Kepler-22b

by Max Savikangas

for viola and piano

Description

The title Kepler-22b refers to the first confirmed extrasolar planet (600 light years away from Earth) found by NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope to orbit within the habitable zone of a Sun-like star. The discovery was announced December 5, 2011.

For me, a longtime science fiction reader, hearing about this NASA discovery was an exhilarating explosion of thoughts and feelings. The most convenient way for me as an artist to celebrate, explore, contemplate and share them was to compose music!

The interchange and tension between contrasting timbres propels Kepler-22b along, on equal terms with the six-part harmony developed by me and with the other more traditional devices (timbre should here be understood broadly as an umbrella term for all the components of a sound event).

The composition of Kepler-22b was kindly supported by the Arts Council of Finland and the piece is dedicated to NASA. I’d like also to express my gratitude to the co-hosts of the 40th international Viola Congress 2012, Carol Rodland, George Taylor and Phillip Ying, for giving the opportunity to the world premiere of this piece at the Eastman School of Music, Kilbourn Hall, Rochester, NY, USA in June 2nd 2012 (Max Savikangas, viola, Peter Klimo, piano)!

Instrumentation

vla, pno

Category

Chamber Works

Premiere

June 2nd 2012, 40th international Viola Congress 2012, Eastman School of Music, Kilbourn Hall, Rochester, NY, USA, Max Savikangas, viola, Peter Klimo, piano

Commisioned by / dedications

Dedicated to NASA

PDF for promotional use

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More

• Listen to Kepler -22b on YouTube

Archive number

MF35200

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