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Artist: Vonn Vanier
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Vonn Vanier:

'Shimmer' from Dawn

Bright, new composers offer the best kind of promise for American music, and Vonn Vanier – at the age of 17 – is well on his way. With his quiet confidence, thoughtful ambition and rapidly evolving talent, he is an emerging voice within the world of classical music. The proof is in the remarkably varied compositions Vanier has written in his recording debut on the new album Dawn from Montclair Records. Dawn introduces listeners to the young composer's initial orchestral, chamber and solo works that reflect his interest in bringing together the intellectual innovation of contemporary music with the sounds of classical tradition.

Coming on February is the first single from ‘Dawn’ - ‘Shimmer.’

My piece titled “Shimmer” reflects my effort to combine the harmonic and melodic styles of early 20th-century music with those of traditional tonality, to produce a novel and intriguing result.

Drawing upon the coloristic qualities of the whole-tone scale and quartal harmony and imbuing these with tonality’s inherent sense of destination, the piece seeks to maintain a sense of forward movement while being as vibrant as possible. By featuring a certain ostinato and developing it throughout, the music fluctuates between these different styles and occasionally mixes them all at once. 

In fact, in one section of the piece, the instruments pass around melodies in the Lydian and Dorian modes, two scales closely connected to those in tonality as well as the whole tone scale. I sought to highlight the versatility of these distinct styles by creating large contrasts in the tone, energy, and volume throughout the work. 

From quiet, pure strings to energetic climaxes with aggressive piano attacks and fast rhythms, the piece explores the expressive potential of quartal harmony and the whole tone scale. The result is something distinct, fresh, and particularly shimmery.