American Reflections: Steps Toward Ascent

Step into a soundscape shaped by resilience, reflection, and rising voices. Ruth Crawford Seeger’s Music for Small Orchestra reveals the early brilliance of a composer whose intricate textures and bold harmonies are only now receiving long-overdue recognition. Seare Ahmad Farhat’s Muzzahaimat confronts cultural fragmentation, inner unrest, and the work of reclamation. Vivian Fung’s Ominous channels the emotional weight of personal and global upheaval with raw intensity. At the peak of this musical arc, Steve Reich’s Jacob’s Ladder, drawn from biblical text, imagines a celestial climb. Moving through complexity and tension, the music invites you into a powerful and transformative rise.

Ruth Crawford Seeger - Music for Small Orchestra (1926)

Seare Ahmad Farhat - Muzzahaimat (2023) - Bay Area premiere

Vivian Fung - Ominous (2024) - West Coast premiere

Steve Reich - Jacob’s Ladder (2023) - West Coast premiere