David Wilson

Springs of a Desperate Heart

Wilson's new work, Springs of a Desperate Heart, draws on several musical and cultural influences of his life path, bringing together elements of Macedonian folk music and American jazz in the context of the symphony orchestra. The piece is a tribute to the life and music of Billie Holiday through the lens of Macedonian folk music and legend surrounding "Biljana's Springs." These springs feed Macedonia's mystical Lake Ohrid, the deepest lake in Europe, and are inextricably linked with their namesake Blijana, a beautiful heroine of Macedonian song and story. Through musical elements that often embody the pain and struggle of life in the Balkans, a new perspective on Holiday is offered, shedding light on the ways music can be imbued with new meanings and interpretations to provide for multi-dimensional understandings of musical artists, works, genres, and cultures.

ACO Performances

Buffalo Philharmonic JCOI New Music Readings (2013)

April 23, 2013 9:00 am

Kleinhans Music Hall

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American Composers Orchestra (ACO) is dedicated to the creation, celebration, performance, and promotion of orchestral music by American composers. With commitment to diversity, disruption and discovery, ACO produces concerts, pre-college and college education programs, and emerging composer professional development to foster a community of creators, audience, performers, collaborators, and funders.