In Waves (2023) – KION HEIDARI

In Waves (2023)
Composed by Kion Heidari
Performed by the HEX vocal ensemble:
Fahad Siadat, director
Laurel Irene
Joslyn Sarshad
Gabbi Coenen
Mikaela Elson
Molly Pease
Chohi Kim
Kathryn Krasovec
Argenta Walther

Program Notes:
KION HEIDARI: In Waves
Text by Sam Aldape
In Waves delves into the cyclical
sensations that come with depression,
ebbing and flowing throughout the
year. In the text, such feelings are
analogized to depictions of nature.
We, as humans, are at the mercy
of the natural world, and struggling
against it often feels futile.
Similarly, depressive states can be
so dominating and consistent that
they feel inevitable, like the seasons
themselves.

Though the subject matter is despairing,
an intimate, heartbreaking
beauty can be found between the
words and lines. The music itself
comes in waves, each verse different but at its core the same, representing
the cycle that feels impossible to
break.
Originally created for the 2023
N.E.O. Voice Festival Exploratorio
in the theme of “Recurrence”, this
piece is performed by an ensemble
of soprano/alto singers and a soloist.

Composer Bio:
KION HEIDARI is an LA-based
composer, vocal artist, and
instrumentalist. He has written for
film, concerts, musicals, and more.
His versatile work for media includes
animated short films such as First
Period (2023, dir. Julianna Romero),
Nothing is Here (2021 dir. by Kyky
Yang), Truce in March (2021, dir.
Janelle Feng), and Low-Key (2020,
dir. Collin Schuster). In his chamber
and concert writing, Kion has a
particular passion for uncovering
the possibilities of new vocal music.
He was a featured composer in the
N.E.O. Voice Festival 2023. As a vocal artist, Kion sings with
ensembles including HEX, C3LA,
Tonality, and the Golden Bridge. He
performs in new opera and musical
theatre productions and specializes
in choral, folk, contemporary,
and classical styles. Recent credits
include Original Vision (2023),
Cynosemma (2023), At War With Ourselves (as a soloist with Kronos
Quartet, 2023), and The Conference
of the Birds (2022). He is also a folk
wind instrumentalist and percussionist.
Kion has a BFA in composition from
the California Institute of the Arts.