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chamber
Sunrise
Baritone, flute, harp, piano, viola
6 minutes
2025
This chamber work is the first song in a work-in-progress musical. The show’s premise includes two friends stumble into an unmapped Italian town where time passes strangely and villagers speak in riddles.
Drawing from Italian folklore, and musicals such as Brigadoon. Using text by poet Caleb Horner, this piece follows a villager, waking up with his town, reflecting on its history, and where he fits into his town’s future. Featuring a recit-style, stream-of-consciousness voice part, this piece’s accompaniment instrumental figures are amorphous and feature delicate timbres. Soft sounds that can not be heard in dense textures, create ethereal, magical, moods, evoking the mysterious town waking up at sunrise. The viola middle strings are tuned down from a G to an F and D to C, allowing the viola to play an F major chord all with open strings, and allow for maximum resonance in the harmonic areas of the piece. The piece focuses on resonating pitches F, A, C and E, to maximize colouristic harmony illustrating a sunrise.
6 minutes
2025
This chamber work is the first song in a work-in-progress musical. The show’s premise includes two friends stumble into an unmapped Italian town where time passes strangely and villagers speak in riddles.
Drawing from Italian folklore, and musicals such as Brigadoon. Using text by poet Caleb Horner, this piece follows a villager, waking up with his town, reflecting on its history, and where he fits into his town’s future. Featuring a recit-style, stream-of-consciousness voice part, this piece’s accompaniment instrumental figures are amorphous and feature delicate timbres. Soft sounds that can not be heard in dense textures, create ethereal, magical, moods, evoking the mysterious town waking up at sunrise. The viola middle strings are tuned down from a G to an F and D to C, allowing the viola to play an F major chord all with open strings, and allow for maximum resonance in the harmonic areas of the piece. The piece focuses on resonating pitches F, A, C and E, to maximize colouristic harmony illustrating a sunrise.
Madeleines
Trumpet and organ
15 minutes
2025
This is a minimalist work for organ and trumpet. Given the static nature of time in minimalist works, often due to reduced harmonic material, rhythmic ostinatos, consistent tempi, static register, amongst other elements, I wanted to build on how to illustrate time not just as static, but as non-linear.
To pair with the organ's indirect sound diffusion, I chose the trumpet, which has a direct sound delivery. My experience studying minimalism coloured this project from the outset. I found that the kind of listening that happens during minimalist works and the transformation that time goes through when listening to minimalist music is thought-provoking. I thought about other media that deal with the transformation of how time passes. Namely, Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five, and its aliens. Given the static nature of time in minimalist works, often due to reduced harmonic material, rhythmic ostinatos, consistent tempi, static register, amongst other elements, I wanted to build on how to illustrate time not just as static, but as non-linear. This is accomplished in the organ part, as the performer is instructed to play each line out of order. The constant pulse of the pedal is there to show that time is always in motion, but the non-linearity between each line illustrates that what we might be perceiving could be past, present, or future. On the other hand, the trumpet’s part happens linearly, to provide contrast and the objective, linear passage of time.
The other literary work I drew influence from was Proust’s well-known “madeleine scene”. This scene explores time as it relates to action versus memory. I thought that Proust’s “involuntary memory” provides a similar sense of irregularity in relation to time. The unconscious relation of an action with a time and/or place can transport a person in time through their memories. As the speaker repeats the action of eating the madeleine and searches through his memory, the perceived time for himself and the reader jumps around as the speaker figures out his feelings.
15 minutes
2025
This is a minimalist work for organ and trumpet. Given the static nature of time in minimalist works, often due to reduced harmonic material, rhythmic ostinatos, consistent tempi, static register, amongst other elements, I wanted to build on how to illustrate time not just as static, but as non-linear.
To pair with the organ's indirect sound diffusion, I chose the trumpet, which has a direct sound delivery. My experience studying minimalism coloured this project from the outset. I found that the kind of listening that happens during minimalist works and the transformation that time goes through when listening to minimalist music is thought-provoking. I thought about other media that deal with the transformation of how time passes. Namely, Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five, and its aliens. Given the static nature of time in minimalist works, often due to reduced harmonic material, rhythmic ostinatos, consistent tempi, static register, amongst other elements, I wanted to build on how to illustrate time not just as static, but as non-linear. This is accomplished in the organ part, as the performer is instructed to play each line out of order. The constant pulse of the pedal is there to show that time is always in motion, but the non-linearity between each line illustrates that what we might be perceiving could be past, present, or future. On the other hand, the trumpet’s part happens linearly, to provide contrast and the objective, linear passage of time.
The other literary work I drew influence from was Proust’s well-known “madeleine scene”. This scene explores time as it relates to action versus memory. I thought that Proust’s “involuntary memory” provides a similar sense of irregularity in relation to time. The unconscious relation of an action with a time and/or place can transport a person in time through their memories. As the speaker repeats the action of eating the madeleine and searches through his memory, the perceived time for himself and the reader jumps around as the speaker figures out his feelings.
A Thunderstorm
Viola and piano
6 minutes
2024
This piece is based on the work of the same name by Emily Dickinson. Inspired by the idea of a monster, and the act of battling a growing fear that looms large and seemingly unvanquishable; the poem follows the physical manifestation of a growing thunderstorm complete with monster-like descriptions.
Expanding on a one-minute piano piece, I elaborated on the poem's narrative elements. Inspired by the idea of a monster, and the act of battling a growing fear that looms large and seemingly unvanquishable; the poem follows the physical manifestation of a growing thunderstorm complete with monster-like descriptions. There comes a moment when all hope seems lost, this monster seems invincible and the problem will consume all, then suddenly the clouds lift, all is well, and a sense of peace and serenity materializes. The piece opens with small fragments, nothing quite tangible, slowly developing into thematic material; representing a disembodied problem becoming a monster to be fought. Fighting begins as music moves between registers and momentum increases.
The piece reaches its climax when the texture is at its largest, expressing the monster theme in its fullest intensity. Finally, after a big arrival, there is a complete shift in mood to illustrate this moment of calm. The rhythm is inactive the chordal texture sets an inactive tone to close the work.
6 minutes
2024
This piece is based on the work of the same name by Emily Dickinson. Inspired by the idea of a monster, and the act of battling a growing fear that looms large and seemingly unvanquishable; the poem follows the physical manifestation of a growing thunderstorm complete with monster-like descriptions.
Expanding on a one-minute piano piece, I elaborated on the poem's narrative elements. Inspired by the idea of a monster, and the act of battling a growing fear that looms large and seemingly unvanquishable; the poem follows the physical manifestation of a growing thunderstorm complete with monster-like descriptions. There comes a moment when all hope seems lost, this monster seems invincible and the problem will consume all, then suddenly the clouds lift, all is well, and a sense of peace and serenity materializes. The piece opens with small fragments, nothing quite tangible, slowly developing into thematic material; representing a disembodied problem becoming a monster to be fought. Fighting begins as music moves between registers and momentum increases.
The piece reaches its climax when the texture is at its largest, expressing the monster theme in its fullest intensity. Finally, after a big arrival, there is a complete shift in mood to illustrate this moment of calm. The rhythm is inactive the chordal texture sets an inactive tone to close the work.
Bedtime Stories
Violin, cello, harp, bassoon, clarinet, and percussion
7 minutes
2024
Inspired by the cult classic film Princess Bride; this piece enacts the childhood ritual of a bedtime story. From being corralled into bed, to choosing the story, to the reading, and ending with parental wisdom and a chat about the story. No bedtime story would be complete without a handful of interjections, scared pauses, and additional commentary. Each performer plays a role in the unfolding of this work. It starts with a duet between violin and cello; illustrating the chaotic task of going to bed, even when one is ‘not tired’. A story is chosen (I modeled the story section off of Robert Munch’s Paper bag Princess) and the entrance of the harp signals that we are moving from the parent-child telling the story, into the actual story itself. This is where the clarinet and bassoon come in, supporting the harp in the reenactment of the story. From here the piece works its way through meeting the prince and princess, the feats of a dragon, all the way to the happily ever after, with a sleeping dragon, and an empowered princess. Finally, the story ends and we move back to the parent and child, recapping the story and putting the child to bed. The violin and cello come back to the foreground with a duet coloured by percussion. The percussion does not have a designated role, rather it heightens the theatrical nature of the work. The vibraphone is an exception, as it represents the story time ritual itself, and helps drift the whole work to the end into sleep.
7 minutes
2024
Inspired by the cult classic film Princess Bride; this piece enacts the childhood ritual of a bedtime story. From being corralled into bed, to choosing the story, to the reading, and ending with parental wisdom and a chat about the story. No bedtime story would be complete without a handful of interjections, scared pauses, and additional commentary. Each performer plays a role in the unfolding of this work. It starts with a duet between violin and cello; illustrating the chaotic task of going to bed, even when one is ‘not tired’. A story is chosen (I modeled the story section off of Robert Munch’s Paper bag Princess) and the entrance of the harp signals that we are moving from the parent-child telling the story, into the actual story itself. This is where the clarinet and bassoon come in, supporting the harp in the reenactment of the story. From here the piece works its way through meeting the prince and princess, the feats of a dragon, all the way to the happily ever after, with a sleeping dragon, and an empowered princess. Finally, the story ends and we move back to the parent and child, recapping the story and putting the child to bed. The violin and cello come back to the foreground with a duet coloured by percussion. The percussion does not have a designated role, rather it heightens the theatrical nature of the work. The vibraphone is an exception, as it represents the story time ritual itself, and helps drift the whole work to the end into sleep.
La Belle Dame Sans Merci
Wind quartet and solo soprano
8.5 minutes
2024
I was interested in experimenting with different kinds of accompaniment for songs. This led me to write this work for wind quintet and solo soprano. I wanted to write a song that features different characters portrayed by the same performer in a similar way to Schubert’s Erlkonig. In this song, the soprano plays three characters; an inquisitive passerby, who is distinguished by their free rhythm and whispering, the faery queen who sings in nonsense syllables, quick triplets, and explosive high notes, and an oblivious knight, who narrates the tale, and often at odds with the other music happening. The wind quintet represents the setting of the song, and shows the different times and locations throughout the story; be that the desolate present, the idyllic queen’s forest, or the evil grot and dangerous dream. Additionally, I wanted to use a poem that included natural imagery and an infamous faery queen. This led me to Keats’ famous poem La Belle Dame Sans Merci.
I have split the poem into two parts for this work, the first being an introduction to the knight in the present, as well as a flashback to the past wherein the faery queen and her forest are illustrated and the knight falls in love with her. The second part features the faery queen’s deceptive plot to lure the knight to their demise like all who came before. The work ends as it began with the knight in a state of betrayal, defeat and heartbreak.
Separate from the source material of the poem, I have written a song for the faery queen which closes the first part and opens the second. This is a way to see a bigger picture of the story than just the poem. This is a platform for the faery queen to speak her mind and express her feelings about the actions of the knight. Given the unreliability of the knight as a narrator within the poem, this peek into the mind of the faery queen gives context for her actions later in the story.
8.5 minutes
2024
I was interested in experimenting with different kinds of accompaniment for songs. This led me to write this work for wind quintet and solo soprano. I wanted to write a song that features different characters portrayed by the same performer in a similar way to Schubert’s Erlkonig. In this song, the soprano plays three characters; an inquisitive passerby, who is distinguished by their free rhythm and whispering, the faery queen who sings in nonsense syllables, quick triplets, and explosive high notes, and an oblivious knight, who narrates the tale, and often at odds with the other music happening. The wind quintet represents the setting of the song, and shows the different times and locations throughout the story; be that the desolate present, the idyllic queen’s forest, or the evil grot and dangerous dream. Additionally, I wanted to use a poem that included natural imagery and an infamous faery queen. This led me to Keats’ famous poem La Belle Dame Sans Merci.
I have split the poem into two parts for this work, the first being an introduction to the knight in the present, as well as a flashback to the past wherein the faery queen and her forest are illustrated and the knight falls in love with her. The second part features the faery queen’s deceptive plot to lure the knight to their demise like all who came before. The work ends as it began with the knight in a state of betrayal, defeat and heartbreak.
Separate from the source material of the poem, I have written a song for the faery queen which closes the first part and opens the second. This is a way to see a bigger picture of the story than just the poem. This is a platform for the faery queen to speak her mind and express her feelings about the actions of the knight. Given the unreliability of the knight as a narrator within the poem, this peek into the mind of the faery queen gives context for her actions later in the story.
Synchromy Visits
French horn and cello
10.5 minutes
2023
Synchromy Visits is a duet written for cello and French horn inspired by the painting Cosmic Synchromy by Morgan Russell. Cosmic Synchromy employs a painting style Russell and his colleague Stanton Macdonald-Wright utilised called synchromism; where colour is to a painting the same way sound is to a symphony. The pair tried to mimic tonal systems using colour patterns like colour scales and colour harmonies.
This piece aims to illustrate different visits to see Cosmic Synchromy. The painting is represented in the cello, and visitors are represented in the horn. The cello part introduces the painting at the beginning. They play the same material with little variation to depict the different visitors and observations of the painting. The cello stays static on stage, while the horn player moves around. This portrays a painting on a wall, with visitors coming and going.
10.5 minutes
2023
Synchromy Visits is a duet written for cello and French horn inspired by the painting Cosmic Synchromy by Morgan Russell. Cosmic Synchromy employs a painting style Russell and his colleague Stanton Macdonald-Wright utilised called synchromism; where colour is to a painting the same way sound is to a symphony. The pair tried to mimic tonal systems using colour patterns like colour scales and colour harmonies.
This piece aims to illustrate different visits to see Cosmic Synchromy. The painting is represented in the cello, and visitors are represented in the horn. The cello part introduces the painting at the beginning. They play the same material with little variation to depict the different visitors and observations of the painting. The cello stays static on stage, while the horn player moves around. This portrays a painting on a wall, with visitors coming and going.
A Continuum of Prairie and Song
Piano four hands
4 minutes
2023
This work is a duet for piano four hands. Written as part of the Music Student Exchange project, with the Vivier Institute and its Ukrainian counterpart, Octopus, this project paired performers from Canada with composers from Ukraine, and vice versa. Inspired by the exchange aspects of the project, I used folk and modern songs from both countries as the basis for this composition.
The work is in two parts; the first is a slow-paced, choral-like, reflection on two folk songs; Ian Tyson’s “Four Strong Winds” from Alberta, and " Ой у вишневому саду" (Oh in the Cherry Orchard) from Ukraine. The piece opens with a slow chordal introduction where the two folk themes start superimposed and slowly move to become juxtaposed.
In contrast, the second section travels forward to the present, using hooks from contemporary pop songs from Canada and Ukraine; “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepson, and “Stefania” by Kalush Orchestra respectively. This section is fast-paced and fugue-like, embracing the contrapuntal texture that comes from moving the pop song motives from being juxtaposed, to superimposed.
Being a part of the MuSE Project was a rewarding experience. It enabled me to look into the music of Ukraine as well as my own country in a way I hadn’t before, as well as introduced me to two gifted music students from across the world. That connection is one I hope to maintain for years to come, and I would like to continue my collaboration and correspondence with the two pianists.
4 minutes
2023
This work is a duet for piano four hands. Written as part of the Music Student Exchange project, with the Vivier Institute and its Ukrainian counterpart, Octopus, this project paired performers from Canada with composers from Ukraine, and vice versa. Inspired by the exchange aspects of the project, I used folk and modern songs from both countries as the basis for this composition.
The work is in two parts; the first is a slow-paced, choral-like, reflection on two folk songs; Ian Tyson’s “Four Strong Winds” from Alberta, and " Ой у вишневому саду" (Oh in the Cherry Orchard) from Ukraine. The piece opens with a slow chordal introduction where the two folk themes start superimposed and slowly move to become juxtaposed.
In contrast, the second section travels forward to the present, using hooks from contemporary pop songs from Canada and Ukraine; “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepson, and “Stefania” by Kalush Orchestra respectively. This section is fast-paced and fugue-like, embracing the contrapuntal texture that comes from moving the pop song motives from being juxtaposed, to superimposed.
Being a part of the MuSE Project was a rewarding experience. It enabled me to look into the music of Ukraine as well as my own country in a way I hadn’t before, as well as introduced me to two gifted music students from across the world. That connection is one I hope to maintain for years to come, and I would like to continue my collaboration and correspondence with the two pianists.
Lied im Wald
Cello and piano
4.5 minutes
2023
This work is a duet for cello and piano using Schoenberg's twelve-tone system. Inspired by art song tropes, lost love, and forest imagery, the piece follows a protagonist's journey through a forest to reunite with their love interest. Representing the protagonist, the cello plays variations on the first half of the prime tone row while the piano uses the inverted and retrograde inverted tone row to illustrate the forest.
The tone row is constructed to be divided into two parts: the protagonist's six notes and the love interest's six notes, which form whole-tone scales. This adds a mythological or imaginary quality to the piece, to play into the storytelling aspect.
The presentation of the entire love interest’s theme is delayed until near the end. As the piece moves to the end, more notes are revealed. This symbolizes the protagonist's gradual approach toward reuniting with their love, reminiscent of a siren call.
4.5 minutes
2023
This work is a duet for cello and piano using Schoenberg's twelve-tone system. Inspired by art song tropes, lost love, and forest imagery, the piece follows a protagonist's journey through a forest to reunite with their love interest. Representing the protagonist, the cello plays variations on the first half of the prime tone row while the piano uses the inverted and retrograde inverted tone row to illustrate the forest.
The tone row is constructed to be divided into two parts: the protagonist's six notes and the love interest's six notes, which form whole-tone scales. This adds a mythological or imaginary quality to the piece, to play into the storytelling aspect.
The presentation of the entire love interest’s theme is delayed until near the end. As the piece moves to the end, more notes are revealed. This symbolizes the protagonist's gradual approach toward reuniting with their love, reminiscent of a siren call.
IV. Pursuit, from String Quartet No. 1
String Quartet
11 minutes
2023
This is the final movement of my first string quartet. Its title is in reference to the momentum and energy throughout, creating a sense of direction and potentially a feeling of being chased.
Recording is available by request.
11 minutes
2023
This is the final movement of my first string quartet. Its title is in reference to the momentum and energy throughout, creating a sense of direction and potentially a feeling of being chased.
Recording is available by request.
Spectres of Vienna
Two violins and viola
3 minutes
2020
Inspired by dance common practices perfected by the Viennese School, I wanted a dance that felt a little off, so I made use of the tritone between B and F, and wrote a dance that would feel like it would belong to the Supernatural world presided over by the Viennese fathers of Classical music.
3 minutes
2020
Inspired by dance common practices perfected by the Viennese School, I wanted a dance that felt a little off, so I made use of the tritone between B and F, and wrote a dance that would feel like it would belong to the Supernatural world presided over by the Viennese fathers of Classical music.
Cascate
Cello and piano
4 minutes
2020
Cascate, or "waterfalls" in Italian, are what I was thinking of when I was writing this piece. The scalar motive that comes back over and over again in the right hand of the piano represents the constant stream of water flowing down a rocky cliff. This piece uses only five pitch classes throughout; C, Eflat, E, Aflat, and Bflat. Each note is of equal importance, just as each crag and channel in a cliff is of equal importance. Without one the current of the water would inevitably change and the constant waterfall would alter or cease all together. This piece was conceived of as more of a trio rather than a duet, each hand of the piano should be given as much significance as the cello.
4 minutes
2020
Cascate, or "waterfalls" in Italian, are what I was thinking of when I was writing this piece. The scalar motive that comes back over and over again in the right hand of the piano represents the constant stream of water flowing down a rocky cliff. This piece uses only five pitch classes throughout; C, Eflat, E, Aflat, and Bflat. Each note is of equal importance, just as each crag and channel in a cliff is of equal importance. Without one the current of the water would inevitably change and the constant waterfall would alter or cease all together. This piece was conceived of as more of a trio rather than a duet, each hand of the piano should be given as much significance as the cello.
Valse Anglaise
String Quartet
3 minutes
2020
This short string quartet guides the listener through a frolic in the English countryside, as if travelling through the world of Jane Austen’s heroines.
3 minutes
2020
This short string quartet guides the listener through a frolic in the English countryside, as if travelling through the world of Jane Austen’s heroines.
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