Under the Shadows, An Immigrant’s Journey, is a very personal orchestral overture written during a period of deep reflection. I have migrated 4 times in my life, and I am also part of the 4th continuous generation of immigrants in my family’s history. I thus felt a special desire to highlight the role immigrants have played in the history of our world. The road to a new land is an unique one for each person, with some choosing their journey with an adventurous spirit, yet others finding themselves forced to flee due to perilous circumstances. In any case, there is that magical moment we all feel when arriving at a new land. My piece is structured as a journey from darkness to light, from one single note to a full multilayered harmonic sound world that could be viewed as representing our plural contemporary society. An Immigrant´s Journey is also a love letter to the orchestra, a migrating entity itself, and in my case a vessel that has taken me on a wild ride across 5 continents. I unleash the full array of beauty that can only be achieved by a world class ensemble such as our own, with a special focus on the idiomatic aspects of each instrument. It was the Alabama Symphony Orchestra that brought me permanently to America, so I feel fortunate to be able to premiere this work here. I dedicate this piece to my wonderful ASO musicians, many of whom are immigrants themselves, and to Dixon & Dell Brooke, who serving on our Board went out of their way to help me navigate the road to calling Alabama my adoptive home.