Reading about the ancient wisdom of the Persian culture, looking for the many forgotten ways in which our ancestors recognized, acknowledged and valued the vital importance of nature, harnessed its powers, protected, and monitored it, I was amazed to learn that one of the oldest known verses of Persian poetry addresses displacement, at least at a literal level. It asks how a mountain gazelle (Âhūye Kūhī) can be expected to survive in a plain, away from its habitat and with no companions. Displacement is one of the most pressing byproducts of climate change; this gave me the impetus to write this piece, Âhūye Kūhī, for these two wonderful performers and beautiful human beings: Lucia Lin (violin) and Leo Eguchi (cello). The opportunity to make music with such wonderful people is the reason I do what I do. I am so grateful to Lucia Lin and the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music for co-commissioning this piece.
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