Blair professor Molly Herron was recently a featured composer at the Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival (WWCMF) in Washington. Her new arrangement of “Stellar Atmospheres,” a reworking of her previous composition of the same name, was performed by the acclaimed treble voice quartet Quince, with string accompaniment.
“Stellar Atmospheres” was inspired by astrophysicist Dr. Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin, a pioneer in her field who discovered that stars are made up almost entirely of hydrogen and helium.
“This new arrangement was created especially for Quince,” said Herrron. “We are planning to make this a bigger piece and I’ll be working this year on expanding it to 45 minutes or so.”
Held every January and June, the Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival is in its 18th year and presents more than 40 public performances annually.
Molly Herron is assistant professor of music theory and composition at the Blair School of Music.