(Credit: Dario Acosta)

Brooklyn Botanical Garden has announced that composer Kamala Sankaram will be its 2023 Artist in Residence.

The Garden has commissioned a new work by Sankaram, which will be showcased as part of the “Power of Trees” program, which centers on the ways trees serve as pillars for the world. As Artist in Residence, Sankaram will spend over 200 hours in the garden exploring how they are cared for and their essence.

The new premiere is scheduled to take place on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, 2023.

“Creating work focused on the sounds of the natural world is incredibly meaningful to me,” said Sankaram in an official press statement. “I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to immerse myself in the Garden and further connect with the community in and around New York City. I can’t wait to amplify the sounds of one of the most extraordinary gardens in the country.”

Sankaram previously composed “The Last Stand,” an opera for trees that premiered in fall 2021.

“Our tendency to think of trees as inert objects is part of what allows us to ignore them and our impact on them,” Sankaram said in an interview about “The Last Stand” prior to its premiere. “They have a different kind of intelligence from humans. My work is about perspective-shifting and exploring empathy for trees.”