COMPOSITION SHOWREEL
Compositions
Orchestral Music:
Jordens Sjæl for symphony orchestra, is a versatile celebration of the majesty of the Earth. It features a virtuosic solo for double bass, solo trumpet, percussion solos, prominent piano and harp passages, and singing from among the orchestral musicians.
The text is 17 different words for “Earth” from selected languages from around the world:
Tellus Mater (Latin), Dedamit’sa (Georgian), Bumi (Malay), Erde (German), Dharti (Hindu), Dìqiú (Mandarin), Delkhii (Mongolian), Lurra (Basque), Zemli (Ukrainian), Ardhi (Swahili),Nilam (Tamizh), Domhan (Gaelic), Adamah (Hebrew), Dünya (Turkish), Gaia (Greek), Terra (Italian), Jorden (Danish/Swedish/Norwegian).
The structure of the piece can be briefly understood in sections: Nascence/Beginning from nothing--/ First Light--/ Evolution and Biodiversity--/ Natural Disasters/Extinctions--/ Recreation and Rebirth. The final section, which features the solo trumpet under voices chanting “Tellus Mater, Gaia Terra” until the final full orchestral climax at the end, is meant to illustrate moving away from the Earth into the vast infinity of the Universe, to highlight the importance of conservation and protection of our one and only magnificent world.
Performed by: The Royal Danish Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by: Maestra Gabriella Teychenné
Copenhagen Philharmonic Hall, November 25th, 2022.
Chamber Music:
Syzygy (2018)
When researching astronomical terms to find inspiration for the piece, the word ‘syzygy’ struck me the most. It means a ‘conjunction or opposition’ of planets, as well as the term used when three planets are visible at the same time in the night sky. This also coincides with the fact that the piece is my first piano trio, three entirely different instruments and worlds of sound.
Each instrument can be considered a ‘planet’ with its own characteristics; the violin is fiery and energetic, the piano is atmospheric and grand, and the cello is vibrant and sonorous.
Each of the instruments has its own solo exposition, and then suddenly become visible to each other, which is the first time all three play together in a burst of light led by the cello. As the piece progresses it becomes more complex, and almost manic, until finally each instrument detaches from each other and retreats back into its own realm.
This concert was also accompanied by original art visuals by Swedish artist, Joy Osvath.
Musikhuset København, December 5th, 2022.
Jeweled Wings
This piece was written for the highSCORE Festival 2018, for the Italian string quartet Quartetto Indaco, and was recorded and premiered at the magnificent Santa Maria di Canepanova (circa 1500) in Pavia, Italy.
It is centered around the concept of a journey of a jewel beetle in flight, capturing the essence of its brilliant green wings as they glint and shimmer in the sunlight. I was inspired by the complex beauty of these extraordinarily small creatures, and I wanted to incorporate this inspiration into the piece itself.
The second performance of my piece included in the Royal Danish Academy's PULSAR Music Festival 2021, "Caught in Your Chrysalis, We Grow", performed by Isabel Godau (violin), Romena Lengvinaitė (accordion), and Hjörtur Páll Eggertsson (cello).
It was inspired and solely based upon a piece by the same name, "Caught in Your Chrysalis, We Grow", by the masterful Portland Oregon-based artist Hazel Glass.
www.artbyhazelglass.com
I wanted to convey a sense of growing outward from nothing, beginning from the very first paper layer in the background, and slowly evolving into the foreground. To capture this, the piece begins subtly with a sparse but collective texture, and then becomes more complex and varied as each layer progresses until finally reaching the energetic, foremost layer at the end.
Abyssal Beings
Abyssal Beings, for accordion trio.
I: Sea Angel
II: Tomopteris
III: Histioteuthis-Reversa
This piece musically illustrates the movements and characters of two unique and fascinating deep-sea creatures: the Sea Angel, a species of translucent sea slug, and a Tomopteris, a type of segmented sea worm. Despite their species identifications, they are some of the most coveted gems of the abyss— tiny flickers of light existing in a world of darkness, and which now speak through the complex voices of three accordions.
Premiered May 2022, by:
Amalie Ravnsbæk
Ditte Lykke Hansen
Romena Lengvinaitė
Through the Eyes of an Octopus
Through the Eyes of an Octopus both poetically and biologically illustrates how an octopus experiences the world, through its multifaceted senses and exquisite emotional intelligence. It was wholly inspired by the brilliant Oscar-winning documentary, "My Octopus Teacher" by Craig Foster and the SeaChange Project.
The libretto, written by Portland Maine-based poet, Megan Grumbling, focuses on the octopus’s extraordinary sensory abilities, its shape shifting and color-changing abilities, the eight semi-autonomous tentacles, and its capacity to be sensitive and to express emotion. Each distinctive word was translated into its own compositional motif, and then the majority of the composition was structured and written around them, defining them as pivotal points of compositional architecture.
The use of auxiliary percussion and vocal effects, which overextends to the Mezzo-Soprano and accordion, were carefully chosen to further define the individual sounds of the words. The Mezzo-Soprano and accordionist’s percussion were implemented due to the piece's complexity, and quick changes that I needed in order to satisfy the virtuosity that the libretto, and the octopus, required.
Commissioned and performed by KIMI Ensemble:
Þórgunnur Anna Örnólfsdóttir, Mezzo-Soprano
Jónas Ásgeir Ásgeirsson, Accordion
Katerina Anagnostidou, Percussion
Libretto by Megan Grumbling https://www.megangrumbling.com/
Composer: Marianna Filippi
LIBRETTO:
Unspool! Uncoil! Unwind!
From the Dream Sea,
From the Shell Room.
Unspool!
Tentacle, tentacle, tentacle, tentacle
Unwind! Uncoil
Tentacle, tentacle, tentacle, tentacle
Sense the Sea.
Writhe! Mind! Reach!
Sucker Kiss, Clutch!
Finger-Lip! Lick!
Moon-tongue to Moon-tongue to Moon-tongue to Moon-tongue.
Slither-swim Swoosh!
Slither-crawl Woosh!
Slither writhe and swim, through the sea over the sand!
Slither-swim! Slither-swim!
Slither-swim Swoosh!
Through the Sea, Crawl! Writhe!
Be the sand!
Swell, Sheer, Wash white, Shhh.
Slither-swim Swoosh!
Crawl! Writhe Woosh!
Through the sea, over kelp,
Tentacle, stretch over kelp!
Wrinkle Clench!
Tentacle!
Slither-swim!
Be the kelp!
Glide-green, wrinkle, clench, stipple-skin!
Flutter frond arms and sway through the sea over reef!
Slither-swim! Be the reef!
Crimsoning, silvering, speckling, purpling, umbering, blue! Blue!
Wrinkling puckering, billowing, slendering, loosening, smooth! Smooth!
Reach above, reach to the silver and rippling fish!
Slither-swim Swoosh! Crawl, writhe, Woosh!
Through the sea over stone!
Be the stone!
Coil. Freckle, Gravel-Skin, Clench!
Hold!
Inch away… inch away… inch away… inch away… inch away…
Slither-swim Crawl! Writhe!
Sucker-Kiss! Clutch!
Tentacle, tentacle, tentacle, tentacle, tentacle, tentacle, tentacle, tentacle
Coil. Spool. Wind. Curl. Furl
Into the Shell Room,
Into the Dream Sea
Into Sleep…
Rest…
Dream-Skin…. Um-ber Drift, Vi-o-let Drift, Drift, Blue.
The Trees Speak Without Words
Premiered as a part of PULSAR Music Festival 2021, at the Royal Danish Academy of Music. This piece was written specifically for virtuosic Coloratura soprano, Gina Gloria Tronel, who currently studies in the Young Artist’s Program at the Royal Opera Academy. To personalise the text, I have written parts of it in her first language of Romanian.
The Romanian parts of the text are also compositionally significant, as they define the poetic descriptions of the trees, from the scientific factual descriptions, which are in English. This piece sonically illustrates the biological science of tree systems, and how they communicate through their roots. It explores the intimate connectivity and language that trees share, from the tiny chattering world of their mycelium fungi, to their grand and poetic majesty. The soprano represents the crown and leaves of the tree, and is for the most part floating above the accordions. The four accordions represent four tree systems that are always in constant communication, and share the melodic material with one another.
I chose multiple accordions is because the accordion is an entire world in itself, and encapsulated my ideas ——- than other instruments, more specifically executing the concept of communication and flow of energy. Their multitude of timbres, colors, moods, registers, and chordal potential presented almost endless musical possibilities. Another very important aspect of the piece, is the utilization of objects, particularly the individual sounds of crackling marbles and the delicate sounds of wood being tossed together. These objects have nothing to do with the piece except to represent the sounds of the roots communicating with each other, which have been scientifically proven to produce sound at the frequency of 260 Hz. There is also a variety of vocal effects in the accordionists’ parts, which primarily represent insects chittering.
Structurally, the motivic materials explored in the first three defined phrases were created with the atomic numbers of three specified nutrients: Nitrogen (atomic number 7), Phosphorus (atomic number 15), and Potassium (atomic number 19), all of which trees can communicate with one another through the delicate mycelium that spread from the roots. I took each of these atomic numbers and created separate and unique melodic motifs with them, thus creating the material for the accordion parts. From here, after the three specified nutrients are defined, the piece becomes more episodic and comprises variations of all three motivic materials.
The climactic point of the piece describes a parasitic insect attack, which is a serious threat to many species of trees, and the central tree is frantically trying to send signals of warning to the other trees connected in its system in order for them to biologically prepare in time, and save themselves.
This section also allows for dramatic improvisation from the soprano, as well as improvisation from the accordions. The piece ends with a final, solemn but hopeful statement after the demise of the central tree: I grow. I fall. I grow. I fall. I speak, I sound, I feel, I am. I grow. I fall. I grow. I fall. And then, I begin again.
Conductor: Kai Johannes Polzhofer
Coloratura Soprano: Gloria Tronel
Accordion I: Jónas Ásgeir Ásgeirsson
Accordion II: Amalie Ravnsbæk
Accordion III: Ditte Lykke Hansen
Accordion IV: Romena Lengvinaitė
Dancing Rhythm of the Dunes
This piece was selected from an international call for scores by the contemporary Croatian flute and accordion duo, Martina Jembrišak and Andrea Jelavić.
This piece sonically illustrates the original 74-layer papercut artwork by artist Hazel Glass. It is structured by beginning from the subtle mystery of the furthermost background layer and gradually progresses
into the energetic, dancelike landscape of the desert.
At its final climactic point after a long buildup of manic energy, there is a sudden break and the piece becomes delicate and tender to illustrate the complex fragility of the foremost windowframe. The flutist changes to piccolo, and the accordion creates a sonorous, peaceful, almost melancholic atmosphere on which the piccolo floats a delicate melody.
https://www.artbyhazelglass.com/
https://duoartina.com/
Provided to YouTube by Aquarius Records Dancing Rhythm of the Dunes · Duo Artina · Martina Jembrišak · Andrea Jelavić · Marianna Filippi · Duo Artina · Marianna Filippi Little Stories ℗ Aquarius Records Released on: 2021-09-17 Auto-generated by YouTube.
Sanctum of the Mycelium Grove
This piece for seven bassoons, masterfully recorded and performed by bassoonist Natalie Law ( http://purewindsquintet.com ) , is a multilayered piece that sonically illustrates an original multilayered hand-cut paperwork of the same name by Portland Oregon-based artist Hazel Glass.
The piece was originally written for the Going Viral Virtual Festival, arranged by MSU-based composer Trevor Smith, in which an array of composers were selected and teamed up with different musicians to collaborate on a new solo 'social-distancing' piece together for a virtual concert, to create music in the time of COVID-19. A massive heartfelt thanks to Natalie for expertly bringing this piece to life!
Les Couleurs de Mon Ame
Accordion: Martina Jembrišak
Sound: Bruna Matić
Video: Taryn Elliott, Limva.pl.
This piece is written and dedicated by Marianna Filippi to French accordionist, Chloe Cedille. A few days before playing the piece publicly, Chloe became quadraplegic and had to be hospitalized for a long time. Les Couleurs de mon Ame turned out to be a shining light of hope: practising the piece in mind helped the accordionist to recover her arms, to recreate neurological connections and play afresh. With a new romantic mark, American composer Marianna Filippi translates with accuracy and brillance the smile and colours she felt in Chloe Cedille and the ability to transform each difficulty into a graceful travel. Les Couleurs De Mon Ame has been premiered in April 2020 in Zagreb by Croatian accordionist Martina Jembrišak.
Written for and premiered/performed by the Portland Piano Trio, premiered at Bates College in Lewiston, and at Mechanics Hall in Portland, ME, 2019.
When researching astronomical terms to find inspiration for the piece, the word ‘syzygy’ struck me the most. It means a ‘conjunction or opposition’ of planets, as well as the term used when three planets are visible at the same time in the night sky. This also coincides with the fact that the piece is my first piano trio, three entirely different instruments and worlds of sound.
Each instrument can be considered a ‘planet’ with its own characteristics; the violin is fiery and energetic, the piano is atmospheric and grand, and the cello is vibrant and sonorous.
Each of the instruments has its own solo exposition, and then suddenly become visible to each other, which is the first time all three play together in a burst of light led by the cello. As the piece progresses it becomes more complex, and almost manic, until finally each instrument detaches from each other and retreats back into its own realm.
Astraeus Welcomes The Storm
This piece was written for and performed by Belarus-based violist Katerina Shapochka, as a part of the HighSCORE 2019 Contemporary Music Festival's concert series.
It was inspired and solely based upon a piece by the same name, "Astraeus Welcomes the Storm" (pictured), by the masterful Portland Oregon-based artist Hazel Glass.
I wanted to convey a sense of a turbulent storm at sea, while at the same time maintaining a sense of calm, following what this papercut piece told me. There are moments of anger, rushing frustration, mystery, but also moments of serenity and grace.
Hazel's magnificent masterworks will continue to inspire future pieces, and I feel very honored to have had this work performed and to be able to give back to an artist who inspires me!
A massive, heartfelt thanks to the brilliant Katerina Shapochka for bringing this piece to life.
A virtuosic, Ravel and Debussy-inspired piece for solo piano, originally written as a gift for my friend Hattie Grainger’s graduation. In this piece, I wanted to capture the graceful, ever-changing imagery of flowing water and delicate rays of light.
Performed by @kina-miyamoto
This piece was performed and recorded by flutist Prof. Rebecca Jefferys and pianist Molly Lozeau.
In essence, the piece musically illustrates the image of of a feather floating on a wintry gust, and the tumultuous journey that unfolds.
This is a Remaster of my 14-year old piano piece, Remedy. I wanted to update it with my current skill level, and the result is that it's much more complex and improvisational than its original version. It was initially inspired by Joe Hisaishi’s masterful score to Miyazaki’s masterpiece “Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind”.
The live version of my piece 'Hidden Truths' for accordion (myself), cello (Benjamin Noyes), and recorded piano, from our gig at the Camden Opera House, 2019.
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theateR Scores:
At college in 2014, was invited to score the Richard Burton Company’s new stage production of Lars Von Trier’s dramatic theatrical film “Dogville”.
This is the opening piece I wrote for the 2014 theatrical production of "Longing", directed by Bruce Guthrie and performed by the Richard Burton Company.
These short pieces were written for a new play that was unfortunately never produced, but it was fun writing them, and they are also good examples of my musical versatility. I hope that it will be utilized in one way or another at some point in the future!
SINGLES and eps
New original single by Kristyn Murphy and Marianna Filippi with special guests Lydia Bradfield and Canadian Vocal Quartet, Vivace. Proceeds to benefit the Riding Stars charity. Professionally mixed and mastered by Daniel Bouza.
https://www.vivaceofficial.com/
This is the link to purchase “Hero In You” on iTunes:
Promotional Video for “Hero In You”: