Lys, for solo violin
Composed by: Yonatan Dvir
Violin: Chloe Hyun
NPR’s From The Top, Musicians and the Environment Initiative.
I’ve been incredibly lucky this past semester to devote my time to this special project of mine! Through the support of From The Top, I was able to deep dive into the current state of our planet, and our impact as humans trying to keep our home alive. In these past couple months, I learned not only the scientific details behind what our planet is suffering through at the moment, but I also grew so much in areas of project development and curation. It was truly incredible to learn all that goes into concerts, community events, productions, and all sorts of artistic demonstrations, and it was even more exciting to be able to learn all these things from some of the most admirable musicians, scientists, and mentors. This is a project that I hope to keep building upon as the years go on, as collaboration with the community and creating a difference while doing so it’s truly one of the most gratifying parts of being a musician in this day and age. Thank you so much for tuning in on my project, and I can’t wait to release the next video!
Notes:
“As a teenager, I spent a lot of time in the Italian Alps. There, on summer evenings, the setting sun colors the peaks of the Breithorn in a deep pink that sparkles off of the ice caps.
The work is titled Lys after the glacier that sits nestled in the homonymous valley in the region of Valle D’Aosta. Valle del Lys is home to a third of all glaciers in the mountain range. Ever since the mid ‘800, the glacier has been steadily shrinking due to global warming.
The piece opens with a glacial cold and a single droplet leaving an ice sheet and splashing into a pool below. As time passes, the drops accumulate and the piece picks up speed. The work overall tries to imagine - in the form of a short rhapsody - what a future without these perennial titans might look like.” -Dvir
Global warming is an invisible force, silently reshaping our world. One of its most profound impacts is on glaciers, the ancient sentinels of our planet. As temperatures rise, these vast ice masses are melting at unprecedented rates, contributing significantly to sea level rise. This not only threatens coastal communities but also displaces millions of people, altering the very geography of our world.
Glaciers store a significant portion of the world's freshwater. As they melt, this precious resource is lost, jeopardizing the water supply for countless communities that rely on glacier-fed rivers. The ecosystems that thrive in the cold waters of these glaciers are also at risk, leading to a loss of biodiversity and disrupting the delicate balance of nature.
The melting of glaciers accelerates global warming through the albedo effect. As ice diminishes, less sunlight is reflected back into space, causing more heat to be absorbed by the Earth’s surface. This creates a vicious cycle of warming and melting, further exacerbating the problem.
Economically, regions that depend on glaciers for tourism face significant challenges. The natural beauty that attracts visitors is vanishing, threatening livelihoods and local economies. Additionally, the formation of glacial lakes, which can burst and cause catastrophic floods, poses a serious risk to nearby communities.
Since 1961, glaciers have lost more than 9,000 gigatons of ice, a stark reminder of the urgency of our climate crisis. Their silent retreat is a call to action, urging us to protect our planet and mitigate the effects of global warming. The fate of our glaciers is intertwined with the fate of our world, and it is up to us to ensure a sustainable future for generations to come.