Chamber/Solo & Duo

Stargazing (2010) violin and electronics
Echolocation (2009) saxophone quartet
Event Horizon (2009) string quartet
Impromptu (2008) violin and piano
Automata (2008) piano solo
Sarcasms (2008) alto saxophone and piano
You're So Fine (2008) viola solo
Toccata (2007) violin and piano
Delights and Shadows (2007) bass voice and piano
Recurrency (2007) cello octet
Imprints (2006) 2 pianos
Pins and Needles (2006) mixed ensemble
Marimbaphobia (2006) marimba solo
Night Signals (2005) cl, vn, vc, and piano
String Quartet (2005)
Brass Quintet (2004)
Sounds & Shapes (2004) mixed ensemble
Quintet (2003) cl, bn, perc, vc, cb
Horn Sonata (2003) horn and piano
String Trio (2002) vn, vl, vc

Toccata (2007)
for violin and piano

Premiered by Jessica Tong (violin), and David Kaplan (piano), Nov. 14, 2007

Program Notes:
When beginning a new piece, I try to visually picture the performance with the performer(s) I have in mind of the hypothetical piece. I have found it helpful in trying to capture the general essence of the piece without having to think about the specifics of the music. When Jessica Tong asked me to write a piece, I immediately had images of her playing a highly virtuosic and athletic piece – certainly influenced by watching/listening to her play many times before – and with this general idea, I began to work on the piece quickly. The piece begins with a constant stream of 16th notes in the piano. The violin picks up certain notes from the piano and gradually spins it into a melody and brings it into prominence before taking over the 16th notes. The piece is in constant perpetual motion through the course of the entire piece and the intensity level is constantly on the rise with hardly any breaks in the middle, much to the distress of the violinist. Ideally, this piece will become part of a multi-movement violin sonata, but since the other movements do not yet exist, Toccata is written to be played on its own, at least for now.