In Sympathy

In Sympathy (2024)

Duration: approx. 12 minutes

In Sympathy is a collaboration with Fermilab National Accelerator Laboratory, where I was the 2024 FRA guest composer, and the esteemed Civitas Ensemble, featuring Winston Choi, Yuan-Qing Yu and Ken Olson, with guest saxophonist Timothy McAllister. The piece was inspired during conversations with theoretical physicists Chris Quigg and Luis Mendoza. In my conversation with Chris Quigg, I was introduced to the use of resonance as a tool for particle discovery, a concept that I found fascinating and decidedly musical. In a subsequent conversation, Luis Mendoza’s insights into quantum field theory, where particles emerge as resonant excitations in underlying fields, further deepened the idea of resonance as a connective principle that spans science and art. From this inspiration came the desire to explore the phenomenon of sympathetic resonance, a physical process whereby one object is coaxed into vibration via the excitation of another sharing its resonant frequency. The vision was to create a system whereby acoustic instruments would trigger a chorus of tuned wine glasses to ring out in response based solely on this principle.

Developing the system was a year-long process of research and development involving the creation of physical/electrical mechanisms to enable this sympathetic connection between instrument and glass, as well as an immense amount of programming to control the very sensitive physical nature of the process. This project would not have been possible without the contributions of several key collaborators:

• Brad Robin, who developed the real-time Max patch that detects and amplifies resonant frequencies with precision
• Todd Johnson, who engineered the custom magnetic transducers and co-designed the resonance system from the ground up
• Timothy McAllister and Civitas Ensemble, whose early testing of the system helped bring the musical potential of these resonant materials to life

At its core, In Sympathy reflects on how resonance as a multifaceted concept—relating to sound, science, or society—can illuminate the structures that link seemingly separate entities. Just as the instruments and glasses respond across space through shared frequencies, this piece suggests and allows us to experience that meaningful connection arises not from uniformity, but from the ability to respond, to adapt, and to move in relation to one another. In this way, In Sympathy becomes both a musical and conceptual exploration of what it means to coexist in dynamic and responsive ways.

In Sympathy was created during my 2024 residency as Guest Composer at Fermilab National Accelerator Laboratory. I am grateful for the conversations and collaboration that shaped this work.

This project is partially supported by an Individual Artists Program Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.

Performance note:

This piece may be performed without the resonating glass array. Ensembles interested in presenting the complete version with the electronically activated glass array should contact the composer for technical specifications and performance materials.

E.B. in the piano part indicates the use of an electronic bow (E-bow) applied directly to the piano strings.