I, Lover

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This work is my winning submission for True Concord's 2021-22 cycle of the Stephen Paulus Emerging Composers' Competition, and was premiered in January of 2023 in Tucson, AZ.

"I, Lover" was one of three available texts for composers to choose for True Concord's competition theme, "From Silenced to Singing." The program featured the music and texts of under-represented composers and poets, including people of color, indigenous peoples, and LGBTQ+ people. The author of the poetry, Elsa Gidlow, is considered to be the first openly gay American journalist, and created a safe space for other LGBTQ+ artists in her community. The text explores all of the glory and pain associated with the pursuance of love, and is manifested in intense harmonies across a full dynamic spectrum. in spite of all of its highs and lows, how it is still worth taking a chance on.