Northern Plains Resonance, Global Horizons: The Multimedia Symphonies of Jocelyn Hagen and the Genesis of Here I Am

Executive Overview

The landmark album release of Here I Am: Choral Music of Jocelyn Hagen marks a transformative moment in contemporary American classical composition. Published by the acclaimed audio label Reference Recordings and performed by the Grammy-nominated ensemble True Concord Voices and Orchestra under the baton of Music Director Eric Holtan, the record stands as a definitive document of one of the 21st century’s most forward-thinking musical creators. Grounded in the expansive topography and cultural history of North Dakota and Minnesota, Jocelyn Hagen’s artistic trajectory represents a blend of regional sensibility and international technological innovation.

At the core of this release are two monumental multimedia symphonies: Here I Am and The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci. These works transcend traditional concert hall paradigms by integrating full orchestra, professional choir, vocal soloists, spoken word, dynamic film, and visual projections. Crucially, the performances leverage groundbreaking technology known as MusÉik—a proprietary software system that allows visual elements to follow the fluid tempo of a live conductor in real time, eliminating the historic reliance on restrictive metronomic click tracks.

This recording capturing Hagen’s creative output highlights the evolution of American choral-orchestral music. Beyond its technical achievements, the album underscores a long-term artistic partnership between Hagen and True Concord, illustrating how regional commissioning networks can generate works of enduring global significance. By bringing these immersive compositions into the high-fidelity recording realm, Reference Recordings and True Concord provide a masterclass in how classical music can adapt to contemporary visual culture while maintaining uncompromised acoustic integrity.

Detailed Chronology

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|                            MILESTONES & EVOLUTION                                 |
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|  [EARLY INFLUENCES]    Rooted in North Dakota & Minnesota landscapes               |
|         │              Developing a voice based on community & open textures      |
|         ▼                                                                         |
|  [2019 INNOVATION]     Premiere of "The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci"           |
|         │              Pioneers MusÉik real-time video-sync technology            |
|         ▼                                                                         |
|  [COMMISSION & PROD]   Composition of "Here I Am" & partnership with True Concord |
|         │              Studio tracking with Reference Recordings & Eric Holtan    |
|         ▼                                                                         |
|  [AUGUST 14, 2026]     Official Global Release of "Here I Am" Album               |
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Formative Roots on the Northern Plains

Jocelyn Hagen’s creative foundation was laid across the Northern Plains. Raised in North Dakota and later establishing her creative hub in Minnesota, her early output reflected the expansive spaces, rich choral traditions, and community-driven arts infrastructure of the Upper Midwest. Over two decades, Hagen rose from a celebrated regional voice to one of the most frequently commissioned composers in the United States, developing a signature harmonic language characterized by rhythmic vitality, lyrical intimacy, and textural density.

The Technological Breakthrough: The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci (2019)

The trajectory of Hagen’s career shifted dramatically in 2019 with the launch of The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci. Commissioned to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Da Vinci’s death, the work was designed from its inception as a multi-sensory experience. To realize her vision of synchronizing Da Vinci’s historic sketches and manuscripts with dynamic orchestral and choral music, Hagen collaborated with tech developers to utilize MusÉik technology.

Prior to this innovation, classical ensembles performing live film scores were bound to rigid click tracks piped through earpieces, restricting expressive tempo fluctuations (rubato). MusÉik inverted this paradigm: for the first time, visual projection software responded directly to the conductor’s physical gesture. The success of Da Vinci—performed by dozens of consortia across the globe—established Hagen as a pioneer in digital-acoustic synthesis.

Collaborative Conception and Studio Production

Building upon the success of Da Vinci, Hagen drafted Here I Am, a multimedia symphony designed to explore themes of identity, historical memory, and human connection. Recognizing the scale of the composition, True Concord Voices and Orchestra—under Founding Music Director Eric Holtan—entered into an extended artistic partnership with Hagen.

True Concord, renowned for its commitment to commissioning and recording major new American works, initiated a series of live performances, workshops, and recording sessions designed to capture Hagen’s complex scores. Working in high-acoustic spaces engineered for audiophile precision, the production team at Reference Recordings captured the intricate dialogue between the choral ranks, orchestral sections, and soloists.

Commercial Launch and Global Distribution (August 14, 2026)

On August 14, 2026, Reference Recordings officially released Here I Am: Choral Music of Jocelyn Hagen across global physical and digital channels. Supported by an extensive Electronic Press Kit (EPK), accompanying visual media—including the "Practice" music video—and multi-platform digital streaming links, the album was positioned as a flagship release for contemporary American classical music.

Supporting Context & Metrics

Architectural and Stylistic Analysis of Featured Works

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                               FEATURED MULTIMEDIA WORKS
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 1. THE NOTEBOOKS OF LEONARDO DA VINCI
 ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
 │ • Visual Integration: Da Vinci's original codices, sketches, & anatomical drawings │
 │ • Musical Construction: Counterpoint mirroring Renaissance polyphony & modern modes│
 │ • Tech Framework: Synchronized via MusÉik software driven by live conductor         │
 └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

 2. HERE I AM
 ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
 │ • Visual Integration: Contemporary film, abstract visual art, & projected text      │
 │ • Musical Construction: Layered choral writing, spoken word, symphonic architecture │
 │ • Core Themes: Identity, physical presence, human connection, & regional memory   │
 └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
========================================================================================

The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci

This work extracts text directly from Da Vinci’s surviving notebooks, setting his observations on physics, flight, art, and human anatomy against a dynamic musical landscape. Hagen’s score alternates between delicate modal counterpoint reminiscent of the Italian Renaissance and sweeping contemporary symphonic climaxes. The visual projection features digitized high-resolution scans of Da Vinci’s original handwriting and drawings, animated to expand, contract, and re-form in direct response to the choir’s phrasing.

Here I Am

The title piece functions as an introspective yet expansive meditation on modern existence and vulnerability. Utilizing an eclectic mix of contemporary poetry, prose, historical testimony, and spoken word, Hagen constructs a narrative arc that moves from isolation to community. Musically, Here I Am demands virtuosic breath control and dynamic range from the choir, juxtaposing dense vocal clusters against shimmering string textures and assertive brass passages. The accompanying visual component employs abstract cinematography and cinematic storytelling, creating a immersive atmosphere.

Tech Analysis: The MusÉik Advantage

The incorporation of MusÉik technology represents a major technical achievement within this recording’s live performance heritage. Classical conductors historically faced a binary choice when combining live performance with film:

By allowing True Concord’s Music Director Eric Holtan to conduct with full expressive freedom, the musical performance on the album retains an organic elasticity that would be impossible under traditional film-sync parameters.

Institutional Framework and Audiophile Standards

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                      |   REFERENCE RECORDINGS LABEL     |
                      |   Audiophile Engineering Standards|
                      +----------------------------------+
                                       │
                                       ▼
                      +----------------------------------+
                      |    TRUE CONCORD VOICES & ORCH.   |
                      |   Grammy-Nominated Ensemble      |
                      +----------------------------------+
                                       │
                                       ▼
                      +----------------------------------+
                      |         JOCELYN HAGEN            |
                      |    Multimedia Composiiton        |
                      +----------------------------------+

The involvement of Reference Recordings elevates this release within the marketplace. Known for high-fidelity classical capture, the label employed multi-microphone arrays designed to reproduce the acoustic bloom of the performance hall. This approach ensures that the delicate inner voices of Hagen’s choral textures remain audible even during dense orchestral tuttis.

True Concord Voices and Orchestra, based in Tucson, Arizona, brings a specialized background to Hagen’s repertoire. As a professional ensemble with a history of Grammy nominations, True Concord’s dual structure—comprising a professional chamber choir and a full symphonic orchestra—provides the ideal balance required for Hagen’s complex scores.

Official Statements & Critical Perspectives

The Composer’s Perspective: Regional Roots and Artistic Vision

Reflecting on the release of the album and the evolution of her multimedia works, Jocelyn Hagen emphasized the profound relationship between geographical origin and artistic innovation:

"Growing up in North Dakota and building my artistic life in Minnesota provided me with an indelible sense of space, light, and story. When you look at the horizon of the Northern Plains, you realize that art must be expansive enough to hold complex human truths. Here I Am and The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci are extensions of that belief. They are built on the conviction that music should engage every sense—that visual art, technology, and acoustic sound can collaborate without sacrificing the emotional core of the performance."

Hagen also noted the significance of her ongoing creative partnership with True Concord:

"Working with Eric Holtan and True Concord has been transformative. A composer needs collaborators who are not only technically brilliant, but who are also willing to step into uncharted territory. Together, we haven’t just performed a score; we have built a multi-sensory language that speaks directly to modern audiences who navigate a visual world."

The Directorial Viewpoint: Reimagining the Choral-Orchestral Canvas

Eric Holtan, Founding Music Director of True Concord Voices and Orchestra, highlighted the technical and artistic significance of capturing Hagen’s works on tape:

"Jocelyn Hagen is one of the most vital voices in American music today because she refuses to accept traditional boundaries. Conducting her multimedia symphonies requires an entirely elevated level of artistic engagement. The integration of technology like MusÉik doesn’t make the performance mechanical—it does the exact opposite. It liberates the ensemble to perform with maximum musicality, knowing that the visual media will mirror our interpretation."

Holtan expanded on the recording process with Reference Recordings:

"To capture these pieces in a studio setting requires a delicate balance. We are committed to translating the visual and spatial energy of a live Hagen performance into a pure acoustic recording that stands on its own as a masterpiece of sound engineering. This album is a testament to what can happen when living American composers, professional ensembles, and visionary record labels align."

Institutional Advocacy

Laura Krider, Project Manager for Jocelyn Hagen Music, stressed the broad cultural reach of the release:

"The launch of Here I Am represents years of cross-disciplinary coordination. By offering comprehensive promotional assets, video content, and accessible licensing structures for performance materials, we are making it possible for orchestras and university music programs worldwide to mount these revolutionary works in their own communities."

Future Outlook

The release of Here I Am: Choral Music of Jocelyn Hagen sets a precedent for the future of 21st-century symphonic and choral programming. As arts institutions globally seek to engage younger audiences accustomed to digital and visual media, Hagen’s model provides a practical framework for artistic adaptation without compromising musical integrity.

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|                            FUTURE TRAJECTORY                                      |
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|                                                                                   |
|  [1. EXPANDED INTERNATIONAL CONSORTIA PERFORMANCE]                                |
|  • Adoption of MusÉik-enabled symphonies by European & Asian orchestras           |
|                                                                                   |
|  [2. EDUCATIONAL INTEGRATION & ACADEMIC ADOPTION]                                 |
|  • Integration into university conductors' curricula & tech workshops            |
|                                                                                   |
|  [3. NEXT-GEN MULTIMEDIA COMPOSITION]                                             |
|  • Evolution of interactive acoustic-digital scoring standards                    |
|                                                                                   |
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Global Performance and Touring Trajectory

With the Reference Recordings release serving as a definitive benchmark, performance rights for Here I Am and The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci are projected to see increased adoption across international concert circuits. The availability of portable MusÉik software systems lowers the barrier to entry for regional and university orchestras, enabling mid-tier ensembles to present sophisticated multimedia productions that were once restricted to high-budget venues.

Pedagogical and Technological Impact

Hagen’s pioneer status in visual synchronization software is poised to influence conservatory curricula. As academic institutions integrate real-time software systems into conducting and composition degree programs, Hagen’s catalog stands as a core case study in modern media integration.

Furthermore, the partnership between Hagen, True Concord, and Reference Recordings demonstrates that contemporary classical music can cultivate sustainable creative models. By uniting regional narratives from the Northern Plains with modern tech infrastructure, Here I Am establishes a lasting model for how American composers can shape the global future of classical music.

Project Contacts & Media Resources

• Project Management & Interviews: Laura Krider, Project Manager (Jocelyn Hagen Music)
• Press Kit & EPK Access: rbcm.me/hereiam/
• Official Composer Website: jocelynhagen.com
• Ensemble & Label Details: trueconcord.org | referencerecordings.com