As a Fellow at the American Academy in Rome, I will carry out an extensive research and composition project at the Centro di Cultura Ebraica della Comunità di Roma on the music and history of the Jewish community in Rome. This will culminate in a large-scale work for chamber orchestra and voice, which will incorporate musical material and texts from the Roman Jewish tradition. I plan on composing the work for the singer Cristina Zavalloni, a modern music specialist, and a rising star in Europe, Asia, and the United States. She has sung several of my works since 2000, and her experience with singing both Hebrew and Italian texts will be invaluable.