Van Stiefel Composer, Guitarist, and Educator

Melancholy Science - PLOrk

As Visiting Artist with a PLOrk, Van Stiefel made "Melancholy Science," with explores representations of control and freedom given a soloist-orchestra model in which an improvising soloist can turn "off" or "on" a certain control over the voice of a group as well as a virtual version of itself (since the soloist also controls a laptop). The group, nevertheless, through its sheer number and sonic presence remains the determining factor terms of the overall context--it remains something like a chorus judging the actions of a flawed hero.