MADONNA OF THE LILIES

Awarded first place in the International category of the Warsaw Wind Ensemble Composition Contest 2020, my “Madonna of the Lilies” is based on a painting by Czech painter Alphonse Mucha. It is composed of two dances: a dumka and a furiant.

This performance was held on December 5, 2021 at the Ursynów Cultural Center Alternatywy. The organization was the Concert Orchestra of the Representative Artistic Ensemble of the Polish Armed Forces, and it was conducted by Michelle Rakers, who is one winner of the Warsaw Wind Ensemble Conducting Competition 2021.

You can find more information about this event here.

PIANO SUITE No. 1

Originally composed alongside numerous paintings of Paul Klee, this work is in seven movements, and serves as an ode to Italian culture. The work was completely rewritten in April of 2023, although its original form was from 2019.

The first movement is a gigue (or the Italian 'giga', which more appropriately points to the etymological history of the word). The motions of the piece are quick, and the arpeggiation is intended to simulate the archaic instrument of the 'giga' - the namesake of the dance.

The second movement is a short serenade that invokes the calmness of night.

Following this, the saltarello brings life to the set as it displays numerous interpretations of the jumping/leaping that is characteristic of this dance form.

The fourth movement is a pastorale, evoking Italian bagpipes (the title of this movement). The voices are kept distinct throughout, in order to represent the different drones that would be present with this instrument. It was intended to be a siciliana; however, I felt the rhythms did not specifically fit this mold.

The fifth movement is perhaps the most vivacious, and in its original conception, it was termed a 'toccata.' Instead, it was revised to fit more in line with a 'caccia,' or hunt, as the lines continuously chase serenity through the combat of motion.

The sixth movement is the most delicate, and it remains relatively unchanged from the original. The purpose of this movement, named after evening vespers, is to serve as a mechanical nocturne - one limited in emotion and tamed in regard to form.

The final movement is the most tender, and it is thusly named 'romanza.' It was originally not included in the set and was instead a standalone work (known as 'pastel'). However, I felt it could serve as a sort of epigram to the progression of the work.

DIVERTIMENTO

In three movements, this work is based on a trio for two flutes and harp that was commissioned by the Junior Conservatoire of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

The original inspiration of the composition was on three paintings by the contemporary British painter, Shaun Hughes. In order, the paintings used are: "Through the Trees," "Autumn Journey," and "Reflections."

In addition to this, each of the pieces is a tradition type of dance or poem, with the final movement being based on the virelai "Polorum Regina" ("Queen of the Poles") from the "Llibre Vermell de Montserrat" (“Red Book of Montserrat”) of Catalonia.

HARVEST FESTIVAL

Working on several different levels, this work in essence is a saga of a life, from birth until death. It was composed in coordination with the Runic calendar (which is Metonic, as in a type of calendar accordant, approximately, to the relationship of the moon and the sun in a roughly 19 year-long cycle, despite its negligence of several, relevant factors). Additionally, it makes reference to dozens of Slavic, Germanic, and Norse deities, legends, and methodologies.

Featured within is a depiction of the birth of mankind, a fugue of Perun's Battle of Thunder, Odin's hanging on Yggdrasil, and progression of the moon cycle. It also uses the "Hejnał mariacki" as a binding melody to represent the will of humanity in face of the blinding power of the gods.

It was composed over multiple years and it includes numerous names, curses, and runes in order to construct a metaphorical narrative around the happenings of a person's life. In the end, only a compositional image of the earth witnesses the results. The work was the winner of a friendly intramural competition between composers at the RWCMD.

Premiered in St David's Hall on June 29, 2022 by the RWCMD Symphony Orchestra under conductor David Jones.

CHEVREFOIL

Based on the Breton lai by Marie de France of the same name, this short poem for brass quintet is a telling of Tristan and Iseult. The name means "honeysuckle" and it is one of the symbols of love used in the poem. When combined with hazel (the other symbol of love), the two become stronger and grow together; without one, the other withers.

It was recorded in the Dora Stoutzker Concert Hall at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff, Wales by the student-led Emerald Brass Quintet - Samantha Din (Trumpet 1), Dan Newitt (Trumpet 2), David Tillotson (Horn), Thomas Kilby (Trombone), Nathan Garvey (Tuba) - to be presented to The Athenaeum Club.

PIANO TRIO No. 1

Performed at the Bruno Walter Auditorium, Lincoln Center in New York City at the Gala Concert of the National Music & Global Culture Society. The concert was a celebration of the Azerbaijani composer Fikret Amirov, and Piano Trio No. 1 placed second in the composition competition featured therein.

The work is in one movement and it combines elements of the eponymous Sufistic poem (including each bird) by utilizing a system of composition that -- through rhythm and melodic contour -- represents the spatial distribution of the Akkadian syllabary: a later, simplified form of cuneiform. Some of the melodic material is derived from Amirov's "Kor ərəbin mahnısı (Song of the Blind Arab)".

It is scored for viola, violoncello, and piano, and it has the subtitle "Conference of the Birds."

AWEN

Based on the Welsh embodiment of poetic inspiration - awen - this piece is for soprano saxophone and piano, and it is in three clear sections. The first is a gentle introduction that meanders between flowing lines and pointed stops. The music enters a slow, vacuous world in the second section, and the piece concludes with a jovial dance.

Performing on the soprano saxophone is my friend Kathy Clarke and her instructor at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

A version for oboe and harp—as well as my Garden Sonata, for flute and piano—was been featured in the promotion of the 150th anniversary of the Cadillac·Shanghai Concert Hall. This can be found here.

FLOWER SUITE

Commissioned by the Junior Conservatoire of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff, Wales, this suite is a set of four dances for flute quintet. In addition to being inspired primarily by late-Renaissance dance forms, each work is a portrait of a flower. The work was used by both the younger students and the older students of the conservatoire/college for teaching purposes under the direction of Joanne Abson.

I. LILAC MADRIGAL (00:05)

While not technical a dance form, this piece is based on my favorite flower – the lilac. Alternating between chordal blocks and sparsely polyphonic passages, this madrigal is a faithful portrait of the lilac in color and in fragrance. It ends with a gesture of grace.

II. FOXGLOVE TOURDION (05:03)

Marked “cardial” – in reference to both the vivacious energy of the music and to the flower’s utility in heart medication – this dance is in fiery contrast its predecessor. Splotched throughout are fragmentary fughettas and spritely counterpoint. The piece concludes with a final recitation of the opening theme in the first flute.

III. MARIGOLD CAROL (07:08)

A tender depiction of the marigold in its garden. In accordance with the traditional use of the carol as a round-dance, the lines of this dance pass between the quintet in a circular manner. The crux of this movement is a duet between the first and fifth flute, leading to the combination of both the duple and triple time themes.

IV. TULIP PASSEPIED (11:01)

The most energetic of the set, this finale is for the tulip – bright and rife with color. The music playfully wanders from the opening theme – one that is somewhat confused in its time signature – to a confident countertheme. The piece ends with these themes married in joyous content.