"Thoughtful and communicative": Luís Tinoco’s Before Spring

Luís Tinoco has been described as “both a thoughtful and communicative composer” following the U.S premiere of his 2013 work Before Spring.

The piece was performed on Sunday 22 November at the Pantages Theatre in Tacoma, Washington, by the Tacoma Symphony Orchestra and conductor, Sarah Ioannides

Rosemary Ponnekanti, of the News Tribune paper in Tacoma, Washington, described the work as “dreamy” and “cinematic.”

She writes:

“With almost all the wind and brass section playing from throughout the auditorium, the piece surrounded the audience in a crescendoing cloud of discord — only to end with that iconic high C on bassoon, hinting at the masterpiece to come.”

“The awed audience member who uttered a solo “Whoa!” after the baton dropped summed it up for all of us.”

Click here to read the full review.

Before Spring was originally scored for 16 players, following a commission from the OrchestrUtopica to be performed as a tribute and opening piece to Stravinky’s “The Rite of Spring”.

Following a commission from OPART / Teatro Nacional de São Carlos, Before Spring was later revised and scored for symphony orchestra.

The performance of the piece involves musicians leaving the stage. Tinoco writes:

“Ten players must leave their original position on stage. The stands for the off-stage positions should be placed surrounding the audience. But other options (including balconies or boxes, when available) are also acceptable and recommended.”

Tinoco completed his degree in composition at the Escola Superior de Música de Lisboa.

He was then awarded with scholarships by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and the Centro Nacional de Cultura to complete a Masters degree in Composition at the Royal Academy of Music, in London.

He completed his PhD in music research at the University of York.

Click here to read Tinoco’s full biography.