already and not yet

already and not yet was composed between Summer 2025 and Summer 2026, for the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

The title of the piece refers to the state of the world and of our country, prepared to be shaped and with much to appreciate, but unfinished, imperfect and urgently in need of pushing forward. The first movement – SMASH UP – is a clash/crisis; the second – WAKE UP – is an awakening; and the third – STAND UP – is a growing depiction of a possible future for democracy as I imagine it, as well as a musical call to action.

Electronics enhance the orchestra throughout, but the work’s Live AI system, developed specifically for this composition at the MIT Media Lab, becomes prominent in movements 2 and 3. In movement 2, it is used to spin enhancements and variations on solo lines that sweep through the orchestra, emphasizing the individuality of – and difference between – each player. In movement 3, the AI system pulls in the many-layered orchestra and creates - I hope - a new kind of sound that balances detail and wholeness, polyphony and holistic texture, and also allows the sound to extend off the stage into the hall, embracing the audience.

Tod Machover
July 4, 2026