Across the Miles: The Intimate Story Behind Distance by Will Hermanowski
- WOMCO
- 5 hours ago
- 2 min read
Will Hermanowski was awarded the Gold Prize in the Professional (Age 22+) Category at the 2025 2nd Quarter European Classical Music Awards for his composition Distance.
Biography
Will Hermanowski (b. 2000) is a composer and conductor from Aurora, Ohio. His music captures vivid images and colors from his personal life and other art forms. Will has enjoyed collaborating with ensembles, performers, and composers at the Divergent Music Studio, the Atlantic Music Festival, the Emerging Composers Intensive, and the Saint Mary’s Composition Intensive.
Will was chosen for the Klingler Electroacoustic Residency through the MidAmerican Center for Contemporary Music at Bowling Green State University; he composed Distance for Quince Ensemble. His piece Dance Adjacent was presented on Fred Child’s national radio broadcast, Performance Today. The piece also went on to win first prize in the 2024 Ohio Federation of Music Clubs, was the winner of the Bowling Green Concerto Competition, and was a finalist in the 2024 ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composer Awards Competition.
Will received a B.M. in Music Composition from the College of Wooster studying composition under Dr. Jack Gallagher and Dr. Daniel Knaggs and conducting under Dr. Lisa Wong. Will achieved his M.M. in Music Composition at Bowling Green State University under the leadership of Dr. Mikel Kuehn, Dr. Christopher Dietz, and accomplished his thesis with Dr. Marilyn Shrude. He has also completed his M.M. in Choral Conducting under Dr. Mark Munson and Dr. Richard Schnipke. In the fall of 2025, Will plans to begin his Doctor of Musical Arts in Contemporary Music at Bowling Green State University.
Could you share the inspiration behind "Distance" and the message you hope to convey through it?
Distance draws on my experiences being in a long-distance relationship. The piece begins with unintelligible text fragments creating gibberish. As the music continues the sounds become more clear, evolving into three short phrases: “I love you,” “I miss you,” “Why can’t we.”
What was your creative process like while composing "Distance"? How did you approach the structure and dynamics of the piece?
The creative process included a lot of time spent with me and my voice memos app on my phone. I would sit alone, click record, and spend time mumbling, singing, muttering, or speaking through the piece. This was an excellent tool to help figure out the pacing of the piece. After that, I took my abstract ideas to paper and started drawing shapes above a timeline so I can better visualize the trajectory of the piece. Finally, I was able to add more detailed notes, rhythms, and harmony to complete the piece.
How did you collaborate with the Quince Ensemble for the music recording, and were there any memorable moments during the session?
My collaboration with Quince Ensemble was made possible by the Klingler Electroacoustic Residency through the MidAmerican Center for Contemporary Music at Bowling Green State University. Collaborating with Quince Ensemble was a wonderful experience and opportunity. The ensemble is dedicated to helping musicians explore their interests with contemporary music. I hope to collaborate with them again in the future!