Del silencio brota un árbol | Eric Estrada Valadez

Del silencio brota un árbol (2023)

Instrumentation:

flute, clarinet, violin cello, and piano

Duration: ca. 9'

Trees stand as poignant symbols of our inherent connection to nature. Their profound silence, unwavering connection to the earth, and the melodies produced as the wind rustles through their branches, have consistently held a mesmerizing effect on me. After reading Richard Powers' "The Overstory," a novel whose central protagonists are trees, I was inspired to compose a piece about the life cycle of a tree. The musical themes symbolize the stages of a tree's development, ultimately culminating in its return as a seedling. Each section mirrors a chapter in Power’s book and is coupled with poetic verses of Mexican poets such as Octavio Paz, Jaime Sabines, and José Emilio Pacheco. The degradation of land ecosystems and the accelerating cost of climate change, remind us that nature is not merely a resource to be exploited. Trees and their critical entanglement with life on earth, shape our surroundings, color our daily experiences and underscore the limits of survival and threatening impact of the human project. This piece is a small tribute to one of nature's most remarkable inventions.

Commissioned by MUSIQA as part of the Emergent Composer Composition Competition

Performance History:

Premiered at the Midtown Arts and Theatre Center Houston (MATCH) by MUSIQA on October of 2023

Performed at New Music on the Bayou on June of 2024

Awards:

Runner up of the Black Bayou Composition Prize