Michael Torke

“The idea of color determining form and process is one of the guiding principles of my work.”

“I'm always searching for that perfect balance of the Apollonian and Dionysian.”

“I wanted to write something that had a real athletic, Olympic, celebratory quality to it.”

“For me, tonality is a natural law. You can't just throw it away.”

“The color is not arbitrary, but is a specific quality of the chosen key, C major, and the instrumentation.”

“Stravinsky is the master of rhythm, and that's something that has always fascinated me.”

“I think of my music as being very direct. I don't want to hide behind complexity.”

“The hardest part is just starting. Once you have an idea, a single cell, it can grow.”

“I found that by using one key for a very long time, the music was able to have this very high energy level.”

“Repetition is a tool. It's about how you use it to build tension and release.”