Climate change and the mass migration of individuals from one country to a different are two topics that undergo exploration in “Human Archipelago,” a latest cello concerto that can receive its U.S. premiere with the Oregon Symphony. Written by Vijay Iyer, “Human Archipelago” was co-commissioned by the symphony and a consortium of orchestras as a part of Recent Music USA’s Amplifying Voices program.
The performances (Jan. 13-16) in Salem and Portland will feature internationally acclaimed cellist Inbal Segev, and will probably be led by associate conductor Deanna Tham. Iyer will even discuss his music and artistic process with Nathalie Joachim and musicians of the Oregon Symphony on the Open Music event on the Alberta Rose Theatre on Jan. 11.
Iyer (age 51) has been acclaimed by The Recent York Times as a “social conscience, multimedia collaborator, system builder, rhapsodist, historical thinker and multicultural gateway” for his work as a composer and pianist that spans many musical communities. Along with a 2013 MacArthur Fellowship, his accolades include a Doris Duke Performing Artist Award, a United States Artist Fellowship, a Grammy nomination, the Alpert Award within the Arts, two German Echo awards, and 4 Jazz Artist of the 12 months awards from “DownBeat” magazine’s International Critics’ Poll.
Raised in upstate Recent York near Rochester because the son of Indian immigrants to america, Iyer has a bachelors in mathematics and physics at Yale University, a masters in physics and an interdisciplinary doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley. But during his studies, he launched a performing profession as a jazz pianist. On top of that, he has expanded into composing classical music. His work has been performed by Brentano String Quartet, Imani Winds, Bang on a Can All-Stars, The Silk Road Ensemble, International Contemporary Ensemble, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Jennifer Koh, Matt Haimowitz, Claire Chase, Shai Wosner, and plenty of others.
“I grew up playing classical violin,” explained Iyer during a recent Zoom call. “I played a whole lot of concertos and in a whole lot of orchestras after I was a child. It was a whole lot of the usual Western repertoire. Concurrently, I played piano by ear. I’d take heed to on the radio and check out to mimic it. Through that I got into jazz. I joined my highschool jazz ensemble, and that got a whole lot of wheels turning. I discovered that jazz musicians – a lot of whom reject the label of jazz – take a look at an entire lot of music. Many are gifted across different genres of constructing music and write orchestral music. That fluidity has all the time been there. In jazz, you might be invited to be yourself. I needed to learn what that meant.
“In my twenties I began to envision out South Asian music, understand it, come to terms with it, and play with Indian classical musicians. I also was exposed to a whole lot of West African music, Afro-Cuban music, hip-hop, rock, soul, R&B, and other contemporary types of Black music. As an artist I attempt to create something that’s coherent enough to take it to the moment.”
All of those influences could have found their way into Iyer’s cello concerto, which grapples with some huge issues currently facing our human existence.
“‘Human Archipelago’ got here about through conversations that I had with the author Teju Cole,” said Iyer. “We talked about how the refugee crises within the Mediterranean and North America are sometimes driven by climate change. Environmental disasters are driving people to flee and seek refuge for a more stable, safer life some other place. The piece I wrote offers the chance to reflect on the precarity of that process – how refugees are embraced or rejected with second or third-class status.”
The concerto consists of three movements that flow seamlessly from one to a different, however the interaction between various elements within the orchestra and the soloist is unusual.
“In a whole lot of concertos, the soloist is the protagonist,” said Iyer, “But I assumed of a gaggle of musicians that was acting by a special template of being. So along with the orchestra and the soloist, there’s a gaggle of players I call travelers. They’re volunteers from the orchestra. They play by ear. They co-exist with the orchestra, and the orchestra has to determine the way to take care of them. The interaction plays out in several moments of the piece. There’s tension between these alternative ways of being.”
In line with Iyer, the travelers must work as an ensemble.
“I’m fascinated about a real-time process that disrupts the scripted technique of the orchestra,” explained Iyer. “It’s not improvisation. It’s a collective process. The music-making may be very vulnerable, and it’s that vulnerability is what I would like to have occur. So the travelers are like a small chamber ensemble.”
“It’s my hope that ‘Human Archipelago’ might offer a chance to reflect on our ethical responsibilities to our fellow human beings in the current and future,” added Iyer, “indeed, to rethink our very notion of ‘us.’”
Vijay Iyer will discuss “Human Archipelago” at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 11, on the Alberta Rose Theatre, 3000 N.E. Alberta St.; $20, orsymphony.org.
The Oregon Symphony will perform “Human Archipelago” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 13, at Smith Auditorium at Willamette University, 270 Winter St. SE, Salem; at at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 14, 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 15, and seven:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 16, on the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 S.W. Broadway; $25-$129, orsymphony.org.
