Music

Premiered by Maestro Aidan Feeney and the Catholic University of America Chamber Orchestra at the CUA Fall 2024 Chamber Orchestra Concert.

Composer Note: Prayer of St. Francis was composed for Maestro Tartaglione and the Catholic University of America Chamber Orchestra in memory of Thomas Kanzelberger, a CUA student who passed away in June 2024. With solemn, somber material that seems increasingly despairing, the first section explores the idea that praying for personal peace in the face of tragedy can feel hopeless. In the second section, however, the mood becomes brighter as an insistent trumpet call heralds a soaring, majestic "Gloria" theme; while dark emotions do briefly return, the "Gloria" theme ultimately triumphs. The opening material closes the work, but this time "personal peace" is no longer resignation in the face of tragedy but quiet, serene confidence in God's will and plan for salvation.

As the Prayer of St. Francis asks of us, where there is despair, let us sow hope; where there is darkness, light.

Presented in MIDI.

Composer Note: This symphony's first movement opens with a harsh and menacing setting of the text "Et in Terra Pax" ("And on Earth Peace"). Different ideas and emotions attempt to establish themselves, but the brutality of the main idea always seems to triumph. Can peace be found on Earth?

The second movement is inspired by the text "Adiuva Incredulitatem Meam" ("Help My Unbelief"). In contrast to the first movement, each word is set to a unique musical idea. The main theme, a lyric setting of "Adiuva" in solo violin, is tragic, with a sense of longing. Next, double reeds present a dissonant, murky setting of "Meam" above which a chromatic clarinet duo setting of "Incredulitatem" emerges. While the darkness of these ideas is not fully resolved, the movement does seem to end peacefully, as if in hope that doubt does not destroy faith.

The third movement's fierce opening is answered by a "scornfully" cheerful setting of "Ne Nos Inducas in Tentationem" ("Lead Us Not into Temptation") that bustles along but always seems to run into trouble, tumbling over itself and leading into dark, "dismal" ideas based on the doubtful material from the second movement. An "off-kilter," hazy waltz from the rst movement is followed by an oppressive, brutal march that crashes terribly. The fierce opening returns, but dwindles away as the movement ends with a reminder of "Et in Terra Pax's" main theme.

"Memento Mei Cum Veneris in Regnum Tuum" begins with a cold, windy texture, from which horns herald a noble main theme that sets the text "Gloria in Excelsis Deo" ("Glory to God in the Highest") based on a gure that has reappeared throughout the symphony. This theme appears three times, increasingly powerful and triumphant. After each of the rst two variations, a slow, mournful setting of the text "Memento Mei Cum Veneris in Regnum Tuum" ("Remember Me When You Come into Your Kingdom") responds, both times sinking into despair. The third variation of the theme ramps up to extreme intensity but fades away as the windy opening returns. For a long moment, desolation pervades the work, but a solo horn call closes the symphony with a final gesture of hope.

Premiered by Maestro Ovidiu Marinescu and the Vidin Sinfonietta at the 2023 International Musicians Academy.

Composer Note: Night Ride Before a Duel imagines a duelist on a midnight horseback ride. Before tomorrow’s physical conflict, a battle occurs between the duelist’s courage and fear. The piece follows a modified sonata form. The exposition begins with Night, a hazy theme into which the main theme, the Duelist, rides on tense strings and winds. The Memory theme enters as a playful dance reminding the Duelist of home and giving them new conviction, but the crude and garish Fear theme halts all momentum.

The development sees Night’s return, but this time the emerging theme is that of a winding River that the doubt-filled duelist follows. This River’s calm nature quells all motivation in the Duelist, who begins a tranquil dance that is once more interrupted; Fear seems to mock the Duelist by presenting the Memory theme, but distorted and menacing. The Duelist stares down into the water and a distorted reflection stares back with the melody presented upside-down.

This sight is enough to charge the Duelist into riding on even more resolute in the Recapitulation. Alongside the winding River, the Duelist is filled with doubt once more, but after Night fades in briefly, the Duelist rides on, leaving every Fear behind. 

Premiered in PA by Adam Gillespie and the Westmoreland Youth Symphony Orchestra Philharmonic in the WYSO Fall 2024 Concert.

Composer Note: Composed for the Westmoreland Youth Symphony Orchestra, Wolf Rocks Expedition is a fantastical depiction of hiking one of the beautiful trails found in Laurel Summit State Park, Pennsylvania. The piece begins with rising minor sixths, the "wolf" motif which appears throughout. A brief sense of foreboding is answered by the piece's main theme, a heroic and cheerful melody that moves with purpose like a hiker eager to brave this new trail.

This celebration of adventure is interrupted by uneasy material; perhaps the hiker has spotted a snake and is now walking more carefully. Though deciding to continue on, the hiker is unsettled by this experience and now proceeds uncertainly, with the main theme feeling off-kilter. Suddenly, gathering clouds unleash a terrible storm, and the hiker must seek cover in this torrential downpour. As the rain lets up, it leaves behind silence...and lots of mud.

At first, the hiker can only muster the energy to gingerly trod through this mucky trail, but as the sun comes out and the hiker begins to dry off, the situation doesn't seem nearly as bad. With the hiker confidently setting forth once more, the main theme returns, building in speed and intensity as the end of the trail is near. The piece reaches a triumphant conclusion: the hiker has finally completed this noble expedition and gazes out upon the world from the top of Wolf Rocks.

Premiered in Spring 2024 at The Blake Project, a Catholic University of America Composition Department concert:

• Emma Markey, voice

• Balance Campaign, ensemble

Composer Note: In this setting of William Blake's poem "The Sick Rose," the vocalist portrays a young individual writing a letter to Rose, their friend and love interest. The writer wishes to warn Rose that the man she is currently in a relationship with is not good for her, but as the piece continues the young writer becomes increasingly bitter and resentful, beginning to exaggerate wildly. Many harmonies and motifs in this piece are taken from Edward MacDowell’s To a Wild Rose, which also inspired the title; although Blake’s text may be used to describe Rose and her relationship, To A Sick Rose is really about the young person portrayed by the vocalist and how this young person’s letter, distorted like MacDowell’s beautiful musical material, reflects their inner turmoil. 

Text by William Blake, public domain. 

Film Score of Crossing Ice Bridge at Niagara Falls, public domain.

Premiered in Spring 2023 by Maestro Andrew Earle Simpson and ensemble Balance Campaign at The Magic Camera, a Catholic University of America Composition Department concert in collaboration with the Library of Congress.

Composer Note: The main focus of my score is the contrast between the bleak winter imagery and the lively human activity as the camera completes a 360°+ pan. 

Read in Spring 2025 by Grammy-winning Akropolis Reed Quintet.

Composer Note: Earth-Sky Adoration begins with solemn "Earth" material that features droning accompaniment and slow antiphonal melodies. "Sky" enters in the form of birdlike gestures across the quintet, creating a cacophony that settles into a cheerful, rustic theme. "Earth" returns somberly, even grimly, and an attempt to recall "Sky" results in increasingly murky and turbulent material. As this storm passes, all members of the quintet begin to piece together material from both sections. "Earth" finally gains a real sense of cheer and gladly (if somewhat clumsily) climbs to "Sky." The whole ensemble celebrates with increasing intensity before the work ends joyfully. 

Reading expected Spring 2025 by members of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

Composer Note: The first movement of Commence begins with a melody first presented in the viola and followed by three alternate versions, each repeated once with minor variation and ended with a short outburst. The third of these outbursts proceeds directly into the second movement, with dancelike treatment of a new motive (taken from the outbursts) in multiple episodes. Contrasting lyrical material recalls the first movement and gives relief, and while the answering dance seems to grind to a halt, the piece continues as if nothing happened and trails away. 

Premiered at the 2023 International Musicians Academy, Vidin Concert Hall, Vidin, Bulgaria:

• Vladislav Adelkhanov, first violin

• Hannah Kwong, second violin

• Blanka Bednarz, viola

• Ovidiu Marinescu, cello 

Composer Note: Emotional and harmonic ambiguity open this string quartet, imagining two pillars floating in the clouds. Uncertainty and wonder at this sight lead to fierce and aggressive material, as if taking an uncompromising stance on its meaning. Frustration and pain result, but a less strict alternative is presented through a cheerful waltz. Unfortunately, it becomes clear that this material cannot stand on its own either. Confusion and dissonance take over, and in the wreckage the opening material returns, but upside down. Miraculously, this passage morphs into an enhanced, even more lyrical version of its original self, and an extended coda ends the quartet in E Major, with solemn joy that the contrasting sections were unable to claim.

Premiered in Fall 2022 at the Catholic University of America Composition Department Composition Area Concert:

• Michael Roll, double ocarina

• Michael DeMarco, marimba

• Faith Foster, viola

(adjacent video with Megan Sie, clarinet)

Composer Note: Marimba was an instrument I had never utilized before writing this piece, and I wanted to highlight its beautiful percussive abilities and sound in Forest (Day & Night). Marimba is the backbone that clarifies rhythm and harmony throughout the work, but it also has solo moments. “Day” begins with bouncy melodies passed between clarinet and viola in uneven rhythm. Increasingly exuberant, “Day” is succeeded by “Night,” which presents similar melodies in a more melancholic and introspective mood. Near the end of “Night,” the uneasiness created by shifting meters is enhanced with a sorrowful duet between clarinet and viola, but “Day” does return in the end with its energy and cheer. 

1st and 2nd movements premiered Spring 2023 at the Catholic University of America Composition Department Composition Area Concert.

• Leah Krieger, violin 1

• Aaron Meier, violin 2

Composer Note: In the first movement of this sonata,  "Agitated," the opening’s mechanical figure fades away to an off-kilter dance, with a rough and restless mood throughout. A new, soaring melody eventually emerges, but the movement still ends harshly. In "Pensive, Hazy," a similar melody is presented three times. The first two times, the mood brightens before the melody is stopped abruptly. The third time, a cheerful mood seems to solidify, but after a dark response the second movement ends quietly and solemnly 

Premiered in Fall 2024 at my senior degree recital at The Catholic University of America:

• Sasha Jernakoff, oboe

• Lucy Dunne, piano

Composer Note: Subterranean Wandering is a work for oboe and grand piano that explores the idea of being lost far underground. The piece begins with oboist offstage and piano playing while the work programmed before Subterranean Wandering is still being disassembled. Here and throughout most of the work, the piano inflexibly establishes the menace of the dark depths. By contrast, the oboe portrays a heroic but uncertain character, one exploring an unfamiliar and unwelcoming environment. The piano's music does not sync up with the oboe's and often clashes harmonically, furthering the feeling of not belonging. The oboe's music seems to become lost in darkness, but after remembering the surface world and gathering courage, it pushes on. Somehow swept along by this heroic spirit, the piano ends with a short but triumphant cadenza. 

Premiere / Recording Pending

Composer Note: 

The carefree main theme of "The Meadow" (based on a returning "G-A-B-D-G" motive) sets a peaceful scene, and while a more alert interlude gives a sense that perhaps not all is right, the following lyric theme moves even further into dreamy calm. Unstable, eerie lines add an ambiguous tint to the mood, but thunderous triplets and a menacing passage spell disaster. From the ensuing wreckage, the opening theme returns, but with a sense of nervousness and forced cheer. The dreamy lyric theme becomes nightmarish, and the following passage seems garish in its triumph. Seeming to crash once more, the movement closes with a fading attempt at the opening theme.

"The Lake" presents elegant, dance-like material, but there is a sense of eerie mystery to the extremely high register, chromatic melodies, and sostenuto-pedal-induced "reverb" effect. The main theme (based on a returning "A-E-Eb" motive) has a wandering, cheerful melancholy and is varied each time it appears. Intervening episodes include a more ominous version of the movement's main theme and a capricious but flowing melody based on the main theme of "The Meadow." The movement closes confidently.

"The Flowers" begins as a set of variations based on "La Folia" and combining material from both "The Meadow" and "The Lake." Strange gestures between variations foreshadows trouble, and the fourth variation seems to take over the piece with its menacing acceleration into catastrophic tremolos. As in "The Meadow," disaster has occurred, but the following extended passage's stoic leisure allows for contemplation and "The Flowers" reaches a serene, comforting sense of peace that closes the sonata. 

Premiered at the Catholic University of America Spring 2023 Baccalaureate Mass. 

Composer Note:

Ideally, an organ prelude helps to prepare the congregation for mass by setting a contemplative, prayerful tone. Help My Unbelief contemplates this ideal by beginning with dark, murky, and tragic material. It seems that the challenges of the world make peace difficult, but the second half of the prelude shifts miraculously into lyrical, flowing material and closes the piece with wonder and adoration.

2nd and 4th movements premiered in Spring 2024 at the Catholic University of America Composition Department Composition Area Concert.

Composer Note: 

This sonata's fourth movement, “Majestic,” features near-constant arpeggios and a solemn C Minor main theme. A variety of contrasting ideas and emotions eventually crash into dark, menacing material, but the main theme returns triumphantly and the movement closes in C Major.

Premiered in Fall 2024 at my senior degree recital at The Catholic University of America.

Composer Note: Calm, meditative water is disturbed by a brief rainstorm in Reflecting Pool. The piece follows a compositional rule in which any note played above “Middle C” is mirrored by a note played an equal distance below. Following this rule emphasizes the idea of reflection, as do the stereo panning and tuning (courtesy of the electronic keyboard). I also found that the symmetrical figures created by following this rule led to unusual harmony that gave this piece a unique character. After Reflecting Pool’s rainstorm, the main theme returns distorted and settles back into its original form as peace returns to the water.

Premiered by Maestro Brendan Harper and the Catholic University of America Concert Choir at the CUA Spring 2024 Concert Choir and Orchestra Concert.

Composer Note:  Fierce, menacing material opens this piece, and the repeated "Alleluia," sometimes presented as fragmented syllables, becomes a dark, almost vicious anthem. The darkness seems total as the piece crashes into somber middle section where the first new text is presented. "Glory to your passion / long suffering, O Lord" contemplates the simultaneous since of awe and tragedy at the death of Jesus Christ, and staggered cadences emphasize the murky atmosphere. But suddenly, the "Alleluia" returns in major keys, and an unstoppable forward motion propels the piece to a finish whose fierceness is now joyful. If there is any lingering menace, it is the fearsome power and glory of the risen Christ. 

Premiere expected at Carnegie Mellon University's Fall 2024 Composer Concert:

• Alex Irwin, voice

• James Krom, piano

Composer Note: In For Once, Then, Something, the singer’s own reflection constantly blocks them from seeing anything deeper in the well they kneel beside. This piece explores the question of whether searching for truth runs into a similar problem, as Robert Frost's poem hints at. Light, sometimes mocking material is contrasted by murky, watery textures, and the singer is often full of dark emotions. But in the end, the fact that something was surely hidden in the depths of the well is enough to leave the singer with a sense of hope, just as our own search for truth should be guided by our certainty that such truth does exist...though maybe not at the bottom of a well.

Text by Robert Frost, public domain. 

Premiered in Spring 2024 at The Blake Project, a Catholic University of America Composition Department concert:

• Emma Markey, voice

• Balance Campaign, ensemble

Composer Note: In this setting of William Blake's poem "The Sick Rose," the vocalist portrays a young individual writing a letter to Rose, their friend and love interest. The writer wishes to warn Rose that the man she is currently in a relationship with is not good for her, but as the piece continues the young writer becomes increasingly bitter and resentful, beginning to exaggerate wildly. Many harmonies and motifs in this piece are taken from Edward MacDowell’s To a Wild Rose, which also inspired the title; although Blake’s text may be used to describe Rose and her relationship, To A Sick Rose is really about the young person portrayed by the vocalist and how this young person’s letter, distorted like MacDowell’s beautiful musical material, reflects their inner turmoil. 

Text by William Blake, public domain. 

Premiered in Fall 2024 at my senior degree recital at The Catholic University of America:

• Gabriel Thompson, tenor

• Lucy Dunne, piano

Composer Note: A Dreamer is a monodramatic setting of a short excerpt from the beginning of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. Caesar is processing through the city with his advisors, but a soothsayer wishes to speak to him. Three distinct groups of characters are distinguished musically: Caesar, his advisors, and the soothsayer. Although Caesar is interested in learning what the soothsayer has to say, he is not impressed by the strange warning to “beware the ides of March.” The procession moves on but the accompaniment fades away to end in dissonance as if Caesar is traveling towards his tomb. 

Premiered in Fall 2024 at my senior degree recital at The Catholic University of America:

• Emily Douglass, mezzo-soprano

• Lucy Dunne, piano

Composer Note: Macbeth Doth Come is a short monodramatic setting of a scene from the beginning of Shakespeare's famous tragedy Macbeth. The three witches are characterized through register and gesture (both visual and musical). The music moves between eeriness and menace as the three witches meet and discuss their various evil deeds and plans. Suddenly, low, grand tremolos announce that “Macbeth Doth Come,” and the witches jump into action to prepare their spells for him. 

Composer Note: This track experiments with several musical ideas and special effects. The goal is to create nostalgic music that is overall calm and pleasant but has been somewhat distorted by the effect of time and by being played with faulty equipment. 

Composer Note: A collection of 3 pairs of electronic tracks, with materials within each pair transformed to fit a stylized depiction of day or night in a given setting.