Manarah

Manarah (pronounced me-NAR-uh), or ‘beacon’ in Arabic, is scored for two digitally processed antiphonal trumpets and orchestra, lasting approximately 8 minutes. The work features the orchestra’s two trumpet players in the left and and right balconies, calling back and forth to one another and the rest of the ensemble. They serve as pillars nestled high above the ground, inviting the orchestra to join them, like lighthouses beckoning ships safely to their shores. Both trumpet players are processed live through a software patch I created through MAX, which is triggered live onstage through a laptop. With this program, I explore microtonal intervallic relationships, glissandi, and unconventional changes in vibrato that are heard extensively in the traditional performance practice of Arabic musicians, most notably the Egyptian singer, Oum Kalthoum. With this work, I hope to showcase the rich musical culture of my Middle-Eastern heritage through the lens of my upbringing here in the United States.