Summer Updates!
It’s been a busy spring, and there is so much to share!! I may explore some of these updates further in future blog posts, but - for now - the digest version.
Music Dump! Performances and Premieres
In the last few months, I’ve enjoyed some really wonderful premieres and performances - so here’s a bunch of music you can listen to right now!
Trumpet player Will Koehler in rehearsal for “Kindred Spirits,” conducted by Andrew Chybowski.
Kindred Spirits (trumpet solo + wind ensemble) - Finally, after 2 years of delays, my trumpet concerto was premiered this past April at Pittsburg State University! I was lucky enough to travel to Pittsburg, KS for the rehearsals in advance, collaborating with trumpet player Will Koehler and conductor Andrew Chybowski for the exciting unveiling of this substantial new work (you can read more about the piece here). Now that the premieres are complete, I will soon make both the wind ensemble and the piano accompaniment versions of this work available in The Library! For now, you can check out the performance here (piece begins at 24’50”).
Flicker (oboe, English horn, bassoon) - Premiered in the fall of 2021, this stellar trio just performed Flicker again this spring. I have a blog post about it here, and I will be uploading the video later this week to my YouTube channel!
From my trip to Sun Prairie, WI last December - with my friend Eleanor Mertzenich!
To Burst (high school orchestra) - After visiting the school in December, it was such a joy to see the final result by Sun Praire High School orchestra for the performance of To Burst. Dedicated to their late orchestra teacher and commissioned by their current director Eleanor Mertzenich, this work challenged the students to explore a variety of moods and textures and was a blast to work on with the students. You can listen to their performance (and the whole concert!) at the link here.
Our Little Secrets and Almost Ready (Now for brass ensemble!) - Erica Binder, founder of the Pacific Brass Ensemble, commissioned two arrangements of my works for brass ensemble. While Almost Ready was an easy adjustment from its original brass quintet version, it was a fun challenge to turn Our Little Secrets from a woodwind octet to a brass ensemble piece. You can listen to both performances here (Our Little Secrets) and here (Almost Ready)! Sheet music for these versions will be available later this summer.
Podcast Appearance - Earlier this spring I was also featured on the Melodology Podcast, hosted by Arthur Breur. The episode features some geeking out about the song Danny Boy, as well as an extended conversation about my work (listen here).
Chomping at the Leaves (recording coming soon!) - sometime last year I had the great fortune of connecting with Lauren Rudzinskas, a stellar trombonist and new-music advocate. She commissioned a piece last fall inspired by her dog, Sushi, which she just performed at the International Women’s Brass Conference this past spring! It was so exciting to have a piece done at the conference in Denton (I’m missing all of my DFW friends!), and I look forward to sharing a recording some time in the future.
On the Writing Desk
Just this week I was chatting with trumpet player Nicole Gillotti about our recent collaboration (a new work called Hops, inspired by both beer and skiing!), and I’m so excited for the upcoming recording session. Nicole is collaborating with a stellar pianist named Tatiana Gorbunova, and I’ll be sharing bits and pieces about this new work in a blog post soon!
Also on the horizon is the imminent release of some music I worked on for a pop album - singer-songwriter Ethan Lumas asked me to do some string parts for some of his music and I had a blast putting them together! While the tracks we collaborated on have yet to be released, he has already released three other songs from the album - which you can listen to on any of these platforms. I’ll be sure to bother everyone when the full album is released!
Me and Michelle Lundy in Washington DC this past May
When I was in Washington DC last month, I also had the pleasure of meeting with harpist Michelle Lundy (National Symphony Orchestra) to discuss our summer project for her group, the Beau Soir ensemble — which consists of harp, flute, and viola. I’ve already begun writing a substantial new work for their group and can’t wait to share more soon!
In addition to this piece, I’ll be working on another multi-movement trio—for trumpet, saxophone, and piano. Nicole and Tatiana are in a group with saxophonist Sarah Hetrick (who commissioned a fun work for sax and marimba last fall inspired by the works of Frida Kahlo), and I’m so excited to be working with such a talented and engaged group of musicians!
In addition to these larger works, I’ll be spending the summer catching up on works for New Music Cookbook! Check back soon for more updates on this project.
It’s hard to be thinking of fall when we’re just now breaking from all the rainy weather here in Portland - but I’m excited for all the projects coming up!
Earlier this month I announced a series of special discounts for fall commissions — I’ve been meeting with musicians all month and I’m so excited to dig in on these fantastic new projects! You can get a sneak peak of the upcoming projects below:
Flute duo
Voice and clarinet
Percussion solo (tuned pipes, flower pots, seeds, etc.)
Voice, viola, piano
Choir
Flugelhorn and piano
Vibraphone solo
Clarinet and French Horn duo
Clarinet, French horn, and piano
Pitched percussion solo
Percussion and euphonium duo
Composer Assistant
Picture and caption by Damien Geter
I also recently started working for another composer, Damien Geter, as a musical assistant. I’ll be proofreading scores, taking notes at rehearsals, and even running a few of his rehearsals myself! I just worked with him during the premiere performances of his An African American Requiem with both the Oregon Symphony here in Portland, and out at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. It’s been an incredible experience already, and I can’t wait to dive into more of his music in the coming months. In addition to his work as a composer, Damien is also an accomplished vocalist and will be making his conducting debuts with Portland Opera and Fort Worth Symphony later this year. He has some really great projects coming up (including a few operas!!) and I can’t wait to work with him, get a bit of traveling in, and be a part of live rehearsals again. It’s going to be an exciting year!
Upcoming Appearances
In addition to the concert works I’ll be writing, I’m getting excited about a few clinics and masterclasses next season. Without going into too much detail (yet!!), it looks like I’ll be traveling to Iowa for a few masterclasses and performances next spring! I’ll also be continuing to work with college and precollegiate students on performances of my music, providing virtual masterclasses for composers, and giving a few lectures on my work.
If you’re interested in any of these services (or private lessons!) for your studio, ensemble, students, or for yourself, check out the new Services tab!
Artist Statement
I recently posted an artist statement on my website, which asserts a few of the key beliefs that drive what I do and how I approach my work. While I imagine this will change and develop as I move throughout my career, it feels great to finally put some of my core artistic beliefs in writing. I hope that it will help inspire like-minded people to reach out and collaborate, as well as allow other creatives to think about what is most important to them in their own work. You can read the full statement here.
Coming Soon to the Library
I’m working on a lot of new projects, but I’ll also be spending time this summer to upload several works to The Library that have recently left exclusivity. You can be the first to find out if you subscribe to my newsletter - or check back again later this summer to see what’s new!
Wishing all of you a wonderful week. Thank you for your support!
Thanks for reading my updates! Wishing all of you a great start to the summer and a chance to cool off somewhere beautiful.
