DEMO REEL 2024
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MATTEA WILLIAMS COMPOSITION PORTFOLIO
EXPLORATION
OF MUSIC &
SOUND
EXPERIENCE THE LATEST COMPOSITIONS AND COLLECTED WORKS IN MY DIGITAL MUSIC & SOUNDSCAPE GALLERY.
BAY AREA CALIFORNIA, USA
Catalog
Orchestra
DEEPEST BLUE
April 2021
RAIN GARDEN
April 2019
Duration: 12 min.
MIDI Mockup
Written for her master's thesis, Deepest Blue is a 10 minute exploration of the ocean. The beginning of the piece depicts the shimmering surface of the water and gradually descends to an intense depiction of the ocean's abysmal challenger deep.
Duration: 8 min.
Performed by the Baldwin Wallace Orchestra, 2019
This piece begins with the use of sheet metal (thunder sheet) and the brass section blowing air through their instruments to create the beginnings of a storm. The piece then erupts into a chaotic cacophony. At timestamp 3:35, the music settles into a beautiful and gentle rain, depicted using tin cans, rain stick and the brass section tapping their fingertips on the bell of their instrument.
Concert Band
ONE MAGNIFICENT LIGHT
June 2024
COBRA
April 2023
THE MIRAGECASTER
January 2023
Duration: 5 min.
MIDI Mockup - To be premiered by the San Francisco Pride Band, 2024
Williams completed this piece as the final commission for her residency with the San Francisco Pride Band. This piece ends in a magical combustion of light and color, representing the magic that happens when beautiful individuals come together in a community creating one magnificent light.
Duration: 4 min.
MIDI Mockup
Premiered by the San Francisco Pride Band, 2024 | See Premiere |
Completed as the second piece for her residency with the San Francisco Pride Band, Cobra is a winding and striking wind band adaptation of her soprano saxophone piece depicting a snake resisting a charm. Can this cobra be lulled into a slumber by the end?
Duration: 5 min
The Miragecaster is a fictional magician who has the magic ability to wield and manipulate illusions. Williams used aleatoric notation to write three separate sections of stacked ostinato patterns that create an auditory illusion. These can be cued in and out in any order, any number of times at the discretion of the conductor, turning the ensemble into a mirage and the conducter into The Miragecaster.
Choral
FOREVER WAS
Treble Choir
December 2018
THE EMBERS TELL
Treble Choir
November 2017
GARDEN SONG
Children's Choir
February 2020
Duration: 8 min.
Premiered by the Baldwin Wallace Treble Choir, 2018
Forever Was features crystal-like harmonies and depicts the process of something beautiful growing from nothing. This is the second piece Williams wrote for the Baldwin Wallace Treble Choir, where Williams participated as both an ensemble member (Alto) and a composer during her time in conservatory.
Duration: 4 min.
Premiered by the Baldwin Wallace Treble Choir, 2017
A FAN FAVORITE! The Embers tell is a campfire story told from the perspective of the embers in the firepit, featuring the use of crumpling paper while singing to depict the crackle of a fire. Since it's premiere, this piece has been purchased and performed worldwide, including a performance at Harvard University in 2022.
Duration: 4 min.
Premiered and commissioned by the Noble Elementary School 4th-5th Grade Choir & Instructor Makenna Virag, 2020
This piece is written for two parts: Gardeners and Nature. Using body percussion, the Nature singers create rain and thunder that allows a beautiful garden to grow and the Garden singers tend to the garden.
Chamber
SHRILL - The dance of shattered glass
Harp, Percussion & Wine Glass
August 2023
WIELDING NATURES BREATH
Strings
November 2021
BLOOM
Chamber Orchestra
November 2019
MEMORIES OF THE COMING SEASON
Soprano Saxophone, Flute, Cello
March 2018
TWO SHORT PIECES FOR SAXOPHONE QUARTET
Saxophone Quartet
November 2017
Duration: 7 min.
MIDI Mockup
Premiered & commissioned by the Mackle Shaw Duo, 2024
Commissioned by the Mackle Shaw Duo, Shrill is inspired by the sound of shards of glass twinkling and dancing and features a wine glass as part of the percussion.
Duration: 3 min.
MIDI Mockup
Premiered & commissioned by the Spring Valley High School Orchestra & Instructor Sarah Mamula, 2021
This piece tells the story of Cerce. The Daughter of powerful Greek God, Helios and enchantingly beautiful Perse discovers her abilities of mystical manipulation and becomes a master of potions and herbs in this enchanting piece for strings.
Duration: 4 min.
Premiered & by the UT Austin New Music Ensemble, 2019
Did you know a group of jellyfish is called a bloom? This piece ebbs and flows with the waves featuring marbles in a frame/hand drum or ocean drum to provide the sound of the ocean with the music.
Duration: 8 min.
Performed by Steven Banks (Soprano Saxophone), Emily Forster (flute) and Max Hanks (Cello), 2019
This piece features extended instrument techniques in all three instruments in addition to the performers quickly waving a sticky note in front of a stream of air to manufacture the sound of butterfly wings.
Duration: 5 min.
Premiered by the Kenari Quartet, 2019
This piece was written for and workshopped by the Kenari Quartet during a composition masterclass at Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music in 2017. The first piece explores the colors and blend that are specific to the saxophone quartet. The second piece is a wild and funky groove, once it starts it doesn't stop until the end.
Solo
COBRA
Tenor Saxophone and piano
March 2022
A GAME IN THE REDWOODS
Oboe and piano
May 2021
GHOST
Solo Harp
April 2021
Duration: 5 min.
Premiered and commissioned by Korey Young featuring Betty Lin-Gallardo on piano | See Premiere |
A heroic protagonist (played by the oboe) battles against a mighty and ravenous monster (played by the piano) in the redwood grove in this adventurous mixed-meter piece for solo oboe and piano accompaniment. Spoiler alert-the piece ends with a lyrical victory for the oboe.
Duration: 5 min.
Premiered and commissioned by Hannah Stater, 2021 |See Premiere|
A newlywed couple moves into their first home together only to find out they are not alone in this elegant and bewitchingly macabre piece for solo harp. The main melody is first presented in an unassuming major key, but returns at the end of the piece in a distorted recapitulation depicting the presence of the ghost and turning a once familiar home into a haunted house.
Sibelius
Notation Software
MATTEA WILLIAMS IS PROFICIENT IN USING THE FOLLOWING SOFTWARE
Audacity
Audio Editing &
Recording Software
Logic Pro
Digital Audio Workstation