AURORA BOREALIS
for chamber orchestra

An Ethereal and Atmospheric Contemporary Masterwork
Aurora Borealis (2008) by Lior Navok is a 12-minute work for chamber orchestra inspired by the radiance, colors, and shifting intensities of the Northern Lights. Scored for harp, accordion, percussion, and strings, the piece reflects both the static visual beauty of the aurora and the intense activity behind the scenes—charged particles colliding in Earth’s upper atmosphere. Written for the Georgian Chamber Orchestra under Ariel Zuckermann, the work evokes the mystic aura, changing hues, and timeless wonder of this celestial phenomenon, offering a luminous addition to the modern repertoire for Chamber Orchestra.

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About the Music
Inspired by the Northern Lights, this 12-minute work for chamber orchestra captures the phenomenon's shifting colors, silent intensity, and mystical presence. Scored for harp, accordion, percussion, and strings, it portrays the contrast between the aurora's floating appearance and the intense energy behind it. The piece, composed in 2008 for the Georgian Chamber Orchestra, is ideal for nature-themed or atmospheric concerts, demanding strong coloristic sensitivity from performers.

Specifications

Duration: 12 minutes
Year Composed: 2008
Instrumentation: Harp, Accordion, Percussion, and Strings

Product and Rental Information

Performance Materials: Available for rental; requires a Music Rental Form.
Hard Copy (Study Score)
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Aurora Borealis (Full Score) for chamber orchestra [Hard Copy]

$44.00

Quantity

Item:	Full Score
Format:	Hard Copy
Edition:	2nd Edition
Copyright:	Lior Navok
Publisher:	Lior Navok Music
Pages:	58
Binding:	Plastic Spiral
Ink:	Black & White
Paper Size:	DIN A4 / Letter

Program Notes:

The theme of light—its radiance, frequency, variety in colors, and intensity—has occupied my mind for quite some time. In previous compositions such as the Nocturne and Gleams from the Bosom of Darkness, I have endeavored to portray this visual image of light intensities in musical sounds. Therefore, when Maestro Ariel Zuckermann approached me to write a new work for the Georgian Chamber Orchestra with the theme of the Aurora Borealis in mind, I became immediately enthusiastic.

Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights, is an astronomical phenomenon in which light displays in the sky in various colors, usually observed in darkness at polar zones.

Technically speaking, auroras occur when charged particles from Earth’s magnetosphere collide with atoms and molecules in Earth’s upper atmosphere. These collisions electronically excite atoms and molecules in the upper atmosphere, creating gas-light emissions. Depending on the type of gas emission, green, red, blue, or violet colors appear. Therefore, although the viewer may perceive a static visual effect in the sky, there is much activity and intensity behind the scenes. This static activity, along with the ever-changing forms, light hues, and shades, is what I intended to portray musically in this piece, adding to it the mystic aura of this incredible phenomenon, which has rightfully found its way into many mythologies.

Aurora Borealis was written for the Georgian Chamber Orchestra, with Ariel Zuckermann as music director, and is dedicated to them.