TMF 2026: Terry Riley & Claire Chase: The Holy Liftoff

Experience an extraordinary journey into Terry Riley’s musical world as Claire Chase performs the European premiere of the multi-layered work The Holy Liftoff together with the TMF Quartet as part of TMF’s opening weekend! The TMF Quartet consists of four top Finnish musicians: Kreeta-Julia Heikkilä, Philip Zuckerman, Hanna Hohti and Markus Hohti.

Riley created The Holy Liftoff through hand-drawn, colorful, and humorous musical sketches, in which angels, space, and surreal characters float among the musical notes. These drawings gave rise to an extensive work whose composition combines a Beatles-esque repetitive motif, graphic interpretation, and transcribed material. Together with composer Samuel Clay Birmaher, Chase has arranged the soundscape of the drawings for eight flutes and a string quartet, which will be heard for the first time in Europe in the summer of 2026.

The work begins with a dreamlike, serene chorus of flutes, which gradually grows into a colorful soundscape. In his work, Riley depicts nature, the air, and birdsong, and the repetitive rhythm builds an unstoppable foundation that carries the listener toward an ever-rising, hopeful mood. At its deepest level, the work deals with loss and longing: Riley recalls the tragedy of Uvalde, and the music rises from grief toward light and recognition.

The Holy Liftoff is not only a compositional innovation but also an atmospheric journey in which Chase’s virtuosity, together with the skilled TMF Quartet, brings the composer’s sketch-like vision to life. This concert invites its audience to rise on the wings of the mind, melody, and imagination toward something greater, brighter, and more communal.