[Flute, Clarinet in Bb, Cello]
Premiered  by Chelsea Meynig, Sean Bailey and Tom Kraines as part of the Gabriela Ortiz Composing Studio by OAcademy, 2024

Program Notes:

“Where Did All The Birds Go” invites listeners into a musical realm where birds’ life takes center stage. Inspired by the absence of birds in the composer’s hometown—where towering cityscapes dominate the view—the piece blossoms anew upon the composer’s arrival in Boston. Here, by the tranquil Charles River, the composer found solace in observing birds as they serenaded the afternoons with their melodic songs. The music itself unfolds with lyrical grace, drawing from the rich palette of impressionism and late 20th-century musical idioms. Three distinctive motifs interweave, culminating in a polyphonic tapestry that resonates in the piece.