One of the most rewarding aspects of my work as a young artist with DACAMERA of Houston is getting involved in the very out-of-the-ordinary projects they put on every year. As a part of this year’s season, my friend and former classmate Nanki Chugh (pictured) invited me to collaborate with her on an educational musical theater work titled “The Science of Sound.” The work involves a set of adventurers going on a trip across the universe to find sounds to “send to Oliver so he can write us music.” Throughout the musical are a few numbers where I beam them new pieces based off the sounds they send to me. I was happy to find out that, through partnerships with a number of HISD schools throughout Houston, every single seat was filled up with 5th graders for all 6 performances.

My work “Monsoon” will be premiered by the Pacific Chamber Orchestra under the baton of their director, Lawrence Kohl on Sunday, October 27th as a part of the Dream American concert. This concert will include five premieres by emerging composers. More information on this work coming soon.

Here is the live stream link: https://music.rice.edu/live-streaming-duncan-recital-hall

As I am writing this I am less than 4 hours from the recital and still furiously getting things together, but I thought I would take this time to make a small page where I can send people who are viewing the live stream from home so that they can read a bit about the work being premiered on this recital: Wandering Rocks.

Two other works are being performed on this recital. The first is Study After Agnes Martin’s The Tree performed by Anna-Sofia Botti. It’s a neo-impressionist work I wrote in response to one of my favorite paintings. The second is The Wayfaring Stranger performed by a vocal octet which came together very very very last minute to give new life to this small work I wrote for Roomful of Teeth last year.

A lightly revised version of my work, The Hand of God, which premiered at Barge Music in NYC this past summer received its west-coast premiered this past weekend at Cal Poly Pomona at Nadia Shpachenko’s CD Release Invasion, featuring music and art by Ukrainian artists with funds going towards supporting Ukraine. A subsequent performance is happening TONIGHT (December 11th) at 7:30PM at California State University Northridge.

My Alma Mater, Pomona College, commissioned me for a new orchestra work which I just completed. Please take a look at it here and read about the wonderful orchestra that will be performing it here. The performances are slated for November 18th (8PM) and 20th (3PM) at Bridges Hall of Music.

On the complete other end of the spectrum, I recently dug out a solo horn work which began as a collaboration between me and a friend and was sort of just thrown away (by me, not the friend) and forgotten about once it was completed. I figure that it is a good enough work to warrant being reworked and premiered, so I have done that and as of typing this I am a couple of hours from the premiere at the first Hear & Now Concert (Rice’s student-led new music ensemble). It should be a wonderful time as the horn player has really brought new and vivid life to this work. More info on that incoming.