Asher Lurie

Performed on June 20, 2024 by Leslie Hisman, Elena Collins, Abby Foehrkolb, Beth Christensen, and Megan Campbell at Akoesticum for the Cortona Sessions for New Music.

CORE is designed to push the limits of the modern percussionist. The composition consists of recurring rhythmic loops and overlapping patterns, creating an uncommon feel and displacement of time. It is a product of post-minimalist development techniques combined with progressive/math rock.

Water Swallows You exists in a world almost completely free from stress. Using cycles of perfect fifths, the musical ideas combine to create contrasting chords, tonalities, and emotions throughout.

My dreams have become a hectic mess of parts of my life combined in the wrong places, people I have seen but do not know, and exact repetition but with everything completely changed.

Throughout its duration, Voltage Rip is an electrified journey, progressing from punchy, synthesized effects to overwhelming, wide textures. The energetic opening builds exponentially, gaining momentum with each second.

Spun is about being tied down by the world and people, but needing to move on and escape. It is a dance that dreams about escaping its forced pattern, but in reality, it moves nowhere. At times, the piece is adamant about change, while at others, it sits back and accepts what it is.

As Fire Lights the Way establishes all but 99% of musical material for the rest of the work in just the first three notes. This pitch set is expanded upon, transposed, condensed, and varied in other ways to create the entire first movement. The second movement simply takes notes and themes from the first movement and stacks them on top of one another, creating an entirely different sound world.

I remember my mother telling me about the young boys who would jump over her fence to steal food from her fridge when she was a child. She allowed them to do this because she realized that they needed the food more than her, but there was nothing more she could do for them and the others in their position. She couldn’t grant them the basic rights they did not have because of their skin color.

Built to Burn consists of a texture growing with great purpose to a massive climax. However, the texture is eventually shredded to pieces and everything is burned, leaving nothing but smoke and remains of thematic material.

Precisely is a clash of two versions of myself, mirrored by a collision of two musical worlds. It is about resilience, discovering the balance between persistence and fulfillment, and letting go of unresolved situations while still finding gratification.

Performed by Yi-Mei Ciou at the Frost School of Music Gusman Concert Hall on February 9th, 2024.

Four Solos for Family is a suite of four marimba solos dedicated to my sister, brother, mother, and father. Each solo mirrors the complexities within every person and family through a wide variety of contrasting tempos and technical and tonal ideas.

This work uses the poem "Evening Song" by Willa Cather to paint the picture of two lovers entwined. The music enhances these emotions through the use of bright melodies, hazy chords, and the intervallic theme of seconds.

Incandescence was composed in memory of my late grandfather. He always loved my music and I miss him dearly, but he left a light in this world that can never be taken away.

Equilibrium Achieved? is centered around the relationship of symmetrical and asymmetrical structures. It applies these themes to form, rhythm, motifs, meter, and texture in both audible and inaudible ways.