Numinous

Wonderfully exciting time yesterday with Alarm Will Sound workshopping the first two movements of "We Hold These Truths to Be Self-Evident" as part of my CoLABoratory residency with American Composers Orchestra.

#weholdthesetruthstobeselfevident
#thegreatsilence #stealingaway #josephcphillipsjr

Holding the book “A New Philosophy of Opera” by Yuval Sharon on my lap

Not all my opera research looks the same…

Thank you!

Some great news this week, among all the horror: the American Composers Orchestra will premiere my piece “We Hold These Truths to Be Self-Evident” at Carnegie Hall on March 11, 2026. My piece will also feature a film by Malik Isasis that will accompany the performance. Excited for my Carnegie debut!

The Social Stars Who Broke Out During Trump’s First Term Return for an Encore None of Them Wanted Sarah Cooper, Randy Rainbow and other jesters who came to fame during Trump 1.0 explain why they can’t quit him, even if they desperately want to: “It’s hard to take our nation as seriously after re-e...

“‘Why bother making art or pursuing my dream when everything is such a mess?’ But that’s exactly why you should create. The future is uncertain, and that’s all the more reason to make the most of the moment we have right now.”
-Sarah Cooper

💯❤️

www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/politic...

"Till Paths Be Wrought Through Wilds" The Music of Joseph C. Phillips YouTube video by AnimasMuseum

youtu.be/SiRLMqgy3G8

My talk yesterday about the forthcoming second opera in my 1619 cycle at the La Plata County Historical Society's Animas Museum.

Think of it like a podcast about the cycle!

www.animasmuseum.org/
JoePhillips/
#tillpathsbewroughtthroughwilds
#1619opera @1619opera.bsky.social #josephcphillipsjr

On Saturday February 8th 1pm MST (3pm EST) I will give an hour-long Zoom presentation for the La Plata Historical Society’s Animas Museum about my forthcoming opera, Till Paths Be Wrought Through Wilds. The opera, 2nd in my 1619 cycle, is set in 19th century Colorado & focuses on concepts of freedom

1. 2000, The Beginning

Since 2025 is the 25th year of Numinous I’m doing some insights and reflections on those years #numinous25.

In 2000 I went to Japan for the first time and was inspired to write my piece To Kyoto. Ten months later, Numinous began. And on December 26, our first performance.

The year 2025 is the 25th year of Numinous! Over the year I will be offering some insights and reflections on those 25 years of making music with Numinous and the wonderful projects, incredible musicians, friends, and collaborators over the years.

Happy New Year and happy beginning to #numinous25!

I am so appreciative that I received a 2025 NYSCA grant for my composition We Hold These Truths to Be Self-Evident! Commissioned by the American Composers Orchestra, the piece highlights various ideas of freedom for Black Americans and the first two movements will premiere in Spring 2026!

Album cover of Lara Downes superimposed over road along coast of the ocean

Today Lara Downes latest This Land, includes the premiere recording of my piece “Never Has Been Yet”

Buy: laradownes.bandcamp.com/album/this-l...

About my piece: www.numinousmusic.com/the-numinosu...

👋🏾

The second opera in my 1619 opera cycle was just awarded a 2024 MAP Fund award! The opera is based on the intersection of freedom and government policy toward Blacks, Indigenous, and whites in 1880s Colorado. The grant is to help support a performance of the opera @1619opera.bsky.social

Museum of Liverpool at sunset and it's

In Liverpool for opera #3 research for @1619opera.bsky.social

Princetonian #HodderFellowship #1619operacycle @1619opera.bsky.social

Thankful to ACO & Boosey & Hawkes for this incredible opportunity! My piece is the first in a series of orchestral, choral, & chamber works which, while tied to themes of my 1619 opera cycle, also represent distinct, independent addendums & companions to the operas. www.boosey.com/cr/news/Amer...

February 8th in Charleston, South Carolina the Colour of Music Festival Orchestra will perform five scenes from my The Grey Land monoopera with soprano Rebecca L Hargrove and conductor Brandon Keith Brown

#josephcphillipsjr #numinous #numinousmusic #thegreyland #thegreylandopera #opera #newopera

The final weeks of 2023 was spent doing some research out west for the second opera in the 1619 opera cycle, centered at the end of Reconstruction. 2024 will bring more research travel under my Hodder Fellowship at Princeton, and the beginnings of writing that second opera.