We previously featured Jacqueline Cordes’s Singularity which served as a multidimensional experience and a synesthetic journey through sound, space, and the depths of human emotion, so when we heard that the talented, 22-year-old neoclassical composer was back with Illusions of Amethyst, we were curious to say the least, and couldn’t wait to listen and share our experience.
Illusions of Amethyst provides a dimensional piano performance with a timeless and cinematic energy echoing a minor-key waltz. There is a dramatic allure attached and the piece expands with luscious vocal harmonies, at first ethereal, and subsequently tapping into an astral range.
The pizzicato strings and delicate bell tones remind us of Alan Menken‘s Beauty and the Beast. There is a fantastical element that emerges from the opus, it is moving, immersive and poetic with deep rooted instrumental mastery and a whimsical narrative that unfolds.
We learn that Illusions of Amethyst is taken from Jacqueline Cordes’s album, Frozen Star which is designed to transport listeners across the Chromaverse. This release marks the first stop, and it brought to life by the accompanying visual – The Puppetmaker, a music video created for the composition, Illusions of Amethyst. The cinematic video tells the story of a mysterious masked puppetmaker who we witness meticulously performing his sacred craft in an abandoned world.
With reference to the artist’s gift of synesthesia, Jacqueline instinctively sees a deep purple for Illusions of Amethyst – as portrayed by the title of the track – a colour her synesthesia links to mystery and melancholy. It shares this hue with Schubert’s Gretchen am Spinnrade and Flaherty’s Once Upon a December – pieces she also experiences in shades of violet.
Jacqueline’s debut album Singularity explored ancient and futuristic soundscapes, while her upcoming album Frozen Star, set for release on August 8th – the date of the Lion’s Gate Portal, promises a brighter, more vivid experience. Together, the albums form a journey through the Chromaverse, with each track opening a new, immersive world.
A Pomona College graduate in music composition, Jacqueline won the 2025 Gordon A. Hogan Memorial Prize. She’s performed on KSPC and at various events, co-headlining fundraisers and giving lecture-concerts on synesthesia and musical modes. Also a polyglot, digital artist, and writer, she’s presented at the Fibonacci Conference and has an academic paper forthcoming. Her dream is to become a full-time film composer.
Naturally, we have added Illusions of Amethyst to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS playlist, whilst we continue to stream the wider discography of Jacqueline Cordes, and anticipate the entirety of Frozen Star!