Program notes by Luis Fernando Amaya:

I find the idea of the sound of the birth of mushrooms—some of them , “born in silence” while others “with a brief shriek, a slight thunder”—to be beautifully evocative. This is an idea that the Uruguayan poet Marosa Di Giorgio proposes on a nameless poem which lies within many others that depict Di Giorgio’s sensuous relationship with a living Earth, far beyond what is only human.

What would these sounds be? And are they to be listened with the ears? Or maybe in some other way?

This piece was commissioned and premiered by percussionist Rubén Bañuelos at Festival Neofonía (Ensenada, México). For over two years, Rubén and I explored sounds that would evoke the silent birth of fungi or the surprising paradox of a “slight thunder”. The piece is dedicated to Rubén. I’m thankful for our inspiring collaboration.