Albedo
for voice and large ensemble
2026
Albedo is a term widely used in astronomy to describe a surface's ability to reflect incoming light. I often heard this word while following the live broadcasts of NASA's Artemis II mission. It is an extraordinary undertaking: four people travelling toward the Moon, experiencing one of the most significant moments of their lives, and perhaps in the history of humankind, while back on Earth wars continue and tensions remain high. This mission, a journey towards light, or rather towards its reflection, strikes me as a profoundly sacred act: a departure from noise, a voyage through near-absolute silence, culminating in a radical separation from Earth as communication is lost on the far side of the Moon.
The Artemis II mission reminded me of a Shinto ritual I witnessed in the town of Uji, Japan. During the ceremony, a shrine deity is placed on a special golden palanquin and carried throughout the town in order to bless every corner of it. The shrine's totem was a rabbit turning back over its shoulder, a symbol suggesting that, before moving forward, one must always look back.
For this piece, I chose excerpts from a poem by Jonas Mekas. The poem meditates on longing for love and its reflections in nature, evoking nostalgia through images of snow and whiteness. Albedo is a work about a journey towards light, a longing for peace and stillness. It travels to a place beyond the reach of signals, where something either not yet experienced or long forgotten may still be found.
Premiered by:
Nick Photinos, conductor
Freja Højland Høj, voice
Eric Bergeman, flute
M. Isaac Ripple, oboe
Mara Mayer, clarinet / bass clarinet
Chandler Michael Beck, horn
Lauren Galarraga, trombone
Viraj Sonawala, percussion
Ricky Moreira, piano
Lora Kmieliauskaitė, Žydrė, violin
Ethan Cavanac, viola
Olivia Marckx, cello
Performed at LOUD WEEKEND 2026 07 31 , MASS MoCA, North Adams, MA, USA
