William Moersch and Jupiter String Quartet premiere Rock Galaxy on October 29, 2023 at the University of Illinois!

Rock Galaxy was commissioned by William Moersch (marimba) for performance with the Jupiter String Quartet. The composition uses the Flying Star System of feng shui to generate music from the dates April 17 and April 23. April 17 is the birth date of William Moersch and is also the day Benjamin Franklin died in 1790. Sections based on April 17 are called Moersch Music and Franklin Funk. April 23 (birth date of Meg Freivogel, violinist, and founder of the Jupiter Quartet, and the day Willim Shakespeare died in 1616) shapes the sections titled Freivogel Fantasy and Shakespeare 23. In addition, magic squares associated with the ruling planets for these dates (Mars and Venus) create the music called Mars March and Venus Voices. The Magic Square of Jupiter provides the overall three-part structure of the composition and the design for three varied refrains based on the first four notes of the finale of Mozart’s Symphony No. 41 in C major, K. 551 (Jupiter). The described musical sections are developed and dynamically juxtaposed to form a galaxy of rock-inspired gestures that reflect on the power and energy of the universe.