Dies Irae: elegy for victims of war

Multimedia Compositions for Electric Violin, Digital Loop Sequencer, and Videography

A collaboration with composer and electric violinist Ritsu Katsumata

When Ritsu Katsumata was commissioned to create Dies Irae: elegy for victims of war for the Binghamton Orchestra for their 2006 season, she asked me to create a video "backdrop" to be projected on a large screen behind her as she performed electric violin with the orchestra. My vision of the piece started with peacetime images of Iraq and progressed to the devastation of war and the human toll on both sides.

Katsumata describes the haunting music of Dies Irae as "an elegy for the dead from Gregorian chants written during a time of war, when news of both military and civilian deaths became all too commonplace. This work is my tribute to the fallen in Iraq." My video visualizes the mood and intensity of Ritsu Katsumata's music and pays tribute to the victims of war, those who lose their lives and those who are left behind – wounded, grieving, and traumatized, on both sides. The concert has been performed in multiple venues.

To inquire about scheduling a live concert, contact ritsu@ritsu.com