Garden of Light (2018) – Daniel De Togni (United States)
Garden of Light was inspired by Japanese gardens and finding stillness and peace in an otherwise chaotic world. It aims to emulate the beauty of sitting in a beautiful garden in Kyoto, Japan, alone in the music of the trees and one’s own mind.
Ann adds: Well, Japan as a theme isn’t explicitly related to climate change, but there were several pieces submitted that have Japanese ties.
I choose this work because of the qualities of stillness and peace, and the ephemeral nature of gardens—one of the reasons gardens are so beautiful is because we know they will change, the seasons continue apace, nothing stays the same, and there is a cycle of birth and of death. I loved Rebecca Solnit’s book Orwell’s Roses for thinking about gardens and beauty as an act of resistance in climate change.
When I moved in, this was all grass to mow (and I really disliked that task),
so I planted a hellstrip garden with lots of native prairie flowers,
including these coneflowers that have proliferated.
Morris, Minnesota, July 2022. Photo by Ann DuHamel.
As a composer and artist who primarily works with sound, Daniel De Togni is fascinated with the concept of space in sound/music. The psychological space that music inhabits in our minds as listeners, performers and/or creators, how sonic objects interact with each other in real-time and space, as well how a sound can evoke an image or landscape in our minds. It is truly astonishing how music can act as a catalyst between memory and real-time, how by listening to a piece of music, or hearing a sound, a world/memory (that perhaps no longer exists) from many years ago can be recalled in the mind of the listener and be relived in, if only for a brief moment.
Daniel’s compositional style has been praised for its breadth and his ability to integrate a variety of soundworlds and influences into his music. Drawing from his Japanese and Italian heritage, Daniel’s music is that of cross-pollination between genres and styles, and the exploration of sonic environments and the musical organisms that dwell in them. His focus is that of creating emotionally moving, auditory experiences for the listener.
His works have been performed by the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra, the Julius String Quartet, Hypercube, and the Delgani String Quartet, among others. His works have also been performed in Japan, Taiwan, at the International Reed Society, June in Buffalo, the Alba Music Festival, the Hot Air Music Festival in San Francisco, Connecticut Summerfest, Fresh Inc Festival, New Music on the Point, Bowdoin International Music Festival, the American Music Festival, the UNK New Music Festival, as well as throughout the United States. Daniel’s music is featured by Ravello, ARIAM, and Kalamine Records. Daniel completed a Ph.D in music composition at the University of Oregon as well as a Master of Music Degree in Composition, and a Postgraduate Degree in Music Technology from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
Ann DuHamel 