South Mountain by Ross Thompson

Ross Harvey Thompson
Original Guitar Works 2010

South Mountain is a blend of new works and reimagining of earlier scores. The project emerged from a collaboration with Professor Young June Park and Jay Ahn of the Seoul National University Institute of Nano Science. We first connected in the Bay Area through a shared love of the guitar, a friendship that led to several tours of Korea and ultimately to this recording. I remain deeply grateful to Professor Park and Jay for their belief in this music and the generous support they offered throughout.

South Mountain reflects my vision of the steps and shifting moods that came with climbing Namsan, the mountain near the university where I was based during those tours. On my first visit in 2007, I hiked to its summit. The experience was quietly emotional: when I reached the top, I was astonished by the force of the wind, unlike anything I had encountered before. Its power, and the sound it made sweeping over the ridge, left a lasting impression. I sought to capture that moment on the guitar through fast repeated chords, toccatas, preludes, and slower chordal textures reminiscent of the sarabande.

Copies of the music score for South Mountain are included with this recording.

English-born guitarist and composer Ross Thompson has performed worldwide, from Berlin to Seoul, Montevideo to Lima. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, he teaches at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. His work spans 15 books, 14 recordings.