COMPOSER SPOTLIGHT: DUNCAN PETERSEN-JONES, "CONFLICTING EMOTIONS"

On Sunday, April 28th, the world premiere of MCI composer Duncan Petersen-Jones's new string quartet "Conflicting Emotions" will be given by the Converge String Quartet. The concert will be taking place at the University of Michigan.

Read on to learn more about the inspirations which drove the composer to create this new work:


­Describe your inspiration for composing the piece.
The inspiration for each of the three movements in this string quartet is of a different emotion. The first movement is "Bewilderment", which is essentially about being overwhelmed, as if trying to take a breath of air and not being able to. The second movement is "Isolating Loneliness", which is about being truly alone with the feeling the there is nobody you can rely on. The third movement is "Rigid Egos", which is about egos that are so strong that they battle everything until it crashes at the end.

What are some of the challenges you faced in writing the work?
While there were several challenges I faced, I can't say any of them without spoiling the surprise of the piece.

Is there anything specific about your piece that you'd like your audience to look out for?
A music video is being made of this string quartet, so keep an eye out for it!

What do you hope your audience ultimately take away the most from hearing your work?
I hope people will get the feelings that this piece is trying to relay, and I hope that they not only enjoy the music, but also think more about the emotions that they feel from it.