Cort Baussmann: The Mind Behind His Award-Winning Music Triptych of Tribulation
- WOMCO
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
Cort Baussmann received multiple prestigious accolades across several categories at the Debussy International Music Competition 2025 Season 2. He has received the Platinum Prize in the Modern B (Over Age 17) Category, along with Gold Prizes in the Original Composition and Advanced (Age 18–22) Categories, with his composition Triptych of Tribulation.
Biography
Cort Baussmann is a graduating senior at Berklee College of Music, double majoring in Composition and Film Scoring, and double minoring in theater music writing, and theater music conducting. For work, Cort performs in theater pit orchestras, music directs for New England and New York theaters, and teaches private lessons in trumpet, piano, and music theory/composition. This summer, he will be working as a film scoring composer's assistant to Yuval Ron in Los Angeles. Because of Cort's wide range of genres of music that he is immersed in, he has a unique set of influences that creates a completely new sound that is his own.
Could you share the inspiration behind your work "Triptych of Tribulation" and the message you hope to convey through it?
I wrote the three movements of this Triptych during the winter and spring of 2024, which were some of the hardest months of my life. Throughout these months, I worked on my musical pursuits the hardest and for the longest hours that I ever have, only to be met with constant rejection and disheartenment. I poured my frustrations into this triptych, and the product is an expression of the range of emotions I felt during this time in my life. Movement 1 represents anger, Movement 2 represents repression, Movement 3 represents discord. The message I would like to convey through this piece is how important it is to have a creative outlet for one's emotions, and how it can help one process them.
What was your creative process like while composing "Triptych of Tribulation"? How did you approach the structure and dynamics of the piece?
When writing this music, I was studying contemporary composition techniques with my mentor, Alla Cohen. I included these techniques in my pieces. Some of them are: quintal and quartal harmony, chain chords, polychords, and split chords. Fortunately, these often dissonant techniques aligned well with my emotions at the time. In terms of form, I always try to create a simple structure (aba, or ab) to make the atonal pieces easier to follow.
How do you feel about the response to your composition, and are there any particular emotions or reactions you'd like listeners to experience when they hear it performed?
I believe that even though I wrote the piece while feeling a certain emotion, that does not obligate an audience to feel the same things that I felt. An audience member's interpretation is just as valid as the composer's interpretation.
Would you like to share your experience participating in our competition and thank anyone, such as the collaborating pianist, sound engineer, or other team members?
I would like to thank my pianist, Letizia Palmieri, as well as my mentor, Alla Cohen, who was a beacon of support, encouragement, and education during this difficult time in my life. She also recommended this competition to me!
