An exploration of the four classical elements (earth, air, water, and fire) as metaphor for both the complex inner world of the string quartet and the current health of planet Earth. “Aere senza stelle” written for the Brooklyn Rider  (with choreography by Jodi Melnick) is based on the element “Air”,  a commission by the Vail Dance Festival, Damian Woetzel, artistic director.

“The concept of four classical elements — Earth, Air, Fire, Water — as the foundation for the physical world was shared across ancient cultures, including those in Greece, Egypt, Persia, Babylonia, India, and beyond. In parallel, the unique musical ecosystem of the string quartet is a balance of four equal and living elements, collectively capable of giving voice to the vast beauties and mysteries of our world as well as the highly destructive forces which, taken together, represent the single greatest challenge of our time.”