The Snow Queen, Kenji Bunch

Recorded: December 2016, Aasen-Hull Hall, School of Music and Dance, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon. World premiere: April 8–9, 2017, Eugene Ballet, Hult Center for the Performing Arts, Eugene, Oregon. Album release: June 23, 2017, Innova Recordings.

Note From the Composer

When Brian McWhorter first approached me with the idea of working on a ballet for The Snow Queen, I immediately said “yes” and then realized just as quickly that I had very little idea of what I was getting myself into. Helping to tell this hauntingly beautiful but entirely wordless story for close to two hours was, simply put, the largest undertaking of my career to date, by a longshot. Eugene Ballet Artistic Director and Choreographer Toni Pimble and I were drawn to the same aspects of the story, particularly the loyal, pure friendship of Gerda and Kay, and the strong, self-reliant heroine Gerda becomes through her many trials. Musically, my first and most important task was to define the two diametrically opposed musical characters for the Snow Queen’s cold, clinical, icy realm and the warmth of Gerda and Kay’s friendship. Essentially, the entire work became a struggle between those two forces.

Along the way, there are of course some fun excursions: the quirky Conjure Woman’s Garden, the incessantly cawing Crows, the madcap antics of the Gypsy Camp. But at its heart, this is a story of love and friendship, and the indomitable will of the human spirit. My musical inspirations were the masters of the orchestral ballet form: Prokofiev, Ravel, Stravinsky, and the greatest of them all, Tchaikovsky.

Now I’ve come full circle. Just as I had no idea how monumental the task was that I was taking on, I now listen back to this beautiful recording and look at our score with a similar sense of bewilderment. How did we do that? I don’t really know, but am beyond grateful to Eugene Ballet and Orchestra Next to have been a part of this wonderful project!

– Kenji Bunch

Partnering Organizations

Oregon Children's Choir
University of Oregon School of Music and Dance
Innova Recordings

Featured Credits

Kenji Bunch – composer, producer
Toni Pimble – Eugene Ballet artistic director and choreographer; creative concept and direction
Brian McWhorter – conductor, producer
Sarah Viens – producer, general manager, “everything else”
Bob Ponto – producer
Lance Miller – engineer and mastering
Jerril Nilson / JLN Design – CD design
Jeremy Bronson, Kylie Keppler, Bob Keefer, Sarah Viens, Erica Lyn – photography

Reviews

“The magical music stands strongly on its own.”
-Seattle PI Read the review

“Performs for the most part at the highest level, and with a palpable verve and energy coming from the recording.”
-MusicWeb International Read the review

“Conductor McWhorter and the exceptional 31-piece chamber orchestra do a phenomenal job from start to finish.”
-Audiophile Audition Read the review

“They handle this complex and musically challenging score with seeming ease under music director Brian McWhorter.”
-New Music Buff Read the review

“Bunch’s dripping, melting ice is perfectly captured.”
-Interlude, 2025 Read the article