15 December 2023
Sofia, Bulgaria

The year is winding to a much-anticipated conclusion, and maybe it couldn’t come sooner! There’s still the world premiere of Vivacissimo (2023) with LiLa and the Hong Kong Dance Company that has finally been publicised! But beyond that, I’ll be in London and Manchester over the weekend and into early next week to take some few steps forward for the collaboration project with MIF and Asia+, the heir of New Vision Arts Festival, and also back home in the United States for the days leading up to Christmas. It will be a lot of time spent in airports, but I feel that long journeys are a wonderful (and important) opportunity to reflect, plan, and search- I remember, of course, the very beginning of 2022, finishing Os dias mais longos e os mais curtos (2022) on the tarmac in London Heathrow on my way to Luxembourg for the world premiere of En vertu de… (2021) and so on. This time, there’s no music in the works presently, but a lot to look forward to in the coming year.

It is perhaps a little bit premature to reflect on this year which has felt especially intense and heavy, from the UK premiere of Russia: Today (2020) at Kings Place which received a ton of press attention from the likes of New York Times (not to mention some hacks), to finally bringing The Once and Future (2021) to Hong Kong with Anandi Bhattacharya and the Berliner Philharmoniker musicians. And together with Giorgio Biancorosso, we finally set out on our HK Ballet project, completing filming just two weeks ago with our incredible dancer and choreographer, Shen Jie and Yuh Egami, respectively. The soundtrack for it, beautifully recorded (and composed) by Anandi Bhattacharya with a lovely accompaniment by Joby Burgess, is ready too. Things are finally moving after interminable preparation and efforts.

If I’m really honest, I am beyond ready for 2024. The year will fill up and I am looking forward to important changes in life. 2023 has come but not yet gone- but it has brought a tremendous amount of lessons, experiences, and wisdom. The remaining weeks, spent in the air, and in staging the final performance of the year, will hopefully contain love, wisdom, and celebration in equal measure.