Program Note

Commissioned by the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami in celebration of its centennial, the sonic image I had when composing this twelve-minute and 30-second work was that of soaring toward - and then into - the cosmos, and there encountering vibrant and multi-shaped hieroglyphs. The orchestra is virtuosic, and the form is, generally-speaking a continual crescendo across the arcs and waves of the sonic adventure.

Cosmic Hieroglyphs — Homage to Count Basie unfolds a labyrinth of musical interrelationships and connections that showcase the world-class musicians of the Frost Symphony Orchestra and conductor Gerard Schwartz. Their playing is a virtuosic display of rhythmic and timbral dexterity, counterpoint, skill, energy, dynamic and articulative range, precision, and teamwork.

One central metaphor of my life’s creative work is that of light refracting. Of interest to me, for my work, is to build, sculpt, and compose clean, clear, transparent, translucent, luminous, radiant, shining, resounding, and resonant musical materials.

Organic and at every level concerned with transformations and connections, the carefully sculpted musical materials are agile and spirited. Their flexibility allows pathways to braid harmonic, rhythmic, timbral, and contrapuntal elements which are constantly transformed — sometimes whimsical and light, sometimes jazzy, sometimes almost balletic, sometimes vaguely akin to lively and spirited music on a caffeine rush, sometimes layered and reverberating with overtly cantabile, melodic resonance, pirouettes, fulcrum points, and effervescence.

Although my music is meticulously notated in every detail, I like it to sound like it was being spontaneously invented – always in the act of becoming. I have a vivid sense that the process of the creative journey (rather than a predictable fixed point of arrival) is, for me, essential.

I dance while I compose, hoping that my music will feel organic and self-propelled. I work hard to ensure that my music too dances; I often create in my mind and ear imaginary flexible dances and ballets, poems, visual art doodles, lighting, or animations, and I love virtuosic performances that percolate and spiral with natural musicality. When feasible, the composition could be performed with dancers.

Made as an homage to Count Basie, Cosmic Hieroglyphs has no quotes of Basie’s music but rather celebrates the imagination, joy, love, swing, soul, energy, great chords with rich chord progressions, tight big-band-splash-chords, and the sheer beating-heart-inner-life of Basie’s music and music making as a pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer.

It is difficult to express how grateful I am to the many extraordinary colleagues who have made possible this commission and world premiere. Thank you all!

Music for me is an embrace of the world, a way to open myself to being alive in the world — in my body, in my sounds, and in my mind. I yearn to reflect in my own singing and composing the ways that listening has changed me. I write music that craves a listener — whomever that listener may be — and I am concerned with speaking honestly. I care deeply about musicality, imagination, craft, clarity, dimensionality, an elegant balance between material and form, and empathy with the performing musicians as well as everyone who works in the presenting organizations.

Music’s eternal quality is its capacity for change, transformation, and renewal. No one composer, musical style, school of thought, technical practice, culture, or historical period can claim a monopoly on music’s truths. I believe music feeds our souls. Unbreakable is the power of art to build community. Humanity has and will always work together to further music’s flexible, diverse capacity and innate power.

Program Book Listing

Cosmic Hieroglyphs — Homage to Count Basie (2025)            Augusta Read Thomas (1964)

DOODLE OF THE MAP OF AURA AS DRAWN BY THE COMPOSER

To obtain examination or performance material for this
Augusta Read Thomas work, please contact Nimbus Music Publishing.