While in Rome I plan to compose three major musical works. I will be composing a song cycle for soprano, baritone, and chamber ensemble first, to be premiered by the New York–based Ensemble Meme, focusing on Emily Dickinson’s correspondence with Thomas Wentworth Higginson, setting texts from Dickinson’s letters and poetry sent during their correspondence and also excerpts from Higginson’s own writings. Second, I will be working a commission from the New York Philharmonic for solo trombone to be premiered on the CONTACT! series at the Philharmonic’s 2014 Biennial. Finally, I will be composing a large-scale symphony for orchestra that will develop concepts that have underpinned many of my recent works—oneness and its antithesis. Also inspiring the work is the line, “Multitude, Solitude,” from Baudelaire’s “Paris Spleen,” a series of prose poems describing city life. My piece will draw inspiration from the public and private spaces of city life, specifically using those from my experiences in Rome and at the Academy.