Stained Glass (2014) for vibraphone and electronic sound was
written for percussionist Connor Bain. It was inspired by
Russian/French artist Marc Chagall’s American
Windows (1977), six stained glass panels installed at the Art
Institute of Chicago that commemorate America’s bicentennial. Chagall's
work serves as the gateway to the museum’s modern wing and its panels
celebrate our country’s dedication to religious and artistic freedom.
Chagall's depiction of symbols from music, theatre, painting, dance and
literature are presented in vivid color against an almost overwhelming background sea
of blue color. The composer uses microtonal symmetry-breaking processes in order to achieve
analogous coloristic effects in the musical domain.
The world premiere was given on April 2, 2014 at the USC Computer
Music Concert under Google Glass control. The Glass interface was programmed by the performer, a member
of USC's ARENA (Arena for Research on Emerging Networks and
Applications) group directed by Dr. Srihari Nelakuditi. The
purchase of Glass was funded by USC's Magellan Scholar undergraduate research program.
Updated: March 13, 2017
