Materia

Program Notes:

Materia is a Latin word that describes “stuff”. It is the root for words such as mother and matter. Music is born out of thin air, out of nothing, and returns to nothing. It is fleeting and has no concrete form, yet it fuels revolution and nourishes the soul. Materia was written to be representative of this dichotomy and the rewarding nature of the act of creation. The piece is dedicated to Norman Freedman, Tamir’s late Zaida, a man who could create something from nothing.

The piece was premiered as a part of the Desautels Faculty of Music concert entitled Poèmes sans Paroles (Poems without Words) by the University of Manitoba Student Orchestra on February 6th 2025.

Materia for Orchestra is the 2025/2026 winner of the Dr. Michael Matthews prize for composition.