Dylan Ebrahimian recently performed Music for Violin Solo (1973) by contemporary US composer Daria Semegen. This work, known for its diverse range of techniques, gestures, and emotions, was chosen to represent the United States at the World Music Days Festival in Helsinki and Stockholm in 1978 by the International Jury of the International Society for Contemporary Music.
Born in 1991, Ebrahimian is both a violinist and composer based in New York and Long Island. He described the video of Semegen’s seminal piece as the first installment in a series focused on the realization of music. “What drew me to Semegen’s work was the powerful range of contrasts, dynamics, emotions, and gestures, all while maintaining a tonal center and stylistic consistency,” Ebrahimian explained. He added, “To me, there is something eternally modern and ancient about this piece. In all her works, as evident in our conversations, there is a biting wit and playfulness.”
Daria Semegen commented on the work, stating, “The music was conceived as a ramification of activity around a central pitch area, which shifts across various registers of the violin. Long, articulated tones and groups of quick, short notes serve as motivic gestures throughout. The violin is employed as a polyphonic instrument within a structure of clusters and multi-voiced contrapuntal lines based on a series of eleven notes.”
Born in 1946, Semegen composes instrumental, vocal, and electronic music. She currently serves as an associate professor of composition, theory, and electronic music at Stony Brook University, where she also directs the Electronic Music Studio. A recipient of numerous awards, Semegen has been a Fulbright fellow and received six grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, a National Chamber Music Competition prize, an ISCM International Electronic Music Competition prize, and the 2009 Susan B. Anthony Lifetime Achievement Award from the Susan B. Anthony Center for Women’s Leadership.
The video was produced by Ebrahimian in collaboration with Naihan Li, with Rodin Hamidi serving as director of photography and cinematographer, Simeon Moore as gaffer, LJ D’Arpa as editor, and Reed Black as audio engineer. The recording took place at Vinegar Hill Sound Studios in Brooklyn, NY.
Related Topics
- David Lee Roth Requested Fewer Guitar Solos from Eddie Amid Jealousy, Reveals Alex Van Halen
- Jake Shimabukuro and Mick Fleetwood Unite for Blues Experience
- PRS Guitars Unveils Limited Edition CE 24-08 Models Featuring Unique Body Woods
