The title of this work is inspired by the legacy of woman aviators, those who fought hard to earn their place and scarified in the pursuit of their dreams without regrets. From the tragic disappearance of aviatrix Amelia Earhart (the first woman aviator flew solo across the Atlantic) to the Space Shuttle Challenger flight explosion that killed female astronauts Judith Resnik and Sharon McAuliff, our society has been intrigued by the life stories of these female protagonists, often transfixed with mysteries, theories, and imagination. Beyond their deaths, the world continues to honor their immense courage, talent, and achievement. As a composer, I am enthused to write a composition dedicated to the women in the past, present, and future who take to the skies.
Conceived as a 12′ single-movement composition for solo piano and electronics, this work is a musical sketch that evokes an aviatrix’s last but most fantastic journey: traversing the boundless sky with haunting landscape below where fear, loneliness, peace, and beauty intermingle into an ultimate place of depth with enormous reverberations. The solo piano is a symbolic representation of a female voice, used dramatically with coloristic approach. Besides showcasing virtuosity and sensitivity of the pianist, the performer is challenged with various inside piano techniques. The electronic track is a combination of Amelia Earhart’s voice with multiple layers of engineered acoustic and synthesized sounds, a polyphonic lace at times textural, at times rhythmic, foreshadowing and enhancing the scenario and emotions of the character.
