Cosmopolis

As a highly coveted global mecca, New York City is home to residents hailing from a multitude of countries and cultural backgrounds…it is a true cosmopolis. When I arrived in the city many years ago, I found myself amongst a chaotic, overgrown, grime-covered Gotham desperately clinging to the deteriorating remnants of its art deco golden years. Although far from the stylized iconography reflected in television and film, I remained steadfast to be a part of it. I grew to appreciate the city most after dark when I would unexpectedly find myself as the solitary subject in a real-life Edward Hopper painting. In those brief moments when there’s not another soul in sight, you welcome the loneliness and begin to appreciate the sultry cityscape: the desolate, jet black streets spotted with puddles reflecting the moonlight and streetlamps; subway trains clanking and screeching over the bridges; the hum of the city penetrating the brisk sea air; the refurbished piers suppressing a devious sexuality reminiscent of a bygone era. As you gaze at the illuminated skyline from afar, a serenity overcomes you. For those of us unable to partake in the decadent luxuries the city has to offer, these genuine moments of reflection and tranquility validate our everyday struggle to survive the city. People around the world may think of Sinatra, Copland, Gershwin, Bernstein, and classic Broadway musicals as embodying the definitive New York sound. But to those who currently live and work here, the sounds literally and figuratively exuded from the city vary drastically from this polished soundtrack of yesteryear. Cosmópolis is a contemporary portrayal of New York City through my eyes and ears, as a transplant who grew up idolizing the romanticized versions of the city found in art, music, television, and film. Tinged with influences of Cab Calloway, Miles Davis, and Duke Ellington, this duet for clarinet and percussion evokes the provocative mise-en-scène of New York City after dark while paying homage to the musical styles that define its iconic identity.