performed by the FOOSA Philharmonic, Thomas Loewenheim- conductor

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Instrumentation: Orchestra (3333, 4331, timp, 3 perc, strings)

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Duration: 9:00

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Premiere: June 23, 2017 - FOOSA Philharmonic - Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, CA

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Program Notes:

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The title Subnatural Delights comes from an episode of the podcast Gastropod which explores the concept of subnature as it relates to food. Subnature is an architectural term described by the podcast’s hosts Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley as “the less desirable aspects of the built environment: puddles, pollution, and pigeons.” In the episode “Smoked Pigeon and Other Subnatural Delights,” they identify foods such as smoked pigeon, stinky cheese, and sturgeon with its roe, marrow, and collagen coated in a corn fungus crust as subnatural. In a similar way, certain elements of my Subnatural Delights are inspired by subnatural sounds in our environment. Noise pollution of various kinds, such as the subterranean rumbling of a subway or the repetitive hammering of construction serve as a jumping off point for the piece, which begins with a growling texture in the lowest reaches of the orchestra and moves to a place where these subnatural sounds become, I hope, a source of delight.

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Read more about the piece and premiere here: "Joseph Bohigian and His Pigeons"