Interview with Mario Diaz de Leon
We asked Mario Diaz de Leon some questions about his piece “Portals Before Dawn” that we are playing on our next concert!
Tell me about your piece and the inspiration behind it:
This piece was written in 2010-2011 for the International Contemporary Ensemble, on the occasion of their first edition of their ICELab commissioning project. At that time we had been working together since 2006, most notably on the release of my 2009 debut album. So this was part of the second body of pieces we worked on together, and I conceived of it as the closing work to an evening length ICELab program. The idea was to bring together all the performers for whom I had written pieces solos, duos, and trios (Claire Chase, Eric Lamb, Joshua Rubin, and Nathan Davis) into one group, with the addition of Cory Smythe on piano and myself on synth. Compared to other works of mine from that time period, “Portals” is more ethereal, minimalistic, and gradually paced over the course of its 20 minutes. For the Infrasound performance, I've created a newly revised quintet version, and this will be the first time the piece has been played since fall of 2011, as well as the third performance ever.
What does your creative process look like? Do you have a routine for composing?
The initial spark is the musicians I’m writing for, from that I know more or less right away if I’m feeling inspired to write for a particular project. I’ll start with journaling poetic descriptions of what I’m hearing, and making a visual diagram of the form. Then I’ll move onto creating sounds and fragments of ideas. Most of my chamber music pieces have very similar approaches to form, and I also draw on that as I’m working out the flow of the piece. At the same time, it’s rarely a process of following the plans I’ve made in a linear way - it’s a lot of trial and error, repetition, refinement, and opening space for discovery along the way.
What do you enjoy about composing?
Like I mentioned, there’s a sense of excitement that comes with writing for amazing performers. I love performing, and I try to write material that will feel great to play in front of an audience. I also enjoy the sense of purpose that comes with crafting a piece of music from my initial ideas, and being immersed in that energy from day to day.
What advice would you give to composers early in their careers?
Strive to build a community of performers around your music, and serve that community. Document and share your work beyond the live setting, whether it’s a single, an album, a music video, a piece of writing, or whatever you can imagine. Be sure that the sounds you’re creating are the sounds you want to hear. And if you identify with multiple music communities and traditions, don’t limit yourself - celebrate and cultivate that.
What do you hope the audience takes away from this experience?
I hope it takes them on a meaningful journey.
What images or feelings does the word “portal” evoke in you and how did you come up with the title of your piece?
I associate the word with transformation, experiencing change, and the space in between worlds. I chose the title “Portals Before Dawn” after the music was already written, and over time it has come to resonate more. For me, it’s a meditation on the experience of a “dark night”, and what it means to stand in faith and emerge on the other side.
