Hear the full "AAPI Classical Musicians of Interlochen" podcast feature by clicking or tapping "Listen" above.
This May, Classical IPR celebrates Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month on Classical IPR by featuring just some of the many AAPI artists of Interlochen who play significant roles in the classical music world.
The only child of two Indian immigrant parents, Indian American composer Reena Esmail merges traditions in Western music with her background in Hindustani music. In her recent Fall 2025 collaboration with the Interlochen Center for the Arts Orchestra and Choir, she used ancient Hindustani raags as the foundation for her new work, "Terra Infirma."
This 7-movement harp and percussion concerto was composed in response to her own experiences with Los Angeles wildfires in the beginning of 2025.
It depicts the stages of a wildfire, from the moment a spark ignites, to the terrifying moments when it spreads, the moments when we process the scale of the destruction and finally, when the flame that destroys becomes the light at the end of the tunnel.
Esmail illustrates the paradox of fire being both an energy of destruction and healing with enchanting textures in "Terra Infirma." Listen to the concerto performed by Interlochen alumna and harpist Yolanda Kondonassis with the Interlochen Center for the Arts Orchestra and Choir.
Through "Terra Infirma," Reena Esmail not only draws attention to the scale of worsening natural disasters due to climate change, but also provides an invaluable opportunity for Interlochen students to gain firsthand experience with premiering new music and recording an album, now available on Azica records. A documentary about Esmail's collaboration with Kondonassis and Interlochen Center for the Arts is set to release later this year.
