Light

Han Chen chats with Iranian-American composer Gity Razaz about the compositional process she’s developed throughout her career, including how she wrote a piece like Light and how her Middle Eastern roots subtly color her works.

Han Chen opens the episode with a performance of Razaz’s Light, a two-minute, meditative piece that swirls around one central chord. Razaz’s music has taken on many forms throughout her career, from operas to modern ballets to electroacoustics, but all of her pieces, including Light, explore harmonic languages and engaging melodies.

Metropolis Ensemble has supported Razaz’s work for more than a decade, from commissioning pieces like 2011’s Metamorphosis of Narcissus to performing on her latest album The Strange Highway. Out August 5, The Strange Highway features an eclectic range of Razaz’s works composed over the last 15 years, showcasing how she weaves together metaphysical ideas with visceral sound.

Performance of Light recorded on May 14th, 2022 at Tenri Cultural Institute, NYC.