Compose Carolina: James Larkins

“I wrote this octet as a means of developing ideas about structuring music from the smallest scale to the largest through a fractal form, exploring how this structure interacts with the unique textural possibilities given by a group of 8 cellos, and applying pitch-class set theory to deconstruct the dualistic relations we often take for granted in music, such as loud/soft, or, in an abstract sense, thesis/antithesis. This framework is then used to engage with the current political moment by juxtaposing current injustices and social movements as fractal recurrences and continuations of previous events, especially those of the mid-to-late 1960s, while recognizing the inherent failures of this metaphor and of art as a medium for social discourse.”

Compose Carolina: Summer Music Series

UNC Department of Music and Carolina Performing Arts are thrilled to co-host Compose Carolina, a weekly livestream concert series highlighting UNC Music’s composition student and alumni musicians’ original compositions, with conversations led by UNC Department of Music faculty members.

Each week, we’ll welcome a new Carolina composer, including alumni Eliana Fishbeyn, Noah Balamucki, and Christian Cail and students David Green, Alex McKeveny, and James Larkins, who will explore the theme “Looking Forward”—from the literal to the metaphorical—through an original musical piece and performance. They’ll be joined in conversation by UNC Department of Music professors Allen Anderson, Stephen Anderson, and Lee Weisert.

Streaming from Facebook, YouTube, and #CPAathome!

Series schedule:
Friday, June 26, 12 PM with Eliana Fishbeyn
Thursday, July 2, 12 PM with Noah Balamucki & guest
Friday, July 10, 12 PM with Christian Cail
Friday, July 17, 12 PM with David Green & James Larkins
Friday, July 24, 12 PM with Alex McKeveny
Friday, July 31, 12 PM with James Larkins