Psithurism/His song - Paola Prestini

Nicole Frankel, flute
Choo Choo Hu, piano
Performed as part of ensemble vim's "Vimmen for Women" concert on 3/12/24 at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Atlanta, GA
This work is inspired by the sound of the wind, and stems from the original Greek word meaning to whisper. The complex aspect of motherhood for me stems from the desire to enjoy each moment with my child while balancing the goals I’ve set for myself as an artist and activist. My greatest achievement and the role I judge myself most harshly is in my role as a mother. What does it mean to be artist and mother? How have I balanced it? How has my work benefited from this love?
This piece is written for my son, to his joy for the wind through the trees, and fallen leaves, and to my whispers to him at night-from the first whispers when you bare your soul to a newborn child, to the whispers when they sleep as they grow older, whispers of hope, love, sadness, and joy. The piano and flute in this piece have equal weight and represent a single unit made of the same fabric, yet with different impulses, different motivic and melodic materials, resembling the bond between mother and son. - Paola Prestini