Originally published on Seen and Heard International
On a summer day in 2022, Stephen Williamson stood outside in Aspen, Colorado, with his clarinet. Surrounded by an endless blue sky, mountains, and the sun, Williamson—the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s principal clarinetist—worked through intricate passages of a brand-new concerto. Its composer, Christopher Theofanidis, was right there with Williamson, shaping the music in real time. “Playing it outside in the fresh air, with the mountains around us, brought a whole new dimension to the sound,” Williamson recalls.
After almost three years of anticipation—due in part to an unexpected health setback— Williamson is finally set to premiere the concerto, Indigo Heaven, which was written specifically for him. “This piece has been on my mind for so long,” he says. “It’s deeply personal, and I can’t wait to finally share it with an audience.” That moment in Aspen was just one step in a long journey for the work, which began as a casual conversation and evolved into one of this concert season’s most highly anticipated premieres.
Continue reading From friendship to music: Williamson premieres Theofanidis’ Indigo Heaven at the CSO
Gathering Note 