World Premiere: June 8, 2024
Last HSO Performance: HSO PremiereInstrumentation: flute, piccolo, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, tuba, percussion, strings, solo piano
Duration: 15 minutes

Clarice Assad

Born February 9, 1978 in Rio de Janeiro.

The Erie Canal, completed in 1825, was an engineering marvel that revolutionized transportation and commerce and served as a conduit for the “flow of ideas” that shaped the United States. The concept of the “flow of ideas” refers to the exchange and spread of various social, political and religious movements along the Canal corridor. As people from diverse backgrounds traveled the waterway, they shared their beliefs, customs and perspectives, fostering a vibrant intellectual and societal change atmosphere.

The Erie Canal facilitated the spread of such social reform movements as abolitionism and women’s suffrage, since activists could more easily disseminate their messages and garner support. The influx of immigrants brought by the Canal further enriched the nation’s cultural tapestry, introducing new languages, traditions and ideas that helped define the country’s character and history.

The piano suite FLOW was composed in 2024 in observance of the Erie Canal’s bicentenary for the Albany Symphony, in the city of the Canal’s eastern terminus. FLOW seeks a connection between the Canal’s “flow of ideas” and the symbolic currents of emotions I explore through the music. The first movement, River Tide, with its pulsating rhythms and changing moods, musically embodies the dynamic nature of the flow of ideas that traveled the Canal. The Last Song offers a moment of introspection and contemplation. Finally, Rhapsodic Dances bursts with renewed energy, celebrating resilience and adaptability.

— Clarice Assad