Evocatio for Soprano and Ensemble

Evocatio is inspired by the premonition of war and the ancient Roman ritual of evocatio—a ceremony meant to “entice” the protective spirit of a besieged city to abandon its people and grant victory to the enemy. The piece reimagines this archaic invocation through the perspective of the Baroque spirit that guards the city of Vilnius, Lithuania, caught between the echoes of history and the shadow of contemporary violence.

Reflective of the haunting and brutal images from Mariupol, Ukraine, and the ongoing war against Ukraine, Evocatio is both a lament and an invocation—a ritual that questions faith, memory, and the fragility of safety in times of devastation.

Premiered at the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, 2023.11.18