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Composed for Suzanne Kompass & Sean O'Boyle’s “Fifteen Minutes of Fame”
This duet is based on my favorite jazz ballad: Charles Mingus’s Goodbye Pork Pie Hat. The clarinet part is completely improvised, though should support the harmonies for the singer. There is no text, the singer is encouraged to use whichever vowel sound(s) she prefers.
Composed for Douglas DaSilva's "My Father's Violin" project, which included an extended Fifteen Minutes of Fame concert.
While contemplating what to compose for this project, I recalled that my own father is a fan of Bach's unaccompanied string pieces. From there it was an easy step to find and adapt a small portion of the Sarabande from Bach's Partita no.2 in d minor. Part-Partita is a meditation on the Bach, lost in thought and in time.
Composed for Anne Goldberg’s “15 Minutes of Fame”
The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of the English Horn is the famous solo from the 2nd movement of Dvorak’s Ninth Symphony. I think this is due to the number of times I listened to this work as a teenager. To my young mind this was one of the greatest pieces of music ever. Now, I don’t much care for it all.... It’s funny how tastes change over time. Tangled Memories dissects the original solo, in search of my youthful ennui.
arrangement for soprano, clarinet, string quartet
Alternate version of "Summer" for soprano, piano, and optional horn.
This is an arrangement of "Behind Corneal Gates" for soprano, clarinet, and string quartet.
Chicago Miniaturist Blues was composed for the Chicago Miniaturist Ensemble, who called for works of 100 notes or less.
100 Words about 100 Notes:
There are two things that come to my mind when I think about Chicago: pizza and blues. A little cliché perhaps, but I have only visited Chicago four times in my life, and only once spent the night there. My firsthand knowledge of this great city is unfortunately limited.
This is the second piece I've composed for marimbist Brenton Dunnington. He asked for a flashy encore piece that called for piano and marimba. I chose to use Joplin as the subject of the work as so much mallet repertoire is derived from ragtime. Plus, many pianists who play Joplin's music seemed obsessed with using at a showcase for their prowess and technique.
When marimbist Brenton Dunnington asked me to compose a new piece for him, I chose to pay homage to J.S. Bach. As a composer I often will go to Bach when I’m feeling uninspired or creatively drained. His scores are an eternal source of wonderment for me. He was a master of style and counterpoint. He was efficient with his materials. And he gave his music an intensity and energy that belie its complexity. His is a music I aspire to, not in style, but in construction. This suite then is a reflection on Bach’s music and how it has influenced my own work.
