SYMPHONY NO.3 

WAAPA Final Graduate Project

Recipient of the David Hough Award for Most Outstanding Designer 2024

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Project led by Bruce McKinven

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This hypothetical design concept reimagines Henryk Górecki's Symphony No.3 as a staged production with a live vocalist and a troupe of dancers. 

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Composed in 1976, Symphony No.3 is comprised of three movements, amounting to a 54-minute piece of classical music. Each movement tells a story pertaining to the love and grief felt between a separated mother and child. For me, the music immediately evoked imagery of an ocean with rippling water and large all-consuming waves. Perrhaps this was due to the dynamic nature of the piece, but also how expansive, and seemingly bottomless the emotions of love and grief are.

The set design consists of a series of curved forms which sit on tracks and slowly undulate back and forth to mimic the swelling of an ocean. These “waves” move into different formations to complement each movement. Over the course of the piece, the waves loosely follow the sequence of a tsunami; a drawing-out, a closing-in, and an eventual aftermath. This staged interpretation of the piece involves just one Soloist Soprano, accompanied by a troupe of twelve dancers who appear in the final movement. Extending the simple architectural silhouettes and dynamic nature of the set to the costume design, the soloist's costume evolves overtime as she transforms into three separate characters. First appearing in a large white coat, she sheds a layer of clothing after each movement, leaving her more and more bare as the symphony progresses. 

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