'My Brilliant Friend: Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay' is an orchestral ode inspired by Elena Ferrante's acclaimed novel that directly responds to the vivid and intense world she created. This world felt inherently musical and presented an irresistible challenge to bring to the orchestral stage. The piece captures the intricate and mysterious entanglement of Lenù and Lila's lives, from their childhood in a brutal Neapolitan neighborhood to the cusp of Lila's wedding. Female friendship is often underexplored on stage, where women's lives tend to be portrayed as tragic or one-dimensional. I am committed to presenting the fullness of women's stories and exploring how our bonds can be amongst the central love stories of our lives. This musical narrative explores their shared desires, ambitions, jealousies, and poetic minds, culminating in a powerful portrayal of their intertwined fates. Musically, the work opens with a slow, through-composed swell, establishing a shared harmonic world for the two protagonists. Lila's melody is carried by the strings, while the Neapolitan setting is evoked through pizzicato passages and the use of a solo oboe for the contemplative Lenù. The composition builds to a shared contrapuntal climax, expressing both pain and pathos, before returning to a soothing, reflective world reminiscent of the opening.