News
April featured the premiere of two new works. Nel Tardo Mezzo (In the Late Half), a sort of musical confession written for soprano, clarinet, violin and cello, and Lagrangian Point, for female voice, piano and percussion, a short, lyrical hymn to Earth, inspired by Samantha Harvey’s novel Orbital. In March, Tell es-Sakan (Hill of Ash) premiered, a concert-length protest work, written for string quartet and percussion. This work was composed from late spring to early fall of 2024, with breaks to write of If I Must Die, Let It Be a Tale, and several shorter works for solo (Adagio for Violin, Materials, Variazioni per Violino), and duo (Four Movements for Violin and Cello, Lament for Gaza).
Upcoming Concerts
Sunday July 27, 2025, 2:00 pm, Center for New Music, 55 Taylor St, San Francisco. A rare concert consisting of piano trios only, by major Bay Area composers. With Pianist Paul Dab, violinist Michael Long, and cellist Sung Choi! On the program the premiere of my Piano Trio No.3 (Taming the Tantrum), a piece for violin, cello and piano divided in three movements. The first represents the unfolding of a confrontation: a tantrum, a verbal fight, or something more serious. The second the immediate aftermath, where calm is restored, but the atmosphere is still tense. The third depicts a more soothing place, where looking back and wandering what all that was about is possible. Click here for the full program of the concert, and here to buy tickets on line.
Fall or Winter 2025. I completed the piano and soprano version of The Retraction of Isobel Gowdie, a monodrama for soprano and choir inspired by the confessions of Isobel Gowdie, a woman accused of witchcraft in early 17th-century Scotland. She left behind the longest witchcraft confession on record. The soprano will be Amy Foote, in an orchestration for small ensemble. Probably percussion, violin, cello, clarinet and piano. Click the image to the side, or here to read the libretto narrating the story.
Music Scores
My music is available free of charge at IMSLP
Teaching
Looking for a composition or piano instructor? I teach both. Visit my teaching page for more details by clicking below.
Some Press
A recent interview about Tell es-Sakan with Sharon Wayne can be found here, and a review of String Quartet No.7, an asynchronous piece written during the COVID pandemic here. Alongside, you’ll find an extensive interview with Carolyn Howley, featuring detailed excerpts from The Sofa, for percussion quartet, and Aquamarinus, performed by the Berkeley Symphony.
… and in the Pipeline
Other than orchestrating The Retraction of Isobel Gowdie, not very much at this point besides a short piece for piano and percussion. I might write a chamber orchestra piece for Fall 2025, or start working a new short Opera … we’ll see.