Sophia Deutsch “Vis Vitae” - The Cedar Commissions 2023

n., vis vitae: vital force

We live in a time that doesn’t cease to provide reasons for grief. Vis Vitae aims to create pause to soothe internal dissonance and dysphoria in the way that nature knows to do so well. Inspired by theories of vitalism, the piece draws upon the visceral affects and fundamental vibrations of the natural world— that universal language of beauty and harmony which pulses and aligns. Sophia’s translation of these healing frequencies is a series of movements (meditations, ‘floatations’) written for chamber group, using elements of experimental composition and graphic scoring. “[She] who feels what [she] sees will find no more beautiful example of development in all that book which, alas, musicians read but too little— the book of Nature…” (C. Debussy, 1903)

Collaborators:
Cat Hammond - harp
Jacqueline Ultan - cello/ mentorship
Drew Kellum - cello
Alma Enge - cello
Adam Patterson - percussion/ lap steel
Jason Hollis - projections
Juliette Oken - design
Wind
Sun
Water

Special Thanks: For emotional support, spiritual, creative, and technical guidance, many thanks go to Sarah Miller, Jacqueline Ultan, my loving parents Mary Laymon and Christopher Deutsch, Dougie Padilla, Joe Berns, Juliette Oken, and all of my other babely friends for helping shepherd me along with love. Also thanks go to: every tree, all gods, yellow roads, all color roads, earthworms/fungi, my body, and yours.

Learn more about Sophia Deutsch: https://bit.ly/ccsophiadeutsch
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The Cedar Cultural Center presented the twelfth annual Cedar Commissions, on February 17th and 18th, 2023, featuring new works by Aram Kavoossi, Cydi Yang, DJ Fawzi, Emily Boyajian, Sophia Deutsch, and Theo Langason. The Cedar Commissions is a flagship program for local emerging artists to create and debut brand new music on The Cedar stage, made possible with a grant from the Jerome Foundation. Since the program began in 2011, the Commissions have showcased new work by over 70 Minnesotan emerging composers and musicians, including Dessa, Aby Wolf, Adam Levy, Maria Isa, Joe Horton, Joey Van Phillips, Gao Hong, Dameun Strange, Dua Saleh, and many more.

Learn more about The Cedar Commissions: https://www.thecedar.org/cedar-commis...

The Cedar Commissions is made possible in part by a grant from the Jerome Foundation.