COMPOSER

The Caged Birds was commissioned by the Henri Lazarof Living Legacy at Brandeis University in conjunction with the Henri Lazarof International Commission Prize 2025.

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The piece draws inspiration from the image of birds whose voices remain vivid even within confinement. Rather than portraying captivity as silence, The Caged Birds explores the tension between restriction and expression—how sound can persist, transform, and even intensify when its natural freedom is constrained. The work unfolds as a single continuous movement shaped by a series of evolving stages. The following subtitles evoke the shifting sonic imagination and expressive landscapes that guide its trajectory:

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I. Shadow of the Cage

II. Tremor of Feathers

III. Soliloquy

IV. A Dream of Flying Within a Dream

V. Echoes of the Cage

 

Musically, the piece traverses a landscape of fragile gestures, sudden bursts of energy, and constantly shifting timbral colors. Delicate, isolated sounds suggest individual voices attempting to emerge, while dense textures evoke moments of

collective resonance, as if multiple presences overlap within a limited space. The violin and piano engage in a dynamic dialogue, alternately imitating, supporting, and enriching one another. At times they merge into a unified sonic body; at others, they

diverge into contrasting registers and timbral identities, creating a continually evolving interplay between independence and interdependence.

 

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Premiere by Irina Muresanu (violin) and  Asiya Korepanova (piano) on May 3, 2026 at the Slosberg Recital Hall, Brandeis University.