Composed by Billy Childs, Steven Mackey, and Gabriella Smith
Performed by Billy Childs Trio & Delirium Musicum
In the midst of our climate crisis and recent devastating wildfires, our colleagues at CSU Northridge created this musical response, which pays tribute to the iconic trees of California. The resilience of the coastal redwood, giant sequoia, and the Joshua tree are the inspiration for composers Billy Childs, Gabriella Smith, and Steve Mackey to create music for violinist Etienne Gara and the chamber group Delirium Music.
About the Composers
Grammy Award-winning composer Steven Mackey is regarded as one of the leading composers of his generation, with compositions ranging from orchestral and chamber music to dance and opera. His first musical passion was playing the electric guitar in rock bands in Northern California, where he grew up among the redwoods, which will be the
focus of his contribution to Treelogy, as he taps into those Northern California roots. He blazed a trail in the 1980s and ’90s by including the electric guitar and vernacular music influences in his classical composition. He regularly performs his own work, including electric guitar concertos and numerous solo and chamber works.
Composer and environmentalist Gabriella Smith grew up in the Bay Area, playing and writing music, hiking, backpacking, and volunteering on a songbird research project in Point Reyes. Smith loves exploring new sounds with voices, electronics, or other instruments, and connecting listeners with the natural world. Many of her works address
the climate crisis and provide listeners with an emotional connection to the natural world, along with a plea for action. As an upcoming composer, she has already received commissions from major ensembles and festivals.
Grammy Award-winning jazz composer Billy Childs is renowned for his crossover works. Childs grew up immersed in jazz, classical, and pop music influences. In addition to his work as a pianist with Yo-Yo Ma, Sting, Wynton Marsalis, and Chick Corea, Childs has been an in-demand composer for decades.
About Delirium Musicum/Étienne Gara
The self-conducted chamber orchestra Delirium Musicum provides impassioned and engaging musical performances that deeply connect the audience to the musicians. Their fifteen members hail from twelve countries and four continents. Together, the ensemble reflects an enriched, eclectic group identity – replete with cultural, social, and
ethnic diversity – that represents the youth and vitality of the next generation of artistic excellence and musical leadership in Los Angeles and beyond. Led by violist and artistic director Étienne Gara, their artistry, spontaneity, and their juxtaposition of music from across five centuries of repertoire combine to create a singularly exhilarating and meaningful experience for audiences.
