I Care If You Listen has premiered the mesmerizing music video, created by visual artist Kevork Mourad, featuring Liza Stepanova's recording of Reinaldo Moya’s “Rain Outside of the Church," a work featured on Stepanova's forthcoming album E Pluribus Unum. Released August 28th, 2020 on Navona Records, E Pluribus Unum showcases nine renowned American composers with immigrant backgrounds, including Lera Auerbach, Anna Clyne, Gabriela Lena Frank, Kamran Ince, Reinaldo Moya, Pablo Ortiz, as well as world premiere recordings of music by Chaya Czernowin, Badie Khaleghian, and Eun Young Lee.
Of the music video, Stepanova says, "An important part of E Pluribus Unum is my collaboration with Syrian-American visual artist Kevork Mourad. Mourad’s video, featuring a live performance of Reinaldo Moya’s “Rain Outside the Church,” from The Way North, conveys the message of gaining voice and refuge through art. Moya writes, 'The Way North depicts the journey of a Central American migrant through Mexico and his eventual arrival in the United States. The work consists of a series of short vignettes that capture the emotional, physical, and psychological struggles of the unnamed narrator as he makes his way north in search of a better life.' 'Rain Outside the Church' refers to a quiet stop at a sanctuary church."
Born out of the political climate of 2017, E Pluribus Unum is an artistic response to the immigration policies implemented by the American government at that time. Stepanova explains, “Many of my colleagues, friends, and students in the music world found themselves or their communities to be directly affected. One of them was the wonderfully gifted young composer Badie Khaleghian, at the time my piano student, whose Iranian parents were barred from traveling to attend his graduation recital at the University of Georgia. In response to this situation, I decided to commission him for a new work that became the centerpiece of a recital program and this recording.”
While some of the works address the urgency of historical, cultural, and political calls for justice – above all, the music on this album reflects the composers’ roots, celebrates their immense contributions to American musical life, and a confluence of voices, narratives, and ideals.
E Pluribus Unum is available for pre-order now.