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Commissions

Whirligig

Composer: Mark Buller
Title: Whirligig
Ensemble Size: Chamber Orchestra
Female Composer: No
Funded By: Funded in part by ROCO Resound
Duration: 3.5 minutes
Premiere Type: ROCO Commissioned World Premiere
Soloist: None
Instrumentation: 2[1.pic]2[1.Eh]2[1.bcl]2[1.cbn]/2200, timp +1, cel, str (3 mins)
Audio:
Video:

Program Notes

For this commission from ROCO, I wanted to write something flat-out fun, something that didn’t take itself too seriously, and that could show off the incredible range of ROCO. I riffed on the additive form of such “fun” songs as The Twelve Days of Christmas or I Bought Me a Cat, or alternately the callback technique used by comedians in which material used earlier in the set takes on new meaning when added to subsequent material.

The title proved tricky: how to succinctly sum up the lighthearted nature of the piece while also giving clues as to its form? I finally settled on “Whirligig”, which brings to mind both circular motion and a sense of pure, unadulterated whimsy. My sincere thanks to the wonderful people at ROCO, especially artistic director Alecia Lawyer, for their world-class musicianship and commitment to new music!

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  • Meet
    • About ROCO
    • Artists
    • Board & Team
    • Newsroom
    • Press Kit
  • Livestream
  • Attend
    • Season Calendar
    • Performances
    • ROCOrooters
    • Season 18 Announced!
    • Accessibility
    • Pay What You Wish
  • Listen
    • Listening Room
    • ROCO on the Go
    • The Nightingale Book
    • Album
    • Video Library
    • Commissions, Premieres, Rescores, & Resources
  • Support
    • Ways to Support
    • ROCO Resound
    • ROCO Revelry Gala
    • Sponsors & Partners
    • Donate
  • Follow
    • Follow ROCO
    • ROCO Mobile App
  • Contact