The composers have reached the last stages of writing the piece - what more remains to be done before the music can finally take on a life of its own?

The pieces have taken on a definitive shape, and a life of their own. How do composers communicate their vision - to the musicians, and to the audience? And how do they choose a name for their creations?

We’ve reached that point in the creative process where hard decisions need to be made: keep, cut, continue, end – or maybe even start again? Which direction will the piece take?

This season, the composers are writing music for piano plus one other instrument. We hear about their relationship with the piano, and their different approaches in composing for this instrument.

Where do musical ideas and inspiration come from? In hearing these origin stories, we also learn more about the composers themselves.

An introduction to our composers: Ann Cleare, Wang Lu, and Miguel Zenón, as they begin their creative journey to compose new pieces of music in 6 weeks for Mission: Commission.

As the creative journey comes to an end, we hear reflections on genre, and hear why these pieces defy categorization.

The composers rehearse or prepare for rehearsal with the Parker Quartet, and the pieces start to come to life.

The composers are deep in the work: writing, rewriting, tinkering with the myriad details that make the piece what it is, and what it will be. But what guides their decisions about how to shape the piece, or what direction to take it in?