Work of the Week – Karen Tanaka: Verse of Light

Karen Tanaka is among the most internationally acclaimed composers of her generation. Her music combines influences from different cultures while moving naturally between acoustic and technological modes of thinking. The result is a body of work distinguished by its sensitivity to sound, often placing nature, the environment and human perception at its centre. 

With Verse of Light, Tanaka turns her attention to a question that is particularly pressing in contemporary society: how does the digital world reshape our understanding of humanity? In the composer’s own words, the title refers to the relationship between language and code, between human communication and technological systems. Light stands for hope, empathy and the enduring human capacity to seek meaning and direction in times of profound change. 

Between Technology and Humanity 

The work is built from small melodic cells and recurring patterns that continually evolve throughout the piece. Tanaka describes the composition as a broad sonic landscape shaped by expansive emotional arcs. At its heart are a series of oppositions: light and darkness, technology and humanity, progress and responsibility. 

The solo trumpet assumes a special role within this musical environment. Emerging from and interacting with the richly coloured orchestral texture, it becomes both an individual voice and part of a larger collective sound world. In doing so, the concerto reflects on the place of the individual within an increasingly interconnected society. 

A New Trumpet Concerto for Europe 

Verse of Light was jointly commissioned by the Malmö Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestre national Montpellier Occitanie and the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra. The world premiere will take place on 3 September 2026 at Malmö Live Konserthus, with Håkan Hardenberger as soloist and Martyn Brabbins conducting the Malmö Symphony Orchestra. Further performances will follow in Montpellier and Stockholm later that month. 

The work does not offer simple answers to contemporary questions. Instead, Karen Tanaka creates a musical space in which technological developments and human experience are allowed to coexist, interact and illuminate one another. 

Learn More 

• Verse of Light – work details and online score 
• Karen Tanaka – Composer Profile
• Melmö Symphony Orchestra – Event page

_{Illustration: Jeff Gerbec (photo by Karen Tanaka), background generated by AI}