Premiering a brand new piece of music is an exciting experience for any ensemble. A world premiere is the first performance of a piece of music, and the musicians that bring it to life often play a large role in shaping the piece.

In our March concert, the Elemental Strings Chamber Orchestra will give the world premiere performance of “Battle,” the second movement from James Wood’s Suite for String Orchestra, No. 1 Op. 1. While premiering a piece is always thrilling, this opportunity is especially exciting because James Wood is a current Elemental Strings student!

Read on to learn about James’ experience writing the piece and having it brought to life by his peers!

Elemental Music: What inspired you to write this piece?

James Wood: A tune popped into my head, and I was curious about how it would sound with harmonies and different instruments.

EM: How did it feel to hear your music played by a real orchestra for the first time?

JW: I was excited to hear my piece being played for the first time by a real orchestra. Musical instruments are much more incredible to listen to than computer generated sounds. I was so nervous about what my fellow musicians would think about my composition, but everyone was really supportive.

EM: What would you say to other students who are interested in composing but nervous to try it?

JW: There are lots of good composing software options available and if you are a musician and have a good ear, you can use trial and error to try to create something.

EM: What is your favorite thing about writing music?

JW: I play a few different instruments, but I would love to try more, so this is a different way to get the sound out of those other instruments. I enjoy the puzzle of figuring out how all the different lines of music should blend together to compliment each other, but mostly, I love the satisfaction of hearing what I wrote after I'm done.

Want to be there for the world premiere? Visit our calendar page for more information on our March 4 concerts!