Whistleblower

Programme Notes

When I was composing this piece, there was much media discussion about Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden, and whether what they did was justified. It got me thinking about the grey area of whistleblowing: When is it okay to be a whistleblower? Who decides which wrongs are worth exposing? How is it determined whether someone should be punished or rewarded for whistleblowing?

These are questions I’ve wrestled with in my own mind, and presently, I still don’t have any answers. Whistleblower represents the inner turmoil and unease I feel in trying to rationalize it all.

– Frank Horvat