his performance and composition with Chinese elements. His violin music incorporates principal melodies from Chinese folk music, and his talents as a mature Western composer talents blend these melodies into violin solos with a distinct national identity.The Inner Mongolia Suite and First Rondo by Ma Sicong, both of which are considered among the most outstanding violin solos ever written for the instrument, are examined in this dissertation, as is the composer's own playing experience, to gain a better understanding of the compositions and their meaning. There are several ramifications for Chinese composition for the violin due to the inclusion of national features that affected the design and development of the violin. The author also hopes that this dissertation can serve as a beneficial resource for future students interested in comparable topics. / Music Performance

This study first traces the evolution of a new musical design, one which emphasizes textual elements in the structural foundation. It follows with an account of the life and musical style of Olivier Messian, a contemporary composer who has emphasized timbre as a structural parameter in his music - most notably in several works of the sixties. An analysis of his Couleurs de la Cité Céleste (1963) is offered in the final chapter, indicating in particular the important role that timbre, as well as other textual elements, plays on forming the large-scale design.

... myriad carbon, myriad silicon ... is inspired by the ubiquitous presence of carbon and silicon, elements fundamental to both nature and technology. These elements, interwoven into our daily lives, are manifest in the natural world around us, in the technology we use, and within ourselves. This piece delves into the intersection of the natural and technological realms, fostering a dialogue that extends beyond grand narratives. It focuses on the everyday interactions between nature’s organic creations and human-made technology. The music reflects this interplay, fluidly transitioning between organic and mechanical sounds, thus embodying the dualistic nature of our environment. However, the essence of the piece goes beyond a simple dichotomy of nature versus technology, exploring the subtleties of contemporary composition. The piece unfolds as a process, revealing layers of complexity and subtlety, without making any definitive statements.

Contemporary classical concert music could be part of the solution to build a just and sustainable future. My research demonstrates that such music, despite its niche, elitist positioning in contemporary American society, can contribute to social movements and change the world in meaningful, tangible ways when attention is paid to social movement strategy and structures of power. To reconsider the potential power of this music, I apply a range of methodologies from ethnography to hermeneutic analysis to nonviolent direct action strategy, drawing on the work of musicologists, ethnomusicologists, and social movement theorists. Given the elitism of the classical concert hall, it is a non-obvious genre in which to convey a social justice or leftist political theme, yet many composers try to do so. I examine five of these composers in depth: Laura Kaminsky, David Lang, Curt Cacioppo, Ludovico Einaudi, and Hannibal (who goes by other names but used the mononym Hannibal in the concert which I discuss). Concurrently with my research, I composed a large-scale experimental work to be used in a protest to demonstrate the potential for contemporary classical music to support nonviolent movements. I organized a pilot performance that brought together music students and community members in the lobby of a large utility headquarters as part of an ongoing campaign for local green jobs in Philadelphia. / Music Composition / Accompanied by one .pdf score and one .mp4 video

Esta tese consiste em um estudo da composição musical como resposta a estímulos e motivações, a partir de reflexões sobre um grupo de peças compostas durante o doutoramento. O intuito é compreender e exemplificar o modo como vivências do compositor motivam suas intenções composicionais e expressivas e como o percurso criativo é responsivo a elas. A reflexão sobre a produção artística e teórica de outros compositores, bem como de pesquisas na área de teoria e da performance musical, contribui com a construção argumentativa do estudo. A tese está organizada em três capítulos. O primeiro capítulo aborda a composição musical como resposta, à luz do conceito de enunciado, segundo o entendimento de Mikhail Bakhtin, para quem a enunciação é delineada pela intenção do sujeito em um contexto específico, como parte de uma cadeia responsiva contínua. O segundo apresenta o conceito de intenção expressiva, o qual é compreendido como as primeiras conjecturas, reflexões e planejamentos do conteúdo sonoro da composição, a partir de escritos de Roger Reynolds. No terceiro capítulo, é focalizado o conceito de imaginário sonoro para abordar vivências e experiências musicais do compositor como motivação de suas intenções composicionais e expressivas. Neste capítulo, a concepção de imaginário sonoro apresentada por Fernando Cerqueira contribui para o entendimento do conceito. As conclusões traçam uma revisão sobre esta tese, evidenciam a realização dos objetivos e indicam possibilidades de desenvolvimentos futuros do estudo da composição musical como resposta. Constata-se que a composição musical como resposta ao imaginário sonoro do compositor é constituinte das diversas facetas que se desdobram do processo criativo do portfólio, colaborando para o entendimento da composição musical em âmbito mais abrangente. / This thesis consists in a study of musical composition as response to stimuli and motivations using a set of pieces composed during the doctorate as the starting point for the reflections. The purpose of this study is to understand and exemplify how the composer’s experiences motivate their compositional and expressive intentions, and how the creative process is responsive. The reflection on the artistic and theoretical production of other composers as well as researches in the music theory and performances field contributes to the argumentative construction of the study. The thesis is organized in three chapters. The first chapter approaches the musical composition as response in the light of the concept of utterance according to the understanding of Mikhail Bakhtin, for whom the utterance is delineated by the subject’s intents in a specific context as part of a continuous responsive chain. The second chapter introduces the concept of expressive intent which is understood as the first adumbration, reflections and planning of the content on the composition according to the writings of Roger Reynolds. The third chapter refers to the composer’s musical and affective experiences that motivate his compositional and expressive intent, by the concept of sound imagery. In this section Fernando Cerqueira’s ideas on sound imagery contributes to understanding the concept. The conclusions give a review of this thesis, demonstrate the accomplishment of the objectives and point to further developments in the study of musical composition as response. This reflection ascertains that the approach of musical composition as a response to the composer’s sound imagery is constitutive of various facets which make up the creative process of the portfolio, contributing to the understanding of musical composition on a broader scope.

Esta tese consiste em um estudo da composição musical como resposta a estímulos e motivações, a partir de reflexões sobre um grupo de peças compostas durante o doutoramento. O intuito é compreender e exemplificar o modo como vivências do compositor motivam suas intenções composicionais e expressivas e como o percurso criativo é responsivo a elas. A reflexão sobre a produção artística e teórica de outros compositores, bem como de pesquisas na área de teoria e da performance musical, contribui com a construção argumentativa do estudo. A tese está organizada em três capítulos. O primeiro capítulo aborda a composição musical como resposta, à luz do conceito de enunciado, segundo o entendimento de Mikhail Bakhtin, para quem a enunciação é delineada pela intenção do sujeito em um contexto específico, como parte de uma cadeia responsiva contínua. O segundo apresenta o conceito de intenção expressiva, o qual é compreendido como as primeiras conjecturas, reflexões e planejamentos do conteúdo sonoro da composição, a partir de escritos de Roger Reynolds. No terceiro capítulo, é focalizado o conceito de imaginário sonoro para abordar vivências e experiências musicais do compositor como motivação de suas intenções composicionais e expressivas. Neste capítulo, a concepção de imaginário sonoro apresentada por Fernando Cerqueira contribui para o entendimento do conceito. As conclusões traçam uma revisão sobre esta tese, evidenciam a realização dos objetivos e indicam possibilidades de desenvolvimentos futuros do estudo da composição musical como resposta. Constata-se que a composição musical como resposta ao imaginário sonoro do compositor é constituinte das diversas facetas que se desdobram do processo criativo do portfólio, colaborando para o entendimento da composição musical em âmbito mais abrangente. / This thesis consists in a study of musical composition as response to stimuli and motivations using a set of pieces composed during the doctorate as the starting point for the reflections. The purpose of this study is to understand and exemplify how the composer’s experiences motivate their compositional and expressive intentions, and how the creative process is responsive. The reflection on the artistic and theoretical production of other composers as well as researches in the music theory and performances field contributes to the argumentative construction of the study. The thesis is organized in three chapters. The first chapter approaches the musical composition as response in the light of the concept of utterance according to the understanding of Mikhail Bakhtin, for whom the utterance is delineated by the subject’s intents in a specific context as part of a continuous responsive chain. The second chapter introduces the concept of expressive intent which is understood as the first adumbration, reflections and planning of the content on the composition according to the writings of Roger Reynolds. The third chapter refers to the composer’s musical and affective experiences that motivate his compositional and expressive intent, by the concept of sound imagery. In this section Fernando Cerqueira’s ideas on sound imagery contributes to understanding the concept. The conclusions give a review of this thesis, demonstrate the accomplishment of the objectives and point to further developments in the study of musical composition as response. This reflection ascertains that the approach of musical composition as a response to the composer’s sound imagery is constitutive of various facets which make up the creative process of the portfolio, contributing to the understanding of musical composition on a broader scope.

Esta tese consiste em um estudo da composição musical como resposta a estímulos e motivações, a partir de reflexões sobre um grupo de peças compostas durante o doutoramento. O intuito é compreender e exemplificar o modo como vivências do compositor motivam suas intenções composicionais e expressivas e como o percurso criativo é responsivo a elas. A reflexão sobre a produção artística e teórica de outros compositores, bem como de pesquisas na área de teoria e da performance musical, contribui com a construção argumentativa do estudo. A tese está organizada em três capítulos. O primeiro capítulo aborda a composição musical como resposta, à luz do conceito de enunciado, segundo o entendimento de Mikhail Bakhtin, para quem a enunciação é delineada pela intenção do sujeito em um contexto específico, como parte de uma cadeia responsiva contínua. O segundo apresenta o conceito de intenção expressiva, o qual é compreendido como as primeiras conjecturas, reflexões e planejamentos do conteúdo sonoro da composição, a partir de escritos de Roger Reynolds. No terceiro capítulo, é focalizado o conceito de imaginário sonoro para abordar vivências e experiências musicais do compositor como motivação de suas intenções composicionais e expressivas. Neste capítulo, a concepção de imaginário sonoro apresentada por Fernando Cerqueira contribui para o entendimento do conceito. As conclusões traçam uma revisão sobre esta tese, evidenciam a realização dos objetivos e indicam possibilidades de desenvolvimentos futuros do estudo da composição musical como resposta. Constata-se que a composição musical como resposta ao imaginário sonoro do compositor é constituinte das diversas facetas que se desdobram do processo criativo do portfólio, colaborando para o entendimento da composição musical em âmbito mais abrangente. / This thesis consists in a study of musical composition as response to stimuli and motivations using a set of pieces composed during the doctorate as the starting point for the reflections. The purpose of this study is to understand and exemplify how the composer’s experiences motivate their compositional and expressive intentions, and how the creative process is responsive. The reflection on the artistic and theoretical production of other composers as well as researches in the music theory and performances field contributes to the argumentative construction of the study. The thesis is organized in three chapters. The first chapter approaches the musical composition as response in the light of the concept of utterance according to the understanding of Mikhail Bakhtin, for whom the utterance is delineated by the subject’s intents in a specific context as part of a continuous responsive chain. The second chapter introduces the concept of expressive intent which is understood as the first adumbration, reflections and planning of the content on the composition according to the writings of Roger Reynolds. The third chapter refers to the composer’s musical and affective experiences that motivate his compositional and expressive intent, by the concept of sound imagery. In this section Fernando Cerqueira’s ideas on sound imagery contributes to understanding the concept. The conclusions give a review of this thesis, demonstrate the accomplishment of the objectives and point to further developments in the study of musical composition as response. This reflection ascertains that the approach of musical composition as a response to the composer’s sound imagery is constitutive of various facets which make up the creative process of the portfolio, contributing to the understanding of musical composition on a broader scope.

Composers of the 20th century express through intimate and personal language the conditions of the present, utilizing compositional techniques, forms, pitch and rhythmic language, and characteristics of Western composers, as well as looking towards non- Western music for the same. Each musical language, be it tonal, twelve-tone, modal, pitch-class, or derived from folk and non-Western material, is contained in a structural framework which is audibly recognizable, and controls the musical tapestry, processes, and results. Frequently composers use distinctive musical languages to portray different atmospheres, and thus allow each musical language to dominate the texture in order to create the desired contrast. But, jumping directly from one pitch language to another can create a sense of cacophony and loss of cohesion to the composition as a whole. In my composition I intend to show that by superimposing the structural parameters of one musical language onto another, it is possible to attain consistency and coherence, despite the underlying diversity. The composition is based on the story Heimferðin (The Journey Home) by Sigurður Rúnar Þrastarson (1961-1998). The composition is in five movements: I. Dawn; II. Dance and Devotion; III. Frolic; IV. Fury, V. Farwell. Each movement describes particular settings and events of the story. Internal events have been slightly reordered, but otherwise the composition follows the storyline from beginning to end. The final two minutes and twenty seconds of the composition are an original arrangement of a song, written in 1820, by the Danish composer P. C. Krossing (1793-1838).