Ozymandias

A haunting recording bookends this work—the hopeful mating call of the last Kaua’i ‘o’o Bird. For two years the lulls in his call search for a female response that never comes. Tragically, the recording of its own call was played back to the lonely bird, who mistakes it for a potential mate. He sang for a few more days after this recording before succumbing to extinction, marking the end of the Kaua’i ‘o’o species.

Beginning with a powerful, earthy, and heartfelt solo and a haunting opening visage, 'Ozymandias' grapples with the relentless erosion of self, particularly as it relates to heritage and community.