6 Questions with Composer Anna Clyne Before the World Premiere of Her New Piece, PALETTE

By Eric Dundon

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Stéphane Denève will give the world premiere of a new concerto for Augmented Orchestra by composer Anna Clyne, PALETTE, at its February 14-15, 2025, concerts.

A 35-minute virtuosic showpiece for the entire orchestra, PALETTE explores the intersection of color, light, and music, reflecting Clyne’s deep interest in the dialogue between music and other forms of media and art—an interest shared by Denève. Clyne developed the music in conjunction with seven pieces artwork she also created, each based around a core color. Clyne shared insights into the creation of this significant new work.

This interview was edited for length and clarity.

Anna Clyne: I have always been fascinated by the intersection between music and art. Since a young child I’ve always loved expressing myself both visually and sonically and there is often overlap—especially with orchestral music which invites such a wide array of textures to the composer. Light, gesture, texture, color, and form are all elements that have the potential to translate between the two artforms, and that features in PALETTE, which is set in seven movements: Plum, Amber, Lava, Ebony, Teal, Tangerine, and Emerald (collectively spelling the work’s title). The sumptuous rich tones of Plum are heard as deep resonant tones and a cycling chorale; the vibrant red paint that is mixed with coarse ground pumice in Lava is revealed as explosive cascading figures in the strings that play heavy into the string with a gritty quality, and so forth. 

One of the things that I love about painting is that it is very much an exercise in patience. You simply cannot barrel through the process.  This patience with the art materials also translated to the musical process. As the two artforms have been entwined in the creative process, it encouraged me to slow down with the music. Following the initial two-week outburst of the framework of the piece, I then had seven months to complete the work, which really allowed me to spend time with both the music and the paintings as they evolved. Another interesting part of the process that translated from the visual to the music is a sense of mindfulness—or a particular care with each layer. When writing music, I frequently re-save the file with a different version number—01, 02, 03, etc.—so I am always able to revert to an older version should I find myself moving in the wrong direction. It’s not so easy to go backwards with a painting!

The Augmented Orchestra (AO) is a technology created, developed, and implemented by myself and my long-time collaborator, sound designer Jody Elff. The application of this live electronic processing of a select group of instruments in the orchestra expands the sound of an orchestra beyond its acoustic limitations and as a result it expands the listening experience— pitches shift, gestures move around the hall, sounds suspend and so forth. Over a bottle of wine in Brooklyn in 2017, we discussed the potential for expanding upon an acoustic orchestra—to integrate contemporary audio technologies to the traditional orchestral model.  After years of composing electro-acoustic music, I felt limited by click tracks and looping which didn’t leave room for tempo expressivity, so I took a pause to focus on purely acoustic music. Considering the reintegration of electronics, a sound-world that I love, I wanted to find a way to fully integrate the unique qualities and the potential of live electronics into my orchestral work.  We are thrilled to be bringing the Augmented Orchestra to St. Louis for PALETTE, which is the most ambitious application of the technology to date. 

I am interested in expanding the audience experience—in this case enveloping them in hues of light that reflect the visual intention behind each movement. In addition to utilizing the Augmented Orchestra, PALETTE is also a collaboration with lighting designer Luke Kritzeck.  I have been sharing the paintings and the music with Luke as the piece has evolved. In addition to making the experience more immersive, it can also create a more inviting experience that can draw audience members from different backgrounds and areas of interest beyond music.

The world premiere of PALETTE builds on a particularly rich and meaningful relationship with Stéphane and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, who have performed several of my works over the years, including PIVOT that they co-commissioned in 2021. One of the things I love about this collaboration is that we are all in it together as we take risks and try new ways to expand the more traditional orchestral concert hall experience.

PALETTE is a Concerto for Augmented Orchestra which means that it features soloists from within the orchestra. It also features sections from within the orchestra in a soloistic way, with each movement highlighting a different instrumental group. For example, “Plum” features the piano and harp, “Amber” features the woodwinds, “Lava” features the strings, “Ebony” features the percussion, and “Tangerine” features the brass. I hope that audiences discover a new sensory experience, either sonically or visually, or both, in PALETTE. 

Eric Dundon is the SLSO’s Public Relations Director.