Wild Geese- Grand Finale

Dan Caputo: Liminal
Xavier Foley: Double Concerto for Violin & Bass (Eunice Kim, violin; Xavier Foley, double bass) (World Premiere | Festival Co-commission) 
Robert Hughes: Estampie
Kevin Puts: Concerto for Orchestra (West Coast Premiere | Festival Co-commission)
Anna Clyne: Wild Geese (World Premiere | Festival Commission in tribute to outgoing Executive Director Ellen Primack)

Cabrillo Festival concludes another extraordinary season on Sunday, August 13 with works by Dan Caputo, Xavier Foley, Robert Hughes, Kevin Puts, and Anna Clyne. 

Dan Caputo, a composer of instrumental and electronic music, explores the ways detailed aural textures and curious musical behaviors can elicit complex psychological responses. Măcelaru leads the Festival Orchestra in Liminal, a work that aims to reflect the psychological behaviors people experience during transitional states.

Rising star composer and double bassist Xavier Foley is celebrated for his virtuosity and passion for music on the double bass, which is rarely presented as a solo instrument. The recipient of an Avery Fisher Career Grant, Foley was one of the Washington Post’s “23 classical musical composers and performers to watch in 2023”. Cabrillo Festival, in conjunction with Mahler Foundation, commissioned the World premiere of Foley’s Double Concerto for Violin & Bass, which will feature the composer on double bass and the acclaimed Eunice Kim on violin.

Măcelaru and the Festival Orchestra continue their posthumous tribute to Robert Hughes and revisit his popular work, Estampie. This work was deeply influenced by Hughes’ relationship with Lou Harrison–a composer who, along with Hughes, played an important role in shaping the beginnings of the Cabrillo Festival.

Cabrillo Festival veteran and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Kevin Puts was inspired by the poem, Hymn for the Hurting, by Amanda Gorman when composing his Concerto for Orchestra, a work co-commissioned by the Cabrillo Festival with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. Puts’ Concerto for Orchestra spotlights the virtuosity of each orchestra section and the principal players. 

The Festival’s final work of 2023 was commissioned by the Festival as a tribute to longtime Executive Director, Ellen Primack, who steps down from her role after 33 seasons. During her tenure at Cabrillo, Primack has vigorously championed new music, building Cabrillo Festival into a preeminent force in the field, both nationally and internationally, and leading the organization with determination, passion, and grit. Măcelaru leads the Festival Orchestra in the world premiere of Wild Geese, a work by Anna Clyne that draws its inspiration from the eponymous poem by Mary Oliver. Wild Geese marks the first implementation of the Augmented Orchestra, a new creative exploration that combines the sounds of a live orchestra with computer-controlled processes, developed by Clyne in collaboration with audio engineer Jody Elff. Described as a “composer of uncommon gifts and unusual methods” (New York Times) and as “fearless” (National Public Radio), Clyne is a beloved presence at Cabrillo, making this a fitting sendoff to Primack.

The concert is followed by an outdoor reception for the audience, orchestra, and artists!