Chattanooga Symphony & Opera - West Side Story & The American Groove

Pura Musica

Ben Van Winkle

Pura Musica
Ben Van Winkle
(b. February 16, 1993 in Chattanooga, Tennessee)

Pura Musica is an unabashed celebration of groove and acoustic momentum, written on the conviction that music need not carry a narrative agenda or an intellectual program to possess vital artistic weight. Originally created for the Figment Ensemble—a chamber sextet of cello, trombone, electric bass, keyboards, and Latin percussion—tonight's version is a completely new symphonic reimagining, expanded into a full orchestral showcase specifically designed to leverage the enlarged brass and percussion forces assembled for Bernstein's West Side Story.

While classical listeners might hear echoes of minimalist repetition or Ravel's Boléro, Van Winkle’s rhythmic language is more deeply rooted in the dynamic layering of salsa, jam bands, and electronic music. The piece functions like a live DJ working acoustic faders, bringing instrumental sections in and out over an unyielding, polyrhythmic core.

To adapt the chamber work for a full 90-piece orchestra, Van Winkle crafted robust orchestral bookends—a dramatic opening and closing framework—while retaining the tight, communal groove of the original core. The expanded brass section drives the climactic counterpoint against surging ostinatos in the strings. Listen closely right up to the final downbeat: after driving toward an overwhelming symphonic wave, the piece reserves a sly, unexpected surprise for its final measure.

Van Winkle is a cellist, vocalist, and composer who frequently performs in the Chattanooga Symphony cello section. After graduating from Tennessee Tech with a degree in mechanical engineering, he stepped away from the field in 2016 to pursue music full time. His previous orchestral works include Sense of Scale, also premiered by the CSO, and the original score for The Light We Share, a feature film created by The Pop-up Project.