Flying Machine (2008) for orchestra was commissioned by the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra in celebration of two anniversaries: the orchestra’s 200^th season and James Yannatos’s 45^th anniversary as conductor. The work is dedicated to James Yannatos in celebration of his 80^th birthday and his years of distinguished activity as conductor, composer, and mentor.

The music is joyous in spirit, inspired by a sense of discovery and fulfillment—the exhilaration that comes from knowledge well-used. The poetic image is taken from the age of the invention of flight.

The piece’s opening section is “workshop/construction” music—filled with a sense of unfolding, building, and assembly. The musical material is presented in a series of overlapping guises; the rest of the work unfolds from these ideas. As the music gathers energy, the barn door is finally opened, and the behemoth is rolled out. After a pregnant pause, the music of flight begins—soaring and energetic.