CMS Composers Competition Winner Premieres New Work with Kronos Quartet

Hannah Wolkowitz, a student at Parkway Central High School and Level I winner of the Community Music School (CMS) of Webster University’s Young Composers Competition last year, premiered her new work, "An Ocean Escapade" with the Kronos Quartet at the 2024 Kronos Festival in San Francisco, California. 

Wokowitz was selected as a 2023-2024 fellow for the Luna Composition Lab Program, which partnered with the Kronos Quartet. The fellowship consisted of lessons with a mentor, reading sessions with the Kronos Quartet, masterclasses with various professionals, and concluded with a week-long festival in San Francisco. View and listen to "An Ocean Escapade" played by the Kronos Quartet on YouTube.

Program Note for "An Ocean Escapade" (from the YouTube description)

Growing up, I’ve always loved choose-your-own adventure books. In choose-your-own adventure books, you are the main character, you decide the plot of the story, and you experience the outcome of your choices. And the best part about these books is rereading them and getting a completely different story!

I wanted to take this fun concept and structure and apply it to my music. As a composer, I strive to write music that is relatable and interactive. In "An Ocean Escapade," a member of the quartet narrates while the audience makes the choices.

The piece begins with narration from a member of the string quartet. They explain how you are on the ocean in your sailboat traveling to an island called Kronos to collect magical sparkles from creatures called Friscos. The Friscos only release the magical sparkles from their wings on a certain day of the year. These sparkles guarantee infinite peace, and you need to get the magical sparkles to halt hatred and war in your country.

After the first narration, the music begins. After a section of music, there is a choice. The piece follows in that format: narration, music, narration/choice. Each path reflects an adventure you could have on the ocean: sailing, scuba diving, hearing whales, experiencing a storm, etc. The audience will make two choices during the adventure. The second choice will lead to one of three endings with only one ending leading successfully to Kronos Island.

*** This piece can be played in four different ways. In the video on YouTube, you will hear only one of these ways.

More about the Luna Composition Lab

Founded in 2016 by composers and longtime Kronos collaborators Missy Mazzoli and Ellen Reid, Luna Composition Lab provides mentorship, education and resources for young female, nonbinary and gender-nonconforming composers ages 13–18. Applications are now open to apply for 2024-2025 fellowships with the Luna Composition Lab. This year they will partner with the International Contemporary Ensemble.

More about the Kronos Quartet (excerpt from the website)

For 50 years, San Francisco’s Kronos Quartet — David Harrington (violin), Gabriela Díaz (violin), Ayane Kozasa (viola) and Paul Wiancko (cello) — has challenged and reimagined what a string quartet can be. Founded at a time when the form was largely centered on long-established, Western European traditions, Kronos has been at the forefront of revolutionizing the string quartet into a living art form that responds to the people and issues of our time.

More about the Community Music School Young Composers Competition

Since 2004, the Young Composers Competition has recognized and encouraged the efforts of those between the ages of 12 and 21 who are involved in the creative process of composing music. This program, unique to the St. Louis region, is an open competition, which has received submissions nationally and internationally. Each year brings a new nationally known guest composer who is passionate about working with future generations of composers. Winning works are recorded by Chamber Project Saint Louis.