Ice Giant (2023)

for Solo Violin

Duration: 9’

Commissioned by Ensemble Offspring with the generous support of Kim Williams AM

First performed by Véronique Serret, 7 December 2023, The Church, Alexandria, NSW, Australia

Program Note

Ice Giant is written especially for Véronique Serret and draws inspiration from the most distant planet in our solar system, Neptune. Beneath its atmosphere of hydrogen and helium, Neptune is a mix of slushy water, methane, and ammonia, encasing a rocky core. Known for its striking blue appearance, I sought to write a work that was part bluegrass and part metal, drawing from fiddle and electric guitar inspired sounds. I imagined a structure in which the musical material charged through the centre of the planet, from beginning to end, slicing Neptune in half to reveal a cross-section of atmosphere, mantle, and core.

Commissioned for Lone Hemispheres, part of the brief was to write a sister piece to Liza Lim’s Su Song Star Map. What an ask! As our musical language is very different, Ice Giant’s connection with Lim’s work is more conceptual, and looks to the night sky as a source of inspiration. In doing so, I chose to zoom in on the only planet in our solar system we cannot see with the naked eye, Neptune.

Performances

3 May, Véronique Serret, Canberra International Music Festival, High Court of Australia, ACT

9 Dec 2023, Véronique Serret,/Ensemble Offspring, Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, NSW

8 Dec 2023, Véronique Serret,/Ensemble Offspring, The Church, Alexandria, NSW