Ho's The Sandman's Domain was inspired by Neil Gaiman's award-winning comic book series The Sandman, citing the author's ability to create highly imaginative worlds full of colourful characters was legendary and his narratives unfolded like hallucinatory dreams. Inspired to create his own Gaiman-esque narrative for the concerto, one that would be experienced as an unbroken dream-like journey in musical form, Ho assigns the solo trombonist the role of the mystical Sandman and takes the audience onto a wondrous journey into his domain.
Vincent Ho is a Canadian who is widely recognised as one of the most exciting composers of his generation. He has made waves in the music world of North America despite being fairly early in his compositional career, receiving numerous prizes, accolades, and prominent commissions in a relatively short space of time. Ho’s music is rich and energetic - a unique integration of influences ranging from the visual arts, electroacoustic and natural soundscapes, traditional classical music forms, and the physical properties of the instruments and ensembles for which he writes. His music is sensual, sonorous and richly textured, and Ho gives considerable attention to the audience’s experience of his intricate sound-worlds.
