“Threnody” is the slow movement from Crosmer’s Viola Concerto, Masks: A Heroine’s Tale, which was written in 2018 for Matthew Aubin, Mitsuru Kubo and the Jackson Symphony Orchestra. The concerto celebrates the strength of women, in contrast to the male-focused romantic tones poems of the 19th and 20th centuries (Don Juan, Ein Heldenleben, Harold in Italy, etc.). Threnody was written for one of Crosmer’s close friends who passed away that summer, who had both unwavering strength and compassion for everyone surrounding her. In 2022, Crosmer performed Threnody with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Jader Bignamini, on the Celebration of Life concert for Anne Parsons, the DSO’s former CEO who passed away that year. The work is for either solo viola or solo cello and strings.