We are excited to continue our collaboration with the New York Women Composers (NYWC). This month, we present a piece by Catherine Neville.
Composer Catherine Neville. Photo: courtesy Catherine Neville
Bio
Catherine Neville is a New York-based composer of concert music for instrumental ensembles and choir. Her work blends aspects of tonality and serial techniques, creating a highly expressive musical language heard in venues across the northeastern United States and internationally, including premieres at Carnegie Hall, London’s Pissarro Gallery, Washington, D.C., Seattle, Paris, and Perugia, Italy.
Neville earned her Master of Arts degree in composition from the Aaron Copland School of Music, where she studied with Jeff Nichols and received the Hugo Weisgall Award for her work in music theory and composition. Her debut album, Hold Your Center, was released in 2022 and explores themes of self-discovery. Her featured work, Elements for flute, cello, and piano, continues her interest in expressive chamber music, using color, gesture, and structure to respond to the climate crises shaping our world.
Featured Work: Elements for flute, cello and piano
COMPOSITION DETAILS
- Title: Elements for flute, cello, and piano
- Composer: Catherine Neville
- Year of Composition: 2026
- Instrumentation: flute, cello, and piano
- Movements: 1
- Duration of Work: 23 minutes
- Number of Measures: 139
- Number of pages: 17 (score)
- Tempo: Largo-Andante
- Difficulty Level: advanced/professional
- Highest Position Reached: thumb
- Techniques Employed: artificial harmonics, rapidly changing meters, double stops
- Publisher: American Concert Editions
- Where to Purchase the Score: American Composers Alliance
- Cost of Score*: $35.00
Recording
Listen on YouTube.
You may request a recording by contacting Neville directly via email.
Program Notes
“Inspired by the ongoing climate crises across the globe, Elements moves through a world of Earth, Water, Fire, and Air in which each is altered and fractured. The music is at times peaceful, but that peace is interrupted by chaos and destruction at every turn.
Earth is introduced with solo piano chords, descending into the entrance of the flute and cello. A central theme is taken up first in the flute and echoed by cello, but is quickly interrupted with fast-moving melodic lines derived from a 12-tone matrix. The fast-moving melodies at times coalesce into a unit, before unraveling and evaporating into Water.
In Water, ripples and undulating curves illustrate a flowing river, in music built on the overtone series. We witness playful splashing as the river flows over a waterfall, ending in the stillness of deep water.
Fire begins with a flicker, quickly catching growing into ravaging flames. Just as quickly, the flames retreat into cinders and smoke.
The smoke from the fire dissipates into Air. Thin textures and hanging chords leave no doubt that we are floating, weightless. The music ends meditatively, a single note in the piano asks us what we will do to mitigate the chaos and destruction we are witnessing.” – Catherine Neville
Catherine Neville’s Other Works with a Prominent Cello Part
- Sonata for cello and piano
How to Follow, Support, and Contact Catherine Neville
- catherinenevillecomposer.com
- Instagram: @catherinebnv
- YouTube: @catherineneville9485
A Collaboration with the New York Women Composers (NYWC)
The NYWC series at the Cello Museum was created to showcase its members who have composed works for cello, informing cellists seeking new music to add to their repertoire, and helping listeners find new favorites. Many thanks to the NYWC for this wonderful collaboration.
Read other installments in the series here.
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