ACME Spotlight: Renaissance Woman Carol Worthey

Diversified artist Carol Worthey considers music the magical essence

By Mary Au, ACME Co-Chair, Mu Nu, Los Angeles Alumni | auhaus@gmail.com

Carol Worthey (Phi Nu) is a renaissance woman who has been recognized by awards in classical music, visual and literary art. As a multi-award-winning composer, arranger, painter, poet, playwright and novelist, educator and impassioned lecturer on arts and culture, Worthey has devoted her life to creating multi-genre musical and artistic masterpieces that bring hope and understanding to people around the world.

The day Worthey was born, family friend Leonard Bernstein was in her home and made hamburgers in the shape of stars, proclaiming, “This little girl’s gonna be a star!” At Dartmouth Summer School, Worthey studied with Vincent Persichetti, head of the Composition Department at Juilliard, who looked at her score and perceived, “You think like a composer!” Persichetti's appraisal became a watchword that helped Worthey journey through many career and personal challenges in later years.

Worthey has been very active during these “interesting times.” She says, “It’s not time to stop putting forth as much love and beauty as one can muster, no matter what challenges there are. In fact, I believe the world needs more music, art and love than ever.” Here is just a taste of all the different artistic creations she has brought forth recently.

COMPOSING ACTIVITIES

“Quicksand Years” On September 12, 2021, Windsong Players Chamber Ensemble (Victoria Bell, soprano; Alice Pero, flute; Shushana Hakobyan, piano) performed the worldpremiere of a work they commissioned at a mansion in Bel Aire, California: “Quicksand Years,” Worthey's setting of iconic American Civil War poet Walt Whitman’s poem celebrating the individual spirit’s strength in turbulent times. It received a long standing ovation and was beautifully performed.

Commissions by Stanley Wong Brilliant concert pianist and concert/ children’s-art-exhibition entrepreneur Stanley Wong, who resides in Hong Kong, commissioned two piano suites in 2019-2020. Both were recorded and premiered in his colorful music studio in 2021:

“The Tides of Mont Saint-Michel: A Montage” The first piano suite commissioned and recorded by Maestro Wong is an evocation of a fascinating World Heritage Site — Mont Saint-Michel, the island-monastery off the coast of France. In 2019 Stanley visited this mystical and spiritual place, which becomes an island at high tide and where ninja-like monks defended France during the 100 Years War; Worthey visited this deeply spiritual place during her college years. This site was built on a huge rock island after a beleaguered archbishop had been visited three times by insistent Archangel Michael. It was one of the centers of chivalry and regal feasts as well as devotions and worship during the Middle Ages. The suite encompasses all these aspects of this sacred place, including a ferociously pianistic movement devoted to the strongest tides in Europe, and prayerful moments in the chapel: “The Tides of Mont Saint-Michel: A Montage.” While composing this work, Carol says, “Creating this was like time travel! I could only compose for half an hour at a time.”

Listen Online: Hear the suite at carolworthey.com/bioc-soundbite.php “Mythical Menagerie”

The second piano suite commissioned by Wong and recorded by him in late 2020 is “Mythical Menagerie,” three movements about mythical creatures, with original stories by the composer: A Mermaid (living in Monet’s waterlily pond at Giverny unbeknownst to the artist); A Werewolf who dances Flamenco under the full moon; and a theme & variations/ story about a council of mythical creatures in 2020 who want mankind to know they care about them and are not scary: Unicorn, Dragon, Pegasus and Phoenix Bird.

“The Last Thunderstorm” Worthey was honored to be chosen among 250 living composers from around the world asked to write a work in honor of Beethoven’s 250th birthday in 2020. This project (originated by concert pianist Susanne Kessler from Bonn, Germany) inspired Worthey to research Beethoven’s life and work. Her contribution to this exciting project was “The Last Thunderstorm,” depicting Beethoven’s final moments during a huge lightning bolt thunderstorm in Vienna, where Worthey could well imagine this titan of music lifting his fist to the heavens during his final breaths. This piece has been published by Nicolas Sideris in volume five of “250 Piano Pieces for Beethoven.”

DANCE & MUSIC ACTIVITIES

Worthey’s favorite form of theater magic is storytelling through dance and music. In 2017, a special piano suite (commissioned and premiered by Wong), “Ice Cream Sweet,” was transformed into a charming and delicious ballet to Worthey’s delight! “Ice Cream Sweet” depicts 10 flavors of ice cream, from Vanilla (a turn-of-the-century waltz), Chocolate (a fugue based on the music notes of “fudge” — F-D-G-E), some bossa nova for tropical flavors and a wide variety of musical styles to whet the palate. Set into motion by superb choreographer Aerin Holt, assisted by Balanchine protegée Lynn Pittenger, the costumes and dance utilized the remarkable talents of California Youth Ballet, La Canada, California. The audiences and dancers alike fell in love with the ballet!

TEACHING & MENTORING ACTIVITIES

Worthey has been thrilled to encourage young talent in both the visual arts and in music composition during these recent years. She has been an honorary art judge for several youth art competitions featuring outstanding early talents in design, color and imagination in several Hong Kong exhibitions and recitals. She has also been an adjudicator for young composers for the California Music Teachers Association. She also teaches composition studies at her home studio or internationally via Zoom.

“It’s so vital to recognize and cheer on young talent” Worthey said. “I have been wowed to goosebumps by these beyond-their-years young people. It gives all of us hope for the future that the arts are very much alive, despite all!”

WRITING ACTIVITIES

During the past five years, in the midst of all the above music, dance and teaching activities and in the flurry of society’s changes, Worthey has still been able to turn to one of her first loves: writing. Her books are available on Amazon.com.

© 2016 Carol Worthey Worthgold Publishing, All Rights Reserved

“A Rain of Sundry Thoughts (on Living Life to the Fullest)” A colorful, lavishly-illustrated 396-page treasury of quotes presents insights into such questions as: Does love vanish into nothing when it seems to go? What to do when you feel low? What makes creating beauty or connecting with nature so revitalizing? How to put forth more generosity of spirit while retaining your own truth?

© 2021 Carol Worthey Worthgold Publishing, All Rights Reserved

“More Grand than Mountains” Her personal selection from a lifetime of writing poems and winning poetry awards, poems that celebrate the resilience of the human spirit.

“CRUMB: The Secret of the Riddle” Another book that was one of her “bucket list” life-dreams to create, especially as it was written in homage to her father’s famous-in-the-family bedtime stories. It evolved into a compelling adventure-novel (not just for children but for the child in all of us) that solves an intriguing riddle and serves as a plea to mankind to save our precious bees.

Lenny Bernstein was right — this little girl is a star!

CAROL WORTHEY’S ARTIST STATEMENT

“Creating art is not only about self-expression, it's a way to reach out to others, to infuse life-energy and meaning into the world around me and inspire others to feel, to care, to live more joyously. No one is alone, not really, and you and I can meet in the act of music-making and listening, painting and looking, writing and envisioning, at home, in the concert hall, online or in a quiet nook. As I say in my new book “A Rain of Sundry Thoughts: Living Life to the Fullest” — Life inspires Art, and Art illuminates Life. Over time what remains of a civilization? Not the battles with their ruins, though the ruins stand there as lonely witnesses to blood. What remains is the art, the philosophy, the wisdom and beauty that individuals have put forth (that hopefully has evaded the fires of ill fortune and is still available to us.)

While I love all the arts, I consider music the magical essence and the highest aspiration of the creative spirit. Music falls between the cracks of words, spreads its wings past picture-frame, and most closely approximates the human spirit and the divine. Still, I have thrilled learning the craft of each artform as best I can. Living is more fun when it involves the spontaneity of play, the resonance of thought and imagination, the skill of making things, and the crying need to share with others! My deepest wish is that my art will help to make this often strident world a more comforting, loving and peaceful place.”

ACME Nominations

ACME recognition highlights the strengths and accomplishments of our fraternity’s Artists, Composers, Musicologists and Educators. We encourage members to nominate deserving, actively affiliated candidates who have achieved national and/or international acclaim in their music fields for ACME consideration. Learn more at muphiepsilon.org.