https://mearaoreilly.com Meara O'Reilly Wed, 17 Sep 2025 23:02:05 +0000 https://mearaoreilly.com en https://mearaoreilly.com/Home-Page Sun, 22 Jul 2018 08:24:35 +0000 Meara O'Reilly https://mearaoreilly.com/Home-Page <img width="3000" height="3000" width_o="3000" height_o="3000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/abebecc69259c949303e39d088398b1f93fcf9e201546ed632eceb56bb497d54/MEARA_FRONT_COVER.jpg" data-mid="51482552" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/abebecc69259c949303e39d088398b1f93fcf9e201546ed632eceb56bb497d54/MEARA_FRONT_COVER.jpg" /> HOCKETS FOR TWO VOICES is out on&nbsp;Cantaloupe now! Listen here. Hear it live on tour in 2026, performed by Mingjia Chen and Linnea Sablosky.&nbsp; https://mearaoreilly.com/Hockets-for-Two-Voices Thu, 26 Sep 2019 23:09:44 +0000 Meara O'Reilly https://mearaoreilly.com/Hockets-for-Two-Voices Hockets for Two Voices <img width="3000" height="3000" width_o="3000" height_o="3000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/abebecc69259c949303e39d088398b1f93fcf9e201546ed632eceb56bb497d54/MEARA_FRONT_COVER.jpg" data-mid="51482584" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/abebecc69259c949303e39d088398b1f93fcf9e201546ed632eceb56bb497d54/MEARA_FRONT_COVER.jpg" />A series of seven hockets for two performers. A recorded EP of this music was released on Cantaloupe on October 25th, 2019. Available on all digital platforms&nbsp;here. Order vinyl here. The EP was mastered by Grammy-winning engineer Emily Lazar and mixed by Marta Salogni. Vinyl is high quality 180 gram and comes with a folded insert poster with graphical representations of each hocket. Cover image is an edited photograph of a sculpture by Tauba Auerbach, titled Where there had once been a snag in the fabric. <img width="2000" height="1619" width_o="2000" height_o="1619" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3fbb7e527b15e6042bcc7b321c383755f2e1df4ca4e591f585cdd02c4b3f88d0/Packaging-2k.jpg" data-mid="51880556" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3fbb7e527b15e6042bcc7b321c383755f2e1df4ca4e591f585cdd02c4b3f88d0/Packaging-2k.jpg" /> Movement III.Hockets for Two Voices (EP) by Meara O&#39;Reilly The practice of hocketing is defined by splitting a melody across multiple parts, in often very surprising ways. While the form dates back as far as the middle ages, it is also found in music from all over the world. Each piece explores a variety of conditions under which one might involuntarily fuse sequences of notes into melodic patterns, despite differing sound sources. In the entire series of seven hockets there are never more than two notes occurring at one time, although there may often be the perception that there are many more. In the field of music cognition this is also referred to as Pseudopolyphony, or melodic fission. This concept was brought to my attention through Albert Bregman’s writing and work on Auditory Scene Analysis. Early versions of these compositions were originally commissioned by Tauba Auerbach for a performance and installation at the Kitchen NYC in 2016. Alternative scores were created to highlight the perceptual patterns in the pieces, in an edition of two accordian style books.<img width="2090" height="1036" width_o="2090" height_o="1036" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/771c7d243af92dbec9e05b346d13d5ff551034b2503d5024c842d5a4d456b106/Hockets_Kitchen2.jpg" data-mid="51877222" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/771c7d243af92dbec9e05b346d13d5ff551034b2503d5024c842d5a4d456b106/Hockets_Kitchen2.jpg" /> <img width="2000" height="972" width_o="2000" height_o="972" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d2a263af43defc467e913e6a59eec6a214bd82c7ac4f45c441d9204b441de5b2/hocketscore1.jpg" data-mid="51877203" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d2a263af43defc467e913e6a59eec6a214bd82c7ac4f45c441d9204b441de5b2/hocketscore1.jpg" /><img width="2000" height="972" width_o="2000" height_o="972" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4d351ef4b6390ecb451f97bb1fb94a8e91f9e97c255b13756d29619727fcb85a/hocketscore2.jpg" data-mid="51877202" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/4d351ef4b6390ecb451f97bb1fb94a8e91f9e97c255b13756d29619727fcb85a/hocketscore2.jpg" /> Excerpts from Alternative Scores - Hockets for Two Voices https://mearaoreilly.com/Hockets-for-Two-Voices-Tour-2025 Sat, 01 Mar 2025 20:15:54 +0000 Meara O'Reilly https://mearaoreilly.com/Hockets-for-Two-Voices-Tour-2025 <img width="2000" height="2000" width_o="2000" height_o="2000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b389896d6196e80323d455d43875763ea35bec36aca4afd2526b55bd0e4e8901/HOCKETS-TOUR-POSTER-2k.jpeg" data-mid="227922523" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/b389896d6196e80323d455d43875763ea35bec36aca4afd2526b55bd0e4e8901/HOCKETS-TOUR-POSTER-2k.jpeg" />Hockets for Two Voices is on tour in 2025,performed by Mingjia Chen and Linnea Sablosky. For booking inquiries, please contact Heavy Trip. Tickets: 03/07 Montréal&nbsp; PQ&nbsp; OK LÁ - Quai 5160 03/08 Ottawa&nbsp; &nbsp; ON&nbsp; Pique 03/09 Toronto&nbsp; &nbsp;ON&nbsp; Women From Space 03/30 Antwerp&nbsp; &nbsp;BE&nbsp; De Kern Wilrijk 04/04 The Hague NL&nbsp; Rewire Festival 04/05 Nantes&nbsp; &nbsp; FR&nbsp; Variations 04/06 Brussels&nbsp; BE&nbsp; BRDCST Festival 05/03 Brooklyn&nbsp; NY&nbsp; Long Play Festival https://mearaoreilly.com/Hockets-Tour-2026 Wed, 17 Sep 2025 23:02:05 +0000 Meara O'Reilly https://mearaoreilly.com/Hockets-Tour-2026 <img width="4981" height="7045" width_o="4981" height_o="7045" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a9323c5ab9ec3ccd4361a80ba6874d6e20029e75153d2c60c519c32df0aac938/Meara-V7.jpg" data-mid="242083985" border="0" data-scale="95" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/a9323c5ab9ec3ccd4361a80ba6874d6e20029e75153d2c60c519c32df0aac938/Meara-V7.jpg" />Hockets for Two Voices is on tour in 2026, performed by Mingjia Chen and Linnea Sablosky. For booking inquiries, please contact Heavy Trip. Shows: Jan 13th&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;BROOKLYN, NY&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; PUBLIC RECORDS*Jan 15th&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;PITTSBURGH PA&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;WARHOL THEATER*Jan 16th&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;CLEVELAND, OH&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART*Jan 17th&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;YELLOW SPRINGS, OH&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; THE FOUNDRY THEATER*Jan 18th&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;LEXINGTON, KY&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;SINGLETARY CENTER FOR THE ARTS*Jan 20th&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;CHICAGO, IL &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; EMPTY BOTTLE*Jan 22nd&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;MONTREAL, PQ&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; LA SALA ROSSA* JAN 23rd&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;BRATTLEBORO, VT &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; EPSILON SPIRES**JAN 24th&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;NORTHAMPTON, MA&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;IRON HORSE* JAN 25th&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY&nbsp; &nbsp; ARTHUR ZANKEL MUSIC CENTER* MAR 5th&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; LOS ANGELES, CA&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;2220 ARTS AND ARCHIVES, UPEND*** ∆ MAR 27th&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;KNOXVILLE, TN&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;BIG EARS FESTIVAL ∆ * with TARTA RELENA ** with Peter Amidon's WEST WILLOW *** with ALAN WYFFELS ∆ Hockets for Two Voices and two new vocal works by Meara O'Reilly, performed by Mingjia Chen, Linnea Sablosky, Jodie Landau, and Eliza Bagg. <img width="1080" height="1350" width_o="1080" height_o="1350" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f3046615b99713fae163d4d94b46936b0fc33419e74a36d7dce9ba7ca463799f/Meara-O-Reilly-Vocal-Ensemble.png" data-mid="238359234" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f3046615b99713fae163d4d94b46936b0fc33419e74a36d7dce9ba7ca463799f/Meara-O-Reilly-Vocal-Ensemble.png" /> Meara O’Reilly Vocal Ensemble will be at Big Ears Festival 2026, performing Hockets for Two Voices, as well as two premieres of new pieces for four voices. Performance by Mingjia Chen, Linnea Sablosky, Jodie Landau, and Eliza Bagg. Big Ears Festival takes place on March 26th-29th, in Knoxville, TN. The ensemble’s set time is 3pm on Friday March 27th at St. John’s Cathedral. Festival passes available for sale now. <img width="2251" height="2814" width_o="2251" height_o="2814" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8bd8645884a7fad542c225bc26676483bca933a011878f9288daa81510170e90/_BE26-LINEUP-IMAGE.jpg" data-mid="238360080" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/8bd8645884a7fad542c225bc26676483bca933a011878f9288daa81510170e90/_BE26-LINEUP-IMAGE.jpg" /> <img width="5610" height="5610" width_o="5610" height_o="5610" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4a97c21924bd176f5772e5edeefdd08cee06d5bc9132af3365a3019ee5c1ffb1/13---14-jan---var-2.jpg" data-mid="238359198" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/4a97c21924bd176f5772e5edeefdd08cee06d5bc9132af3365a3019ee5c1ffb1/13---14-jan---var-2.jpg" /> https://mearaoreilly.com/Change-Ringing-for-Piano Fri, 22 Jan 2021 00:28:39 +0000 Meara O'Reilly https://mearaoreilly.com/Change-Ringing-for-Piano Change Ringing (for piano)<img width="1091" height="1091" width_o="1091" height_o="1091" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9aac5c716a5a662cdc2a032fc5af9834f44a234caaedc5dd7a78e081a1b64ee8/Meara-MVW-flyer3.jpeg" data-mid="167182256" border="0" data-scale="55" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/9aac5c716a5a662cdc2a032fc5af9834f44a234caaedc5dd7a78e081a1b64ee8/Meara-MVW-flyer3.jpeg" /> https://mearaoreilly.com/Arada Sun, 10 Jul 2022 03:54:41 +0000 Meara O'Reilly https://mearaoreilly.com/Arada Arada<img width="951" height="713" width_o="951" height_o="713" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/522848b7b0f8639d79c3b5fccd0e015bcaad7ac305bea1388d61698903959aae/1800.jpeg" data-mid="149551396" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/951/i/522848b7b0f8639d79c3b5fccd0e015bcaad7ac305bea1388d61698903959aae/1800.jpeg" /> https://mearaoreilly.com/Esse-Idem-Esse-for-Auerglass Sun, 01 May 2022 21:49:11 +0000 Meara O'Reilly https://mearaoreilly.com/Esse-Idem-Esse-for-Auerglass Esse Idem Esse for AuerglassComposed for the Auerglass pipe organ, an instrument created by Tauba Auerbach and Cameron Mesirow of Glasser. The world premiere of the piece was at SFMOMA on April 28th, 2022, as part of Auerbach’s exhibition, S v Z. The above video is from a rehearsal on April 27th, 2022, with performers Nayoung Jung and Michelle Moeller. The Auerglass has a very unique premise: it can only be played by two people at one time, with each player supplying the wind for the other player’s pipes. Each one of the two keyboards has only half of the notes of the chromatic scale, an offset whole tone scale. The layout of the pipes themselves has an interesting symmetry to it. The notes alternate not only from left to right, but also back to front. High notes are placed at the outer reaches of the organ, some 15 feet apart. As you approach the lower notes of the scale, the pipes meet in the center. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<img width="1025" height="768" width_o="1025" height_o="768" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8fac3839e2037a1de3d89e7b2f3f5a691318d58699e0ed43f1060868a9d5efa6/Screen-Shot-2022-03-31-at-12.24.07-PM-2.png" data-mid="141354359" border="0" data-scale="100" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/8fac3839e2037a1de3d89e7b2f3f5a691318d58699e0ed43f1060868a9d5efa6/Screen-Shot-2022-03-31-at-12.24.07-PM-2.png" />Esse Idem Esse, latin for “to be the same”.This composition explores the stereo aspects of the Auerglass pipe layout; how one organ can be made to sound like two, and how two players can sound together as one. In this context, ‘to be the same' can mean multiple things. Much like in the practice of hocketing, where a single melody is shared among two or more parts, playing the Auerglass requires the players to think and move as a single organism. Here, even to create a single sustained chord, players must closely coordinate--both in the dispensation of wind to the pipes, and the sharing of the keyboard notes that make up that chord. It’s also possible to challenge the idea of hearing the organ as a single instrument. Although the sound emerges from only one set of pipes, the physical distance between many of the pipes is large enough that, under the right compositional conditions, it’s possible to perceive the notes as coming from multiple sound sources. The opening of the piece features an interlocking cascade of notes that fall from the outer edges to meet in the center of the organ. Throughout the piece there is a mirrored sense of bilateral space; the notes, chords and progressions are selected with their relative right and left positions in mind. Score available upon request. https://mearaoreilly.com/Harmoniset Mon, 12 Aug 2019 02:11:08 +0000 Meara O'Reilly https://mearaoreilly.com/Harmoniset Harmoniset (for Pierrot ensemble) A piece of music commissioned by National Sawdust, and premiered at the 2019&nbsp;Hildegard Competition Concert. Conducted by Lidiya Yankovskaya, and performed by The National Sawdust Ensemble, featuring Jeffrey Ziegler. Harmoniset is drawn from various sources of spectral analysis: harmonic spectra of pure waveforms, inharmonic spectra of glass bells, and formants of the human voice. It deals with the inherent tonalities of sounds often considered to be 'un-pitched' or otherwise complex to the human ear. Analyzing the composition of these timbres allows them to be expanded into new harmonic structures and rhythms. The piece also explores a type of perceptual multi-stability, as a result of hocketing. Depending on the focus of attention, it's possible to hear both the part and the whole: the individual voices of instruments, and their overall timbre when blended or rapidly intermingled. Instrumentation: Flute Clarinet Violin Cello Piano Bowed Vibraphone Wood block This piece is currently being expanded for chamber orchestra. You can hear excerpts of the demo recording here: Part 1: https://mearaoreilly.com/Glass-Bell-Music Sun, 26 Nov 2017 22:42:45 +0000 Meara O'Reilly https://mearaoreilly.com/Glass-Bell-Music Glass Bell Music&nbsp; <img width="2000" height="1149" width_o="2000" height_o="1149" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ec2e85d58310c15b4ae9aac302a4e61665b18c2fe49d1d86208c11327d509eab/GlassBells1.jpg" data-mid="20829384" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ec2e85d58310c15b4ae9aac302a4e61665b18c2fe49d1d86208c11327d509eab/GlassBells1.jpg" /> Music for a set of 18 microtonal glass bells, performed at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Eight compositions were debuted by Jodie Landau and myself, as part of Chris Kallmyer’s Soft Structures installation for Noon to Midnight.&nbsp; Gamel for Two Players https://mearaoreilly.com/Study-for-Seven-Sinewaves Wed, 22 Nov 2017 23:42:49 +0000 Meara O'Reilly https://mearaoreilly.com/Study-for-Seven-Sinewaves &nbsp;Study for Seven Sinewaves <img width="1194" height="582" width_o="1194" height_o="582" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/677f6ffd901647ad53b4c43465ebba529af54a1ec102345faff49cce3e26af64/Beats.gif" data-mid="20832429" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/677f6ffd901647ad53b4c43465ebba529af54a1ec102345faff49cce3e26af64/Beats.gif" /> A collection of rhythmic studies produced by the combination of sinewave beat frequencies. An LP of compositions and an archive of patterns with extensive liner notes to be released in 2019. Beat frequencies are audible interference patterns that occur between two pure waveforms or sinewaves that are very close in frequency. The volume fluctuates at the rate of the difference between the two tones, creating a tremelo-like effect. These fluctuations are an acoustic phenomena, namely occuring physically in the air. However, when individual sinewaves are introduced in isolation, one to each ear, as over headphones, we still in fact hear the beat frequency. The beats produced in this setting are called binaural, and are created by our brains. In either setting, when three or more sinewaves are combined these beat frequencies can rapidly become complex rhythms and polyrhythms. As you will see below, changing the panning of the sources of the sinewaves (e.g. left, right, or centered in space between the speakers) can also drastically change how the beat rhythm is perceived. Study for Seven Sinewaves is an ongoing curation of the rhythmic and spatial possibilities of acoustic beat frequencies. This work is a continuation of and homage to work done in 1965 by composer Pietro Grossi at the Studio di Fonologia Musicale di Firenze. While an album of some of his original works for sinewaves was re-issued on the ANTS label, the rest of the extensive studies he completed are now lost. This work is an attempt to extend and reinvent those studies for a modern audience.A selection of the new archive I’ve created follows. First, a single beat frequency of 1 Hz, created by sinewaves at 200 Hz and 201 Hz. The sinewaves are panned very hard to the right (R) and left (L) channels, respectively: