Andrew Norman's 'Gran Turismo' on Los Angeles Philharmonic's Green Umbrella Series Led by Gustavo Dudamel

The Los Angeles Philharmonic New Music Group presented Andrew Norman's Gran Turismo as part of the Americas and Americans program on the LA Phil's Green Umbrella new music series on May 4 at Walt Disney Concert Hall. The concert also marked Maestro Gustavo Dudamel's first Green Umbrella performance.

An exuberant, rhythmically churning piece for eight violins and one of Norman's signature compositions, Gran Turismo grew out of a confluence of seemingly unrelated sources of inspiration: the popular car racing video game of the same name; Italian Futurist art of the early 20th century; and the creative desire to produce a "motoric," virtuosic work for strings. The composer explains:

…the competition between leader and followers at the core of the video game had many parallels in the Baroque model of soloist versus ensemble that is a prominent modus operandi in the piece.

Additionally this month, the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra performs Norman's orchestra work Sacred Geometry on May 27 at the University of Calgary's Eckhardt-Gramatté Hall. Pierre Simard conducts.

For information about the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra visit www.cpo-live.com.

Andrew Norman-Composer Profile
www.andrewnormanmusic.com