Levitation

op. 112, 2026

I. Entrance
II. Gate I
III. Gate II
IV. Gate III
V. Elevation

Instrumentation: 2.2.2.2. – 4.3.3.1., Timpani, 2 Percussion, Strings

Duration: ca. 6.30 min

Commissioned by the Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Mainz as part of the “Mainzer Komponist*innenporträt 2026”

World Premiere: 8 May 2026, Großes Haus, Mainz, Germany
Further Performance: 9 May 2026

Orchestra: Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Mainz
Conductor: Gabriel Venzago

Orchester: Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Mainz
Dirigent: Gabriel Venzago

Publisher: Universal Edition

Composers note

The composition Levitation for Orchestra was commissioned by the Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Mainz as part of the Mainzer Komponist*innen-Portrait 2026 and is dedicated to Gabriel Venzago, with whom I share a close musical friendship.
Levitation consists of five short pieces, which, through flowing transitions, form a cohesive whole of contrasting colors and moods.

In the first piece, Entrance, the sound emerges from the interplay between longing silence and eruptive outbursts. With Gate I, a gentle development begins, opening a sound space guided by a particular sense of yearning.

In Gate II, the sound space becomes denser, driven by shifting meters and dance-like rhythms, unfolding a powerful fullness that is ultimately interrupted by a striking, almost aphoristic brass chord.

In Gate III, the sense of longing unfolds in both lyrical and dance-like gestures in a new way, gaining concentrated density.

Sequences of ritual energy open a sound space of great intensity and suspended tension. Percussive impulses initiate dance-like movements in which the sounds alternately form dense chords. Winds, strings, and percussion merge into an open, floating soundscape that increasingly gives expression to the title Levitation.

In the final piece, Elevation, the intensity rises once more before the concluding measures unfold and fade into an open, weightless sonority — leaving a lasting impression of suspension and resonance.