LIVE FROM THE LIVING ROOM, VOL. 2:
Violist Ayane Kozasa and cellist/composer Paul Wiancko perform K'Zohar Harakia by Judd Greenstein. This performance first aired on "Living Music With Nadia Sirota" on May 28, 2020, during the "New York on PAUSE" stay-at-home order. K'Zohar Harakia was commissioned by Ayane & Paul and premiered on February 9, 2020 at the Brooklyn Public Library.
A note from composer Judd Greenstein:
"When Ayane & Paul commissioned me to write K’Zohar Harakia, my wife had just given birth to our second daughter, named Zohara. Given the timing, and the fact that Ayane and Paul are Zohara's aunt and uncle, the piece couldn’t be about anything but the experience of having this beautiful new person in our life. Zohara’s name means a kind of brightness, and is related to the title of one of the core works of Jewish mysticism, called the Zohar. My favorite source for the word, though, is in the Book of Daniel, from the following passage:
V’hamaskilim yazhiru k'zohar harakia
[And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament.]
That’s the kind of brightness I hope Zohara’s name bestows upon her, and upon us all: the brightness of true wisdom. This piece is a kind of grappling and seeking, for wisdom and for transcendence. Hearing Ayane & Paul play it, I feel we are all engaged in a journey together, to seek that end - one that can never be completely reached, but the seeking of which gives meaning to our lives. This is my musical expression of that idea, and I’m honored by having these two incredible musicians join me for the journey."