Programme Note
‘Bright Silence’, for solo violin, is an evocation of Central Otago, the high plateau between the Southern Alps and the coastal plains in the South Island of New Zealand. The area is treeless, rocky, sparsely populated, and the piece reflects the sounds, silences and ghosts of the area. ‘Bright Silence’ was written while Gillian Whitehead was composer-in-residence with the Auckland Philharmonia, as the competition piece for the inaugural Michael Hill World Violin Competition, held at Queenstown, New Zealand, where it received its first eighteen performances in June 2001. The piece is dedicated to Michael Hill.
- Commissioned:
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Written as the competition piece for the 2001 Michael Hill World Violin Competition while Gillian Whitehead was composer-in-residence for the Auckland Philharmonia
- Difficulty:
- Advanced
- Influences
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- Dedication:
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to Michael Hill