Commission to William Dougherty

With support from the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation, William Dougherty is being commissioned to compose a new work for electric guitar and orchestra. Written for Yaron Deutsch and the Brussels Philharmonic under the direction of Ilan Volkov, the piece places the electric guitar at the heart of the orchestral texture, generating moments of both convergence and fracture between soloist and ensemble.

At times, the guitar’s harmonics fuse with spectral, microtonal chords in the strings; at others, explosive passages erupt as feedback loops ricochet against the orchestral bass. Dougherty reimagines the role of the soloist, not as a dominating leader but as a force that destabilizes, reshapes, and transforms the orchestra’s sonic landscape. The work extends the composer’s ongoing exploration of electric guitar with acoustic forces, as heard in earlier pieces such as ice and oceans, old red barn, and hyper electric.

Central to the project is the collaboration between Dougherty, Deutsch, Volkov, and the Brussels Philharmonic—artists deeply committed to experimentation in sound and to the continued evolution of contemporary classical music within the orchestral realm.

Further Information:
brusselsphilharmonic.be

Date

March 20, 2027
Flagey (Studio 4), Brussels