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Herencia for String Orchestra (2023)
Andrea Casarrubios (b. 1988)

In a work titled Herencia, the Spanish for both "inheritance" and "heritage," it is natural for you to wonder about the roots of the piece itself, and the myriad stylistic threads with which it is woven. However, for this work, my inspiration was not a particular musical "heritage" or genre; rather, it was the artists who would be playing it. I envisioned the remarkable musicians of Sphinx Virtuosi taking the stage to play this piece, and I thought of how each individual has trailing behind them a unique history of unfathomable complexity; an epic that they bring to bear in every moment of performance. I also imagined the way this collection of histories would one day coalesce with a shared intention to illuminate their world — your world — with music. This image was the seed from which Herencia came to be. As you listen, I encourage you to observe this phenomenon as it unfolds on stage, and at the same time to reflect on your own epic, in all its wondrous immensity, and how it has led to you sitting here in this moment.

— Andrea Casarrubios