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Azica Records

Terra Infirma

Contemporary Spiritual Contemplative Exotic Uplifting
$15.99

Details

Composer
Reena Esmail
Artist
Yolanda Kondonassis, Vijay Gupta, Interlochen Center for the Arts Orchestra, Interlochen Center for
Format
CD
Label
Azica Records
Released
May 15, 2026
Catalog #
ACD-71392
UPC
787867139226

About

Terra Infirma was directly inspired by the experiences of it's creative team. Reena Esmail, who resides in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Altadena, was forced to evacuate her home during the catastrophic fires of January 2025. Kondonassis, a committed advocate for the environment, is founder and director of the non-profit organization Earth at Heart; her initiatives include the widely-praised commissioning project FIVE MINUTES for Earth. Terra Infirma reflects not only the environmental passion and advocacy of both artists, but also their inspiration to innovate and expand the concerto form. In this bold new work, with a title taken from a poem by Robert Walters, the harp symbolizes the protagonist Earth, both fragile and powerful. The towering instrument is moved choreographically by Kondonassis across the stage as she journeys through various arrays of suspended percussion. In the composer's words, the work is "part virtuoso concerto, part performance art, and part theater." Esmail, who is Indian-American, has drawn on her extensive studies of Hindustani music in composing Terra Infirma. Her compositional voice is at once arresting, lyrical, haunting, and fierce. The work, which includes a defining movement titled "Immolation," incorporates elements of Raag Deepak, an ancient collection of pitches believed to invoke fire. Kondonassis, known for "a range of colour that's breathtaking," (Gramophone), brings the work to life with colorful authenticity. Says Esmail, "Terra Infirma sits somewhere between a harp/percussion concerto and a monodrama - Yolanda leads us through the trajectory of a wildfire, starting with the eerie moments before the first spark, and ending with the hope of new growth. The work explores our human relationship to fire - a force that can be at once devastating and illuminating. It has been a dream to work so closely with Yolanda, who has reinvented the role of the harp over and over again throughout her career. We have built the DNA of this piece together over so many years - experimenting in percussion studios, mapping stage plots, pushing our imaginations to the limit. I am so excited to share this work with the world." States Kondonassis, "The personal and musical resonance that I feel with Reena has resulted in a work that's deeply personal, uniquely colorful, and ground-breaking in so many ways. The harp is a highly visual instrument, and Terra Infirma utilizes that element to the fullest. In this work, the harp is actually a character in the musical drama onstage, and that gives me the chance to portray an enormous range of artistic emotion." The new concerto forms the heart of The Terra Infirma Project, a multi-year initiative of the Interlochen Center for the Arts, which boasts Kondonassis as an alumna (class of '82). The Interlochen Orchestra is featured along with Kondonassis and conductor Andrew Grams on the world-premiere recording, released in April 2026 on the Grammy-winning Azica label. The entire process, from initial workshops to the world-premiere and recording, has been captured by the award-winning film crew, Fulvew Productions, for an upcoming documentary to be released for airing on PBS Television in August 2026. The Terra Infirma Project is generously supported by the Allen B. Cutting Foundation.

Tracklist 11 tracks

  1. 1 I. Bone-colored branches 02:30
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Bone-colored branches
    Duration
    02:30
    Composer
    Reena Esmail
    Performer
    Yolanda Kondonassis
    Ensemble
    Interlochen Center for the Arts Orchestra
    Conductor
    Andrew Grams
  2. 2 II. Immolation 03:30
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Immolation
    Duration
    03:30
    Composer
    Reena Esmail
    Performer
    Yolanda Kondonassis
    Ensemble
    Interlochen Center for the Arts Orchestra
    Conductor
    Andrew Grams
  3. 3 III. Helium ember 05:25
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. Helium ember
    Duration
    05:25
    Composer
    Reena Esmail
    Performer
    Yolanda Kondonassis
    Ensemble
    Interlochen Center for the Arts Orchestra
    Conductor
    Andrew Grams
  4. 4 IV. Roaming the ghost forest 07:05
    Track
    4
    Title
    IV. Roaming the ghost forest
    Duration
    07:05
    Composer
    Reena Esmail
    Performer
    Yolanda Kondonassis
    Ensemble
    Interlochen Center for the Arts Orchestra
    Conductor
    Andrew Grams
  5. 5 V. Skeletal silhouette 02:38
    Track
    5
    Title
    V. Skeletal silhouette
    Duration
    02:38
    Composer
    Reena Esmail
    Performer
    Yolanda Kondonassis
    Ensemble
    Interlochen Center for the Arts Orchestra
    Conductor
    Andrew Grams
  6. 6 VI. Swallowed 05:21
    Track
    6
    Title
    VI. Swallowed
    Duration
    05:21
    Composer
    Reena Esmail
    Performer
    Yolanda Kondonassis
    Ensemble
    Interlochen Center for the Arts Orchestra
    Conductor
    Andrew Grams
  7. 7 VII. Facing the flame 03:51
    Track
    7
    Title
    VII. Facing the flame
    Duration
    03:51
    Composer
    Reena Esmail
    Performer
    Yolanda Kondonassis
    Ensemble
    Interlochen Center for the Arts Orchestra
    Conductor
    Andrew Grams
  8. 8 Sandhiprakash 08:43
    Track
    8
    Title
    Sandhiprakash
    Duration
    08:43
    Composer
    Reena Esmail
    Performer
    Vijay Gupta, Yolanda Kondonassis
  9. 9 I. Ethereal 07:02
    Track
    9
    Title
    I. Ethereal
    Duration
    07:02
    Composer
    Reena Esmail
    Performer
    Yolanda Kondonassis
    Ensemble
    Interlochen Center for the Arts Chorus
    Conductor
    Carter Smith
  10. 10 II. Remote, Icy 02:48
    Track
    10
    Title
    II. Remote, Icy
    Duration
    02:48
    Composer
    Reena Esmail
    Performer
    Yolanda Kondonassis
    Ensemble
    Interlochen Center for the Arts Chorus
    Conductor
    Carter Smith
  11. 11 III. Intimate, Serene 03:39
    Track
    11
    Title
    III. Intimate, Serene
    Duration
    03:39
    Composer
    Reena Esmail
    Performer
    Yolanda Kondonassis
    Ensemble
    Interlochen Center for the Arts Chorus
    Conductor
    Carter Smith