Jessica Meyer’s ‘Luminous Prison’ Is A Moving Meditation Composed For A Unique Venue

July 4, 2018

Composer Jessica Meyer recently had the kind of experience that gives musicians nightmares. She traveled hundreds of miles, to the desert in northwestern Colorado, to perform a brand new piece in concert on her viola. It was built on layers of electronic loops. But the unique acoustics at the venue -- known simply as The Tank -- caused those loops to dissolve into a squall of feedback.

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Jessica was desperate. With just a few hours to go before the performance, she tossed aside the music she’d carefully composed. And she created something unlike anything she’d written before. She called it “Luminous Prison.”

Hear a recording of the world premiere of Jessica Meyer's "Luminous Prison" -- and the emotional backstory of the piece -- in this episode of Centennial Sounds from CPR Classical and Colorado Public Radio.

Explore more music from Jessica Meyer and The Tank: