Composed in 2004 for the violin studio of famed pedagogue Robert Lipsett at the University of Southern California, Gran Turismo is a virtuosic masterpiece for the rarely heard combination of eight violins. In fact, when eight violinists get together, a competition usually breaks out. The music world is a network wherein one or two degrees of separation are common among professional performers. Rather than insular, such closeness is a testament to the common paths and experiences shared by so many who “make it.” Here, the musicians of WWCMF pay homage to the original context of the work featuring an ensemble of teachers and their students past and present, all navigating the music world at different stages of career and education. As Founder and Artistic Director, I am always keenly aware of my lineage and make it a point to pay respect to the teachers who made me into the musician I am today.

Gran Turismo represents the intersection between composer Andrew Norman’s study of Italian Futurist Giacomo Balla and his brush with the popular car racing video game, Gran Turismo. Start your engines!