2.2.2(II=bcl).2.1(cbsn). 4.3.3.1.Perc(1).Hp. Strings (15.13.11.9.7), c.10’, 2024

Hyphae (pronounced high-fee), are long branching filaments that form the underground fungal network known as Mycelium. At a fundamental level, individual Hypha grow in two key steps-they branch, and they fuse. I was initially inspired by Mycelium more broadly-a living network that is the connective tissue of our world-but I found myself drawn to its most basic component, and more specifically, how it grows.

The music begins with a single pitch, a drone shared between individual strings. Sudden accents give way to new tones, sustained against the initial drone. As the music unfolds, more parts are added, and more pitches are introduced-branching away from the starting tone. Naturally, the piece becomes increasingly dense, culminating in a chromatic web of lines that weave around each other. As I wrote the piece, I held an image in mind of Hyphae extending, branching and fusing. It is a world that I found rich and poetic, both beautiful and dark, hidden in plain sight.

HYPHAE (2024) for full orchestra. Performed by the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Dmitry Matvienko. Recording provided courtesy of ABC Classic.

Listen to an excerpt: