As a composer, the joy of hearing my music performed beautifully is the big payoff. Hearing performers make the music their own is what inspires me to write more, to get down on paper more of the music that fills my studio.

One of the things I love about this performance by Ida Yang, is hearing her take her time with the phrasing, especially the ends of phrases.

Letting the voice of the harp really ring, listening to the instrument sing – this is something harpists (me included!) can forget to do, and it always amazes me when I see young artists willing to give the music that space.

We can get so caught up in the ‘doing’ — the preparation for the next phrase, the jumping in on the next musical sentence – that we never take that moment to glide, to hang in the air like a bird on an updraft, before we swoop into the next phrase.

It’s a beautiful moment – that moment between phrases and I loved hearing Ida give that space in this wonderful performance.  Brava, Ida!