Compositions
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V. Largo; VI. Quarter = 112; VII. Soave, un poco rubato (ma non troppo); VIII. Allegro; IX. Quarter = 60; X. Presto
A succession of ten short piano pieces, ranging from contemplative to fast and violent.
- March 24, 2009. Franklin Gross (piano); performed in the Recital Studio at The University of Texas at Austin.
Solo is a brief work for flute, marked “restless” in the score, which displays both the lyrical and agile qualities of the instrument.
- March 24, 2009. Joanna Martin (flute); performed in the Recital Studio at The University of Texas at Austin.
Scherzo was secretly composed from November to December of 2005. It was presented to the composer's wife on December 19, 2005 as a Christmas gift. It is a short, virtuosic, exciting work for an advanced trumpet player.
The title Legend was chosen for its obvious suggestion of the mysterious, the unknown, and perhaps the adventurous quality of a popular tale. The use of modal harmony and lyric melody provide the piece with what could perhaps be seen as the adventurous quality of such a tale.
- March 24, 2009. Szee-won Lee (viola), Shane Lamb (piano); performed in the Recital Studio at The University of Texas at Austin.
- November 4, 2006. Melissa Becker (viola), Carla Davis (piano); performed in the Recital Studio at The University of Texas at Austin for the Texas String Project Recital.
Awarded the best composition for an intermediate-level player as part of the 2005 University of Texas at Austin Solo String Music Competition.
This is a collection of three easy piano solos for beginning piano students. Suggested piano fingering is included, as well as a brief pedagogical description of each work.
The three movements are written in a deliberately simplistic style. Sparse in texture and modest in presentation, the work exists only to highlight the sound world of the piano. Each movement wanders from one sound to the next, only hinting at a modest formal structure.
- April 9, 2011. Slawomir Dobrzanski (piano); performed at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg for the 2011 UCM New Music Festival/Society of Composers, Inc. Region VI Conference.
- March 25, 2010. Slawomir Dobrzanski (piano); performed in the All-Faiths Chapel Auditorium at Kansas State University at Manhattan for the 2010 Society of Composers, Inc. Region VI Conference (click here for photo – .jpg, 515 kb).
- March 24, 2009. Franklin Gross (piano); performed in the Recital Studio at The University of Texas at Austin.
- November 12, 2007. Shane Lamb (piano); performed in the Bates Recital Hall at The University of Texas at Austin.
for violin; IV. Melody with Echo for B-flat clarinet; V. Solo for horn;
VI. Ambience for cello
In each movement, the composer first asked his wife to compose a theme for a specific instrument. Then, after never hearing the theme before, he gave himself one hour to complete each piece based on the theme.
The title does not refer to a specific anniversary, but rather evokes the recollection of past experiences and serves as a celebration of the life the composer and his wife have had together. The work is also a celebration of the inherent lyrical and agile qualities of the trumpet. Long, expressive phrases help to carry the piece forward, while interjections of bravura themes help to provide contrast.
- February 24, 2007. Ben Drury (trumpet), Bev Nichols (piano); performed in the Jansen Music Hall at Clarke College in Dubuque, Iowa for the 2007 Society of Composers, Inc. Region V Conference.
- February 22, 2007. Adam Hayes (trumpet), You Ju Lee (piano); performed in the Gloria Shott Performance Hall at North Georgia College & State University in Dahlonega as part of a Faculty Cooperative Recital.
- April 13, 2004. Carissa Hendrix (trumpet), Brandon Hendrix (piano); performed in the Morris R. Pitman Recital Hall at The University of Oklahoma in Norman.
The work consists of three movements, each of which represents the character of the instrument that plays. The movements are tied together using similar repeating motives. The second and final movements show off the impressive agility of the piccolo and C flute.
- April 18, 2008. Performed in the Recital Hall at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas for the 2008 Society of Composers, Inc. Region VI Conference.
- February 10, 2007. Lorraine Miller (flutes), flutist for the Wichita Symphony Orchestra (Wichita, Kansas); performed in the Hart Recital Hall at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg for the 2007 Society of Composers, Inc. Region VI Conference.
- December 1, 2005. Ashley Addington (flutes); performed in the Recital Studio at The University of Texas at Austin.
- April 13, 2004. Terri Dunn (flutes); performed in the Morris R. Pitman Recital Hall at The University of Oklahoma in Norman.
- December 3, 2003. Terri Dunn (flutes); performed in the Paul F. Sharp Concert Hall at The University of Oklahoma in Norman.
This work is in a very different vein than Piece for B-flat trumpet and piano no. 1. It was written with the young trumpet player in mind. A few sections are a little less “white notey,” which help to drive the piece forward.
- May 8, 2002. Carissa Hendrix (trumpet), Brandon Hendrix (piano); performed in the Fine Arts Recital Hall at Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant.
This work utilizes playing on the inside of the piano, and is very ethereal and eccentric in nature. It is a very unorthodox, interesting composition.