When I served on the faculty of the Mostly Modern Festival in the summer of 2019, I met a young cellist, Rocio Diaz de Cossio. She expressed an interest in having me compose a piece for her. Impressed by her musicianship and captured by her spirit, I began to explore some themes and possibilities. A dramatic work for solo cello and cellist, created to honor victims of femicide, quickly became our project, and I commenced composing the first of three sections. Rocio has just completed her Master's degree in Music at SUNY College/Purchase, and I’m eager to complete this new composition for her.
Although femicide, “the intentional murder of women because they are women,” is a worldwide scourge, the scope of the project will be limited to the Americas. There are three geographically specific sections. Each will pay homage to women who lived in those locations before they were murdered.
the Highway of Tears in Western Canada, where dozens of murders and disappearances of mostly Indigenous women have been documented;
Ciudad Juarez, the city with the largest number of femicides in Mexico;
the United States, where Black women ranging from the ages of seven to ninety-five have been shot, stomped, and suffocated to death by the police.
I am pledging one-half of any commissioning funds that are awarded or raised to the following organizations, distributed equally:
Amnesty International in Canada: No More Stolen Sisters
Supports activism and research on the human rights impacts on Indigenous women and girls, publicizing the need for a comprehensive response to discrimination and violence against Indigenous women in Canada. For additional information: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls – a Resource Center
Educate and Empower Girls in Mexico
Empowers Indigenous girls with a program that trains teachers in life skills, gender equality and risk prevention. Trained teachers become agents of change and replicate with their students during class to achieve continuous and long-lasting results.
Brings therapy support, opportunities, and healing to Black women and girls. There are many articles and news stories online related to #SayHerName. I’d also like to draw attention to a substantial essay in the William & Mary Journal of Race, Gender, and Social Justice: “The Violent State: Black Women's Invisible Struggle Against Police Violence,” by Michelle S. Jacobs.
Thank you for reading about Femicide for solo cello, and for any assistance you are able to provide for our project. Donations can be made here. Please contact me if you have questions or for further information.