Michael Rosin Selected Works for JACK Quartet
Michael Rosin's Portfolio for the
JACK Studio Residency Application
Dear JACK Quartet,
The two pieces that I chose for my application are below (numbered 1 & 2). Audio file, followed by the full score.
Selections from my chamber album Instruments (“Compass”, “Armillary Sphere”, & “Orrery Tempo Canon”)
Stellarium
I elected to build a private webpage because, although two pieces satisfies the requirements, I thought it would be remiss if I did not share some of the extra pieces that have recently received recognition and relate to the work I would like to purse with JACK if I am chosen for a residency. I do not wish to disrespect your time; these extra pieces are only here should they further help with your decision making process. They are, namely, my piano quartet Spira mirabilis which awarded the Duino Prize at the International Music Festival of the Adriatic in 2022, and was my first mature success at 24-TET. The original version of Orrery, which was my first, yet simple, exploration of orbiting musicians (I designed a chart which can be seen on the inside front cover, and I will also link the video of the premiere performance below). And finally, Polaris, which completely embraces the orbital resonances that I mentioned in my artistic practice (I created a “spiral of fifths” diagram to describe my method, which can also be seen on the inside front cover). This music best represents how I compose for strings, both now, and the potential.
Thank you for your time and consideration of my application.
List of extra pieces:
3. Spira mirabilis for piano quartet
4. Orrery for oboe, cello, bass, piano, harp, & percussion
5. Polaris for chamber orchestra
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#1 is a collection of pieces instead of just one work. My intention for this is not to abuse or take advantage of your time, but rather to show that these works are like different movements of the same piece. The album is designed as one long stream of consciousness, in the same realm; this selection is three of the strongest works from the album. They are, naturally, in preference order. So if you'd like to listen to just one work, the first one (Compass), is the best bet. Listening to the first minute or two of the next two works (Armillary Sphere, & Orrery Tempo Canon) would suffice beautifully as well, since those works are mostly composed of varied, cyclical, and layered mensurations.
- Compass for violin & piano - pg. 1
- Armillary Sphere for string trio - pg. 7
- Orrery Tempo Canon for piano quartet - pg. 17
Time stamps:
- Compass - 0:00
- Armillary Sphere - 5:44
- Orrery Tempo Canon - 14:50
#2 is my orchestral work Stellarium. This piece has been my “good-luck charm” as of late. When I last applied to this residency, the work had just been performed the week prior, so the recording was not yet available; only a MIDI file existed. Now it has been performed multiple times in New York (state and city, around the corner from Lincoln Center), selected from an international call for scores, and most recently garnered me the NJ Individual Artist Fellowship in Music Composition. Performers and judges have remarked that my string writing for Stellarium is particularly strong, therefore, I decided to share this as my second work.
I was once asked to write a cultural context statement about Stellarium, which was received well and helped me secure the aforementioned fellowship. I’ve copied it below:
— Stellarium is my "love letter" to the stars, as I like to say, but it is still imbued with classical rhetoric, and therefore, hopefully, a commemoration of time-honored practices. This work is a reclaiming of the philosophy that music and its creation is a spiritual practice; a religion and lifestyle unto itself. I find this impulse to be the most important reminder for why I compose music. It reminds me that my spiritual practice is just as important as drinking water. It is what keeps my identity as an artist and, therefore, a human responsible for the maintenance of culture. Because of this, Stellarium is perhaps the most important cornerstone of my oeuvre. —
I now wish for my spiritual practice to continue with the string quartet…
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Here is a video of the concert premiere. The orbiting performers are a small gesture in this piece, starting with the percussionist at 3:40, and the oboist at 6:00. The movements are less about time and more about how the sound changes in the different positions on stage.