Space Jump! (2024) was inspired by Felix Baumgartner's world record supersonic freefall off of a Red Bull-sponsored helium balloon 24 miles above the Earth. The death-defying jump was broadcasted around the world, but what gripped me was imagining the journey that led to the leap: the exhilarating rush of countdown and lift-off; the breathtaking view of the Earth as one slowly rises; the feeling of floating and weightlessness; the tense, agonizing fight against hypoxia and panic; the glorious anticipation of doing something no one else on Earth has done; and of course, the final seconds spent peeking over the edge before, as the world held its breath, jumping off. Space Jump! was written for the Curtis Symphony Orchestra; Jeffrey Milarsky, conductor.
