The Plight of Small Wonders - Alice Ho (composer); Penderecki String Quartet

Commissioned by the Toronto Harbourfront Centre for the 2022 Toronto Summer Music Garden, and written especially for the Penderecki String Quartet, this work is my personal fascination of the epic migration journey of the Monarch Butterflies. From eggs to caterpillars to butterflies, multiple generations of Monarch travel thousands of miles from the northern part of Canada to their overwintering spots in Mexico. This work captures their remarkable life cycle traversing oceans and forests years after years is a sign of strength and endurance.

Notes by Alice Ping Yee Ho