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Solastalgia (2025)

for violin, cello, piano; 7 min

PROGRAM NOTE

The term solastalgia was created by the environmentalist Glen Albrecht in . It expresses "a form of homesickness one gets when one is still at home, but the environment has been altered and feels unfamiliar.” * In other words, as the climate crisis is ignored the longing for a lost world intensifies. I explored this concept by placing tack on the strings of the piano and cello, obstructing their resonant power. By undermining the instruments’ means of projecting

discernible pitches, the familiar sounds of a piano and cello are lost. I aim to invoke nostalgia in the listener, but also a hope that something beautiful can still be captured in our changing world.

This piece was made possible by a commission from Composing the Climate, supported by a Creative Catalyst grant from the Illinois Arts Council. Many , many thanks to Cacie, Kelly , and Dan for their vision of healing and their open arms towards the creative process.

* https://bureauoflinguisticalreality .com/portfolio/solastalgia/

commissioned by Cacie Miller and Missing Piece as a part of the Composing the Climate project

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