What She Wrote

What She Wrote is a journey through the voices of powerful women writers who have shaped our literary landscape. Japanese-born composer Asuka Kakitani has created a musical bridge connecting her heritage with the timeless words of Emily Dickinson, Sappho, Mary Shelley, Virginia Woolf, and Akiko Yosano. Performed by the acclaimed Quince Ensemble, Kakitani’s compositions bring these voices to life, inviting listeners to explore the hidden influences of the women who came before us.

Kakitani was inspired by an article by Brigid Delaney, in which she wonders about the unexpressed talents and stories of her women ancestors. Delaney writes, "there wasn't a lot of room back then to create beautiful things of your own. Imagination – that hinterland where ideas are born – needs acres of time, not just snatched minutes between cooking and cleaning." This led Kakitani to wonder about her own Japanese women ancestors, whose unknown lives and creative voices are obscured by the passage of time. 

What She Wrote sings the words of women who defied the constraints of their eras to leave a lasting impact through their words. Kakitani constructs each composition as a dialogue with these writers. The first piece, a rendition of Dickinson’s “In This Short Life,” begins with a delicate refrain that swells to a powerful crescendo before gently receding, inviting us to contemplate the power we possess in these ephemeral moments we call life. “A Room of One’s Own” weaves Virginia Woolf’s powerful words that emphasize the necessity of personal space and financial freedom for women to fully realize their artistic potential. The album’s final piece begins with a vocalization that builds in tension until it ultimately erupts into Shelley’s bold declaration: "I am fearless and therefore powerful.” 

Asuka Kakitani’s deep love for nature inspires her to transform her vision into musical stories. Her mostly-programmatic music results from the inspiration evoked by her surroundings interweaved with her perspectives and imagination. Kakitani’s projects span jazz big bands, orchestras, chamber ensembles, and soloists. She has been described as “[a] musical impressionist and supreme colorist” (Hot House Magazine) and her music as “the overflowing world of inspirational melody” (DownBeat Magazine). Kakitani has been the recipient of several grants, fellowships, and awards, including the New Music USA Creator Fund, the Eighth Blackbird Creative Lab, the McKnight Composer Fellowship, the Jerome Fund for New Music Grant (ACF |create), American Music Center’s Composer Assistance Grants, the BMI Charlie Parker Jazz Composition Prize, Brooklyn Arts Council Grant, and Minnesota State Arts Board Grants.

Quince Ensemble is a treble voice quartet dedicated to changing the paradigm for contemporary vocal chamber music. Described as "the Anonymous 4 of new music" by Opera News, Quince continually pushes the boundaries of vocal ensemble literature. By performing almost exclusively the music of living composers, and actively commissioning works with a broad and curious aesthetic ear, they seek to create a landscape of contemporary vocal music that is embodied, complex, and expressive, with the musical boldness and virtuosity that is often reserved for instrumental groups.

As dedicated advocates of new music, Quince regularly commissions new works for voices, providing wider exposure for the music of living composers. In 2019, they launched the Quince New Music Commissioning Fund, a fund to grow the repertoire for women and treble voices. Through educational activities, Quince works to bring this music to a larger community of singers and listeners, offering new and empowering pathways to vocal excellence. Quince has released four studio albums, Realign the Time, Hushers, Motherland, and David Lang's love fail, all available on iTunes, CD Baby, Spotify, Bandcamp, and Amazon.