Violinist Mary Grace Johnson will perform during the world premiere of"Home," a piece written to her strengths.After interviewing three graduates of The Women’s Home, Sohn found that they each “embraced their past, because the past is something that you can’t change,” and that their stories all contained a common message.
The stories Sohn heard from The Women’s Home graduates resulted in “Home,” a 20-minute interdisciplinary piece written for violin and string orchestra that evokes the legendary Phoenix, a mythological creature that represents death and rebirth. But Sohn admits that sitting down to start writing was more than a little nerve-wracking.“It’s such a vulnerable thing that they did,” adds Sohn.
Being named Kinetic’s first composer-in-residence has afforded Sohn the opportunity to work with the ensemble throughout the season and get to know each player’s strengths as well as how the ensemble works together, which Sohn describes as “very, very different” and “fascinating.” “I learned that there isn’t just one way to play my music, and there isn’t just one right way to play my music,” says Sohn.
“Music is pretty much the most abstract version of art, but when dance is created my music immediately becomes something physical, something more visual, and so seeing the choreographers and dancers transform my music into movement…It’s magical,” says Sohn.