Julia Adolphe composed her viola concerto at 28, following a joint commission from the League of American Orchestras and the New York Philharmonic. It was in her birthplace, New York City, that the work premiered on November 17, 2016—over a year after the project began—with the New York Philharmonic’s principal violist, Cynthia Phelps, as the soloist.
This was the composer’s first opus completed beyond the walls of the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music. Her creative process begins not with notes, but with a list of words that capture the emotions she wants to convey. The words range from “claustrophobic, contagious, cyclical, vivid, fiery” at the beginning, to “deep breaths, peace and calm” at the end. “It might be my theatre background, […] but I tend to think of orchestra players as characters with intentions, and plot a narrative arc for them,’” she explained in an interview with The New Yorker.
The piece is shaped by a dynamic interplay of light and shadow. The first movement, “Captive Voices,” immediately immerses the listener in a mysterious soundscape, with overlapping semitone patterns performed across multiple families of instruments. Adolphe highlights the solo viola with a virtuosic line that features large intervals and striking dynamic shifts.
In “Surface Tension,” similar contrasts emerge, juxtaposing tightly knit patterns with expansive intervals. The composer further enhances the texture with distinctive ricochet effects. Each section of the orchestra contributes to a distinct sonic impact, sustaining the concerto’s harmonic tension.
The final movement, “Embracing Mist,” surrounds the listener in an ethereal haze, echoing the mysterious atmosphere introduced at the start of the piece. The seamless connection between notes lends elasticity to the rhythm, reinforcing the sense of calm that Adolphe seeks to restore. In this movement, the composer opts for a more pared-down orchestral accompaniment, emphasizing texture by alternating between vibrating and plucked strings, instruments playing with and without mutes, and the surreal placement of the first trumpet backstage to evoke a distant, otherworldly voice. A richly layered percussion section—including wire brush and vibraphone—further deepens the sense of musical mystery.