PIANO
MUSIC

"A Single Air Rifle Shot" is an original and well-crafted minimalist piano solo that showcases a unique and coherent personal style. Departing from the conventional techniques of modern contemporary music, this piece features a repetitive cell structure that creates a palpable sense of tension and release. Throughout the roughly eight-minute piece, oscillating left- and right-hand punctuating chords in bright Ab major traverse half a dozen key centers, following a fluctuating circle of parallel chromatic mediants. The shifting tonalities create an engaging and dynamic soundscape that draws the listener in. The B-section of undulating triplet patterns and motivic rhythms serves as a captivating contrast to the opening material of rapidly repeating chords in new key areas, showcasing the beauty and intricacy of minimalist music and demonstrating the power of musical contrast akin to the power of contrasting elements of a loaded gun.

"All the Clothes in a Woman's Closet" is a significant piano solo that exemplifies the minimalist style. As the title suggests, the matching of colors from a dizzying assortment of shirts, coats, shoes, etc. that one would find in a woman’s closet gives this piece a flurry of motion, textures, and timbres in a series of shifting tonalities and registers. The piano uses cascading, syncopated rhythms, splashes of colors, and repeating patterns and fragments to underpin the idea of what Steve Reich termed “process music.” The composition is divided into three main sections without any interstitial connective material, making use of splashes of colors to create a sense of fluidity and cohesion.

"And Fire Was Born" is a dynamic and energetic composition that features static, pulsating harmonies alternating with intricate right-hand melodies, creating a sense of ferocity in this post-minimalist piece. The use of ticking ostinatos and symmetrical forms unifies the composition into a cohesive whole, building up to a thrilling climax where the music accelerates and the harmonies shift, creating a sense of collapsing symmetry. This culminates in a burst of fiery energy with wide-ranging, plunging melodies that travel across the keyboard, creating a sense of sheer force and excitement.

"Angels in April" is a mesmerizingly serene piece that paints a delicate portrait through intricately layered entrances and low drones. The subtle bass and airy harmonies create a ripple effect of circuitous gestures and discordant bell-like touches, resulting in a tranquil soundscape of colors, shapes, timbres, and textures. Despite its disparate key centers, the piece remains cohesive in its transparency, peaceful in its thorniness, and fluid in its tactile qualities. Its free-form and windswept lines weave a tapestry of atmospheric pale pastels and soft strokes, drawing the listener into an ever-unfolding and expansive journey that spirals throughout the full extent of the keyboard.

“Apollo's Muse” is a contemplative piano piece that explores various modal inflections. Its 6/8 waltz rhythm gently sways a meandering lullaby over an arpeggiated left-hand accompaniment while the right-hand floats above with broken octaves and sixths. The piece creates an air of mystery with its hazy arpeggios and melancholic non-diatonic notes, evoking a haunting and somber tone. It is a captivating piece that showcases the pianist's ability to convey a sense of dreaminess and introspection through its delicate melodies and intricate harmonies.

"Arcade" is a piano piece that employs contemporary notation to create a unique sound world through the oscillating and alternating repetitions of the left and right hand. This approach produces a pointillistic effect, highlighting the hand positions' single-minded focus while contributing to a broader and larger-scale soundscape. The resulting sound is reminiscent of a pinball machine, with its percussive quality and playful energy.

"At the Water" is a piano piece that stands out for its lyricism and melody within the collection. It employs a free rubato style while maintaining a solid structure, relying heavily on arpeggiated broken chord fragments built on octaves and fifths. The gradual harmonic shifts and repeated notes create a relaxed and hesitant atmosphere, leading to an extended development in its higher recapitulation before a gentle coda fades away with a final exchange between the hands.

"Atlantica Pacifica" is a minimalist piano composition that employs repeating patterns derived from a melodic and harmonic progression. Through the use of repetition, the listener becomes familiar with the motifs before being introduced to new fragments, which are subsequently interwoven with the original material. This piece is a structured exploration of minimalism that focuses on the development of a few key ideas, playing with the concept of time and space to create a cohesive and introspective work.

"Augenmusik" is a solo piano piece that evokes the virtuosic brilliance, tenderness, and beauty of the Romantic era, drawing inspiration from the works of Rachmaninoff. The piece features sweeping, lyrical melodic lines and intricate filigree that interweave with lush, complex harmonies, creating a captivating emotional landscape. The virtuosic passages are balanced by moments of delicacy and sensitivity, allowing for a nuanced and powerful performance. With its rich harmonies and intricate textures, the piece stands among the great masterpieces of the Romantic piano repertoire, showcasing the depth and grandeur of this beloved musical era.

"The Baobab Tree" is an advanced piano solo work that draws inspiration from the legends surrounding the iconic African tree. The dotted pitches paint a canvas of shifting notes that evoke the image of tree branches reaching out from a mighty baobab. The piece's avant-garde style explores disparate areas of time and tonality, taking the listener on a journey through a unique and captivating musical landscape. This unusual piece was inspired by a recent visit to the continent of Africa and upon hearing one of several legends about the tree:

“The baobab was among the first trees to appear on the land. Next came the slender, graceful palm tree. When the baobab saw the palm tree, it cried out that it wanted to be taller. Then the beautiful flame tree appeared with its red flower and the baobab was envious of flower blossoms. When the baobab saw the magnificent fig tree, it prayed for fruit as well. The gods became angry with the tree and pulled it up by its roots, then replanted it upside down to keep it quiet.”

"Barcarolle" is a captivating and enchanting piano solo in the key of D minor. With its beautifully long melodic lines, the piece takes the listener on a serene journey through gentle, undulating waves of sound reminiscent of a tranquil Venetian gondola ride. The harmonies ebb and flow like the tides, creating a dreamy and ethereal soundscape that lulls the listener into a peaceful state of mind. This piece exudes a romantic and accessible charm, with intricate arpeggios and delicate, soft harmonies that transport listeners to the magical gondola rides through the canals of Venice. It is a stunning example of romantic piano music that is both sophisticated and charming.

“Birdwatching” is a tender and captivating piano composition that showcases the virtuosic skills of an advanced pianist with its intricate florid passages and swift runs. The music's gentle motion provides a sense of tranquility and calmness through its serene harmonies, creating a soothing and enticing soundscape. The piece uses subtle bird-like characteristics, imbuing its melodies with a sense of liveliness and organic flow, creating an immersive and vivid musical picture. The piece evokes a sense of peaceful stillness, offering a moment of contemplation and introspection to the listener. The careful interplay between the flowing runs and the serene harmonies creates a sense of balance and harmony, reminiscent of the tranquility one might experience while observing nature. The pianist's mastery of touch and tone is crucial to bringing out the subtleties of the piece, allowing the gentle shifts in dynamics and phrasing to enhance the expressive quality of the music. It is a captivating work that transports the listener to a tranquil and reflective space through its delicate beauty and poetic imagery. It invites the listener to pause and appreciate the beauty of the natural world through the lens of music, offering a moment of peace and serenity in our fast-paced world.

“Black Crows” is a piano composition that exudes a calm and unchanging mood, firmly rooted in the somber key of Eb minor. Throughout the piece, the left and right hands repeat harp-like arpeggios, creating a slowly evolving soundscape that is delicate, beautiful, and reverent. It seeks to explore extremes in its restful plaintiveness and circular patterns. Over time, the listener is drawn into a sense of melancholic wonderment that becomes part of the background texture, akin to a Morten Feldman experimental piece. The composition does not offer much in the way of new ideas, and instead, it serves as a short extension of a simple idea. The relationships between chords and notes gradually lose meaning, and attempts to resist the repetition of similar textures and rhythms become a futile exercise. Against a backdrop of dark hues and subtle, hypnotic murmurings, the listener is enveloped in a sea of hushed nothingness.

"Boardriders" is a post-minimalist piece for duo pianos that alternates between creating a sense of forward motion and expressing singing, melodic lines above shifting harmonic figurations in the accompaniment. The two pianos move fluidly between waves of cross-rhythms, driven by pulsating figures that impart controlled movement to the piece's gentle rumblings. Long melodic lines soar above the piece's hierarchical structures, propelled by unsteady progressions and sudden modulations that create a sense of tidal surges. These elements converge to create a musical journey that is constantly in motion, flowing and undulating as it encounters rolling sweeps of arpeggios and rippling, watery effects that ebb and flow asynchronously. The dynamics and tessitura of the piece shift throughout, creating a lively and evocative musical experience.

“Bright Holiday Canons” is a collection of original canons that are arranged across the full extent of the piano keyboard to create a festive and joyful atmosphere. The shimmering qualities of the piece make it an ideal highlight for a yuletide concert or winter celebration. While the modal influences give the piece a childlike quality, it is far from simplistic. With aleatoric and unconventional elements, the piece offers pianists the freedom to explore its complexities. Its dramatic and cinematic flavor make it an excellent addition to a young pianist's concert repertoire.

“Cactus" is a staccatissimo post-minimalistic solo piano work that uses repetition and slight variation to create a thorny, yet cheerful, atmosphere. The primary musical phrase reoccurs throughout the piece, with each repetition truncated by a beat or two. Elongated pauses of silence give contrast to the repeated phrases, and a new musical material is introduced to add distinction and avoid monotony. The silences almost break up the main phrase, adding tension and drama as the atoms of the phrase gradually piece the work together. As the music progresses, contrasting material is introduced, and the harmonic shifts add complexity to the musical tapestry. The piece concludes with a short, biting coda that rounds out the form, making the piece satisfyingly short and pointed.

"Carousel Ghosts" is a solo piano piece that features a melody that moves between loosely defined pitch class tones, creating a haunting, otherworldly atmosphere. The piece traverses the full range of the keyboard, using a kaleidoscopic series of patterns and rotating pitch sequences. The piece is designed to evoke a sense of faded memories, as if hearing distant echoes of naive turn-key chord progressions and a child-like tune from a forgotten world. The inspiration for the piece comes from the image of a crumbling and abandoned merry-go-round, which serves as a centerpiece for its musical themes. While the melody does not directly recreate this image, it suggests a ghostly, ethereal quality that transports the listener to a world of faded memories and forgotten landscapes. It is a poignant and introspective addition to any piano program or recital.

"Chariots" is a complex and sophisticated composition for two pianos, designed to challenge advanced-level performers. Over the course of nearly six minutes, the piece gradually shifts from simple open tertian and perfect intervals to more dynamic and intricate thematic modes. The initial section draws inspiration from military motifs, establishing the foundation for the piece's rapidly shifting colors and textures, which are then developed and transformed throughout the work. The overall structure and keyboard ideas evoke the image of swift chariot wheels rolling across rugged terrain, with jagged surges and punctuated figurations interwoven with more tranquil, circular fragments. The elliptical, spiraling movements of each hand create a nuanced interplay of patterns and lines that blend together seamlessly. The work features thematic re-statements that use a jaunting, dotted eighth-sixteenth pattern to guide the listener through smaller, repetitive loops that serve as sublayers of contrasting and propulsive internal units. The intricate weaving of these elements is carefully balanced to both offset and accentuate the larger forms of the piece, resulting in a rich and rewarding listening experience.

"The Cloisters" is a piano solo that relies heavily on single and open fourth and fifth-spaced left and right-hand melodies to create a hauntingly transparent and wistful atmosphere. The piece opens with a pale introduction that suggests rhythmic pulses, which quickly evolve to form the basis for a low accompaniment that supports a lightweight yet heavily syncopated long linear descending melody in the right hand. Through suggestive and reflective modal shifting and diatonic panning from disparate harmonic relationships, a gentle and quiet theme gradually emerges, invoking the somber music of the old Benedictine order of stained-glass cathedrals being enveloped in walls of sonorous psalms of monastic choristers chanting hymnals before dawn. The inspiration for this piece was drawn from a visit to The Cloisters, a museum located in northern Manhattan, in the late 2000s. The music is taut in its austere and delicate style, and its abrupt bass punctuations lend it a defiant quality. The drone-like quality of the music is reflective, worshipful, and primordial in its chant-like chorale, evoking a sense of reverence and contemplation.

"Cool Air" is a piano solo that features smoothly flowing melodies against a backdrop of intricate rhythmic patterns and overlapping motifs, creating a nuanced and introspective ambiance. The essence of the work lies in its intricate and simultaneous descending melodic lines and distinctive layers of rhythmic polyphony, which interweave to embellish a reflective subject. The piece conveys complexity through detailed and oblique parallel motions, with quiet dynamics dominating the overall soundscape. Despite playful interplay between hands and tightly woven voices, the ethereal aural space redefines the art of gentile contrapuntal technique. The linear melodic line arrives multiple times, spawning further descending lines and leading to increasing heterophony, blending into a dramatic web of connective tissues stemming from a simple vertical gesture at the heart of the work. The piece adopts a restrained and subdued approach to a new tonal language, creating a captivating atmosphere that balances depth and dynamic contrast.

Inspired by a childhood fascination with a large copper-plated grandfather clock, “Copper Clocks” is a three-part piano solo that captures the essence of time through contrasting tones, imaginative special effects, and vivid imagery. The first movement features a rapid succession of one-note melodies, rich with moments of Bachian reflection and sensuality, and propelled forward with a sense of motion and off-beat ricocheting designs. The second movement creates a bell-like atmosphere, stripping away pulse and regular intervallic gestures to distill time into extraordinary poly- and dodecaphony images. The third movement explores dissonant, suspenseful scoring in permutations of dark, moody contrapuntal strains and fragments, creating a hauntingly beautiful and austerely set coloration of the soundscape of timepieces. Through its use of motifs and exploration of space and punctuating silences, “Copper Clocks” is a remarkably effective new work that captures the space between tonal and non-tonal worlds with commanding language and impact.

"Cortège" is an introspective piano solo arranged for a small orchestra in B minor, featuring a sorrowful and melancholic descending melody that gradually emerges, accompanied by a static bass line of descending sustained tones. The quiet dynamics and simple, tender accompaniment enhances the emotional power of the piano solo, adding rich textures and colors to the composition, evoking introspection and melancholy. Emotional restraint is maintained throughout, with open and perfect intervals contributing to a stark and unstable mood. The use of simple yet powerful elements, such as sustained tones and open intervals, create a somber and introspective work that speaks to the human experience of sorrow, death, and contemplation.

"Crayon Turns" is a whimsical two-piano composition that features a lively interplay between the Secondo's rhythmic propulsion and the Primo's playful exploration of an ostinato loop. Through the use of shimmering scalar passages, punctuated by low accents and fleeting flourishes, the work conjures a sense of childlike wonder and magic. The Primo's octave motors, which provide much of the piece's musical material, are developed through subtle harmonic inflections that weave in and out of expanding and contracting phrases, creating a kaleidoscopic effect that is both enchanting and unpredictable. The effect is a bright and ever-shifting tapestry of sound and color, reminiscent of the vibrant patterns and designs that emerge from a child's box of crayons.

“Crockett” is a hauntingly beautiful piano solo that evokes the subtle drama of the American South, drawing inspiration from the meandering rivers and expansive landscapes of East Texas bayou country. The piece features lush and intricate melodies that are rooted in the tradition of blues, adding a rich and timeless quality to the composition. With its skillful craftsmanship and cinematic sensibility, “Crockett” invites the listener on a journey through a desolate yet evocative landscape of rusty iron barbed wire, graffiti, and old railway lines. The piece skillfully captures the contemplative mood of the region, presenting a contemporary Southern counterpart to Charles Ives that is both evocative and meditative.

“Dawn” is a substantial piano solo work (also orchestrated) that draws inspiration from the vibrant colors and atmospheric serenity of sunrise. The piece slowly builds from its firmly rooted tonal beginnings in C major, evoking the tranquil and contemplative mood of the early morning hours. Jubilant fanfares emerge and are expounded upon as the music unfurls, evoking the sun's first rays that slowly begin to break through the horizon. The piece is heavily reliant on quickly fleeting ascending arpeggios, trilling right-hand passagework, and climatic power in its finale, invoking the vibrant hues of the sunrise sky and the explosive energy of the sun as it ascends. Sparse, hushed moments are interspersed throughout the piece, evoking the awakening of the natural world and the sounds of birdsong. Throughout "Dawn," the melodic lines are long and sweeping, blending impressionistic moments with emotional intimacy and intensity, much like the ever-changing colors and moods of the sunrise. As the piece comes to a close, the listener is left with a sense of awe and wonder, akin to the breathtaking beauty of a sunrise.

“Duris” is a profound orchestral work in a minor key that showcases a post-minimalist aesthetic. The piece is an evocative exploration of the interplay between contrasting melodic lines and rippling, propulsive undercurrents, which creates a sense of inexorable momentum. It uses a rich harmonic language that skillfully balances dissonance and consonance. The dark, brooding tones of the piece lend themselves to a powerful emotional impact, evoking a sense of depth and complexity. The work is marked by shifting rhythms and modalities, which create moments of both tension and release. The result is a piece that is both dramatic and satisfying, full of energy and vitality. The rhythmic motifs of “Duris” are intricate and compelling, drawing the listener in with their fractured and busy nature. The work offers a gripping tension that is both accessible and sophisticated, showcasing the composer's skill at crafting compelling and evocative musical narratives.

“Eight Elizabethan Dances” is a charming and refined collection of solo piano pieces that showcases the beauty and variety of Old English dance styles from the 18th century. With a skillful use of different voices and styles, the work evokes a gritty neo-Classical and subtly medieval atmosphere, full of colorful and exotic materials that spin across the full extent of the piano's range. Each dance is a fresh and imaginative approach to the post-minimalist idioms of our times, with lush passages of remote beauty and echoes of dramatic, whimsical splendor. The suite's eight movements offer a highly accessible, animated rhythm and melody that alternate between peasant songs, courtly dances, and unexpected humorous scherzandos. Together, they create a captivating and picturesque work that is full of individuality and style. From the energetic and lively “Volta” to the graceful and noble “Pavane,” each movement of the suite offers a unique musical portrait. The suite's vivid, contrasting movements are a testament to the artistry of the composer, who has skillfully woven together elements of tradition and modernity into a delightful and engaging musical tapestry.

Catchy and infectious, "Ear Catchers" is a piano solo piece that cleverly weaves the harmonic progressions of popular music with a fresh, modernist perspective. Drawing inspiration from the collective cultural zeitgeist, the piece is a captivating exploration of the intersection between contemporary and traditional styles. It features a playful, syncopated rhythm that drives the momentum forward and creates an irresistibly groovy feel. The harmonies are crafted with a sense of adventurousness and unexpected twists, elevating the piece above mere pastiche. This is a work that will delight and surprise listeners with its innovative approach to blending styles and showcasing the enduring appeal of popular music in a new light.

"East Bell Avenue" is a refined and introspective four-hand piano solo that beautifully exemplifies the enduring quality of personal reflection in its composition. The captivating musical journey begins hesitantly, evoking a sense of introspection and nostalgia, gradually transforming the opening theme into an elaborate statement marked by the Andante Molto Sostenuto. The poignant contrast provided by the second bridge material adds a sense of longing and reflection. The final statement of the theme interweaves with Secondo echoing material, creating a thoughtful and contemplative musical conversation between both pianists. With tender and intricate melodic interplay, it evokes a wistful nostalgia and serves as a touching testament to personal growth and reflection, encouraging listeners to pause and contemplate their own journeys of self-discovery since childhood.

“Embers” is a tour de force piano solo for the accomplished pianist that employs impressionistic and aleatoric notation to create a mesmerizingly ethereal soundscape. Blurred tones and iridescent structures coalesce into suggestive and shimmering colors, evocative of sparks of varying lengths and densities that fly across the piano’s full range. As the piece progresses, these sparks give way to increasingly elaborate and ornamental motifs that sparkle and flicker with captivating beauty. At the core of the work lies its sparse and harmonically beguiling textures, which are dynamically subdued and interwoven with moments of silence. The music oscillates between moments of tumultuous intensity and carefully crafted gossamer nuances, punctuated by disjointed melodic particles that add to its beguiling appeal. Throughout the piece, the pianist's deft touch and sensitivity to tone are crucial to bringing out the subtleties of the music, allowing the listener to fully appreciate its captivating intricacies. It is a spellbinding work that transports the listener to a world of breathtaking beauty and ethereal fragility, where sparks of light dance and flicker in a kaleidoscope of ever-shifting colors. Its impressionistic and aleatoric elements infuse the music with a sense of unpredictability and mystery, creating an experience that is both hauntingly evocative and deeply moving.

“Etude in E major” re-imagines one of the earliest pieces written, using cascading arpeggios to form mesmerizing harmonies and circular patterns that captivate and create a compelling listening experience. It showcases a rich tapestry of sounds and harmonies that build in excitement and delve into deeper key centers before returning to E major. Despite its minimalism, the piece reveals an intricate tertiary-like form and evolves organically, taking the listener on a journey of discovery. The arpeggios become increasingly ornate, building towards a climactic finish that is both exhilarating and deeply satisfying. It's a captivating work that blends simplicity and complexity.

"Factory" is an impressive solo piano composition, showcasing a complex web of dense harmonic support that is interspersed with rapid and powerful rhythmic punctuations. This seminal work boasts a vivid and muscular sound, with a solidly scored exploration of skyrocketing flourishes, shifting key centers, and mechanistic strikes that span the entirety of the keyboard. From its pulsating beginnings to the relentlessly descending blows of assaultive, sharp punctuations that mimic a percussive jack-hammer, "Factory" is a towering work of immense power - a dizzying ascent into an ever-expanding musical soundscape that perpetually spins its inertia into unresolved, unstable tonal centers, culminating in a breathtaking climax of turbulent energy.

"Fireworks" is a tour-de-force piano solo that embodies a virtuosic display of technical proficiency and artistry. The piece showcases a dazzling array of cascading notes that shimmer and soar across the keyboard, punctuated by dense, full-handed chordal patterns that lend a weighty and impactful quality to the overall sound. In the contrasting B-section, the music takes a reflective turn, offering a moment of introspective repose through delicate trills, tremolos, and coloristic splashes that are expertly woven into the texture. This momentary calm is soon overtaken by a renewed burst of energy and pyrotechnics, culminating in a kaleidoscopic display of sound that leaves a lasting impression on the listener's senses. As a work of significant artistic merit, "Fireworks" is the result of many days of painstaking effort and creative refinement. The composition marks a turning point in the artist's development, signaling a new stylistic direction that emphasizes a mature and well-crafted approach to the material. Every texture and fingering choice has been thoughtfully considered and balanced to achieve optimal clarity and linear coherence, with rapid motions and shifts in timbre and mood providing a constant sense of contrast and tension throughout the piece. The result is a brilliant and unforgettable display of virtuosity and musicality that leaves a lasting impression on all who hear it.

"Five Boston Accents" is a dynamic five-movement piano solo, each movement offering a unique style and mood while maintaining a cohesive thematic connection through accented articulations. The work is imbued with an unpretentious and captivating charm that draws the listener in, evoking a sense of familiarity and approachability. The intricate and innovative writing explores the interplay between ornamental accompaniment and cross-hand exchanges, utilizing multi-layered voices to create highly stylized melodic contours that follow the rhythm of the language. The rhythms are complex and syncopated, providing a thrilling and captivating atmosphere that is both intellectually stimulating and emotionally charged. The work's technical demands are expertly balanced, allowing for the full range of the piano to be utilized with raw surges of climactic power and dramatic flair. The interludes are a ricochet of delightful complications, skillfully arranged and executed with contrapuntal turbulence and unyielding emotion. It is a remarkable composition that showcases the composer's masterful command of the piano, inventive approach to composition, and unique ability to create music that is both intellectually engaging and emotionally stirring.

"Flamingos" is a solo piano composition that embraces an irreverent and playful tone, inviting the listener on a whimsical journey through clusters of muted chromatic notes that dance and dart across the keyboard. It is a buoyant and carefree piece, delighting in the spontaneity of its ever-shifting rhythms and asymmetrical time signatures, capturing the essence of playful listlessness that characterizes those moments of unbridled, unexpected fun. The music presents a unique challenge to the pianist, calling upon their dexterity and control as they navigate the kaleidoscopic patterns of notes, channeling the energy and excitement of a pet animal leaping joyfully on the keys. The result is a thrilling exploration of sound that pushes the boundaries of traditional piano technique, foregrounding rapidity, rhythm, and quietness over traditional pitch-focused melodies. Throughout the work, the listener is drawn into a vibrant sonic landscape, alive with the ebullience of the titular flamingos, as the piece revels in the freedom of its whimsical, unpredictable musical world.

“Fog Rolls” is a strikingly dense and intricate piano solo, brimming with purposeful passages of dissonant, bell-like resonances that linger within a misty, enveloping haze. This potent piece exhibits an unwavering force, as the pianist employs all ten fingers to create a full-bodied range of notes, resulting in an exceptional depth of sonority. The fundamental aspect of the work revolves around slowly moving masses that cascade through the resonant sonorities, interspersed with moments of calm, gray nothingness. With a score that fully encompasses the piano's range, this contemporary piece exudes a powerful, yet captivatingly alluring quality, as the use of the sustain pedal links disparate tonal centers into a cohesive, swirling eddy. The sustained tones gradually fade, giving way to an array of exciting new colors and textures. The composition is carefully balanced between the left and right hands, and the addition of unexpected dissonances further highlights the thickly moving chordal clusters, as well as the freely floating bodies of clusters. "Fog Rolls" is a truly remarkable piece that explores depth in unconventional timbres of low chords and clusters.

"Four Japanese Gardens" is a collection of four original musical movements that showcase contrasting soundscapes infused with subtle Far Eastern influences. The harmonies, which are impressionistic, evoke the ancient traditional folk songs of Japan, and each movement features new thematic material. These free-form fantasias are delicately scored and create muted yet alluring and uniquely beautiful soundscapes. Incorporating elements of Japanese musical tradition with contemporary Western compositional techniques, "Four Japanese Gardens" creates a space to transport listeners to a world of tranquility and reflection.

"From 'A Book of Spells'" is a captivating and ephemeral piece for solo piano, crafted with intricate attention to detail. The delicate yet purposeful interplay between the right and left hands creates a sense of motion and momentum that is both fluid and precise. The tonal pitch cells, carefully constructed by the composer, provide a rich harmonic landscape that is at once elusive and enchanting. The work's brevity is an asset, as it allows the listener to fully immerse themselves in the beauty of its glowing aura without distraction. The piece transports the listener to a unique sound world that is both ethereal and almost otherworldly, evoking a sense of wonder and magical mystery. The quiet delicacy of the music belies its depth and complexity, revealing new layers with each subsequent listening.

"Gargoyles" is a dynamic and powerful piano solo that draws inspiration from the raw energy of rock music. Its heavy-handed chords and repetitive ostinatos in the left hand create a driving pulse, while the right hand adds animated and exciting snippets of jostling rhythms and jagged asymmetrical phrases. The result is a cohesive and satisfying work that balances stability and instability, dissonance and consonance, and propulsive motors and sparks of color. While the piece evokes a sense of macabre and grisly simplicity, it also showcases the pianist's skill in navigating its tumultuous and distorted passages. It is a thrilling and invigorating composition that is as impressive to play as it is to hear.

"Grey and Green Lines" is a mesmerizing post-minimalist piano solo that showcases the interplay between the left and right hands. Through its syncopated patterns and shifting sonorities, the piece creates a swirling and disjointed yet captivating soundscape. The title of the work is reflected in the opulent colors that punctuate the music, with bright grey and green lines evoking a meteoric skyline. The piece has a repentant quality, with a wistful and twisting melody marked by displaced intervals and bursts of disjointed harmonies. The resulting effect is both rhythmic and nuanced, creating a complex and satisfying listening experience.

“Hatcher’s Pond” is a mesmerizing piano solo that draws from modal traditions, shifting tonal centers and featuring sparse left-hand accompaniment, creating a stark and haunting ambiance. The slowly evolving pulses that start with a certain tempo and fade away like whispers create an enigmatic soundscape that enthralls the listener. The strands of melodic material are woven together to form a cohesive and moody composition that delves into an introverted and mystifying world of tertial harmonic progressions and unstable structures, casting a spell over the audience with its alluring and hypnotic appeal.

“Hole” is a piano solo created at The Atlantic Center for the Arts, to be performed with a silent art film of the same name. The piece is sparse and introspective, featuring simple three-note patterns rotated over a slow accompaniment, complementing the themes of isolation, longing, and connection in the film. The recurring melodic motif creates distinct moods, making the piece evocative and engaging. It invites listeners to reflect on their emotional journey and challenges, creating space for personal growth and contemplation of being one's own worst enemy and the metaphorical holes they dig.

"House on 16 1/2 Place" marks the composer's inaugural foray into solo piano composition, signaling the beginning of a wide-ranging exploration of diverse styles, forms, and genres. Fueled by his innate affinity for the piano, he crafted a collection of works spanning from brief, one-minute pieces to extended, half-hour soundscapes, which reflect the influences, techniques, cultures, and intuition that informed his musical development. This house holds a profound significance, as it was the locus of the composer's artistic genesis and served as his abode while working alongside the illustrious 16-time Grammy-winner, David Foster. Foster's encouragement further kindled Nathan's passion for music, setting him on a path of prolific creation. The composition itself features a recurring melody, infused with modal inflections that capture the essence of southern harmonies with directness and sonorous dynamism. The haunting motif exudes a lyrical aura that resonates with the emotional depth and transcendence of the human soul. It is a harbinger of the composer's artistic odyssey, prefiguring the panoply of melodic marvels that await. It serves as a testament to the composer's unrelenting commitment to his craft, his boundless imagination, and his unwavering pursuit of artistic expression.

"How to Paint Birds" is a colorful and minimalistic solo piano piece that showcases the composer's skillful use of melody and texture. Through the use of a sparse harmonic palette, the piece creates a sense of openness and space, allowing the listener to revel in the gentle interplay of colors and melodies. Each note is imbued with a sense of purpose and intention, adding to the overall richness and depth of the composition. It evokes the vivid hues and textures of a bird's plumage, while also capturing the sense of playfulness and whimsy that is often associated with avian life. The melodies flit and soar like a bird in flight, taking the listener on a joyous journey through the air. The minimalistic approach to the piece lends it a sense of elegance and refinement, with each note carefully chosen and placed to create a harmonious whole. It is a testament to the composer's ability to create beauty and meaning through simplicity. It is a piece that invites the listener to pause and take in the world around them, to revel in the colors and textures that surround us every day. In its own way, it is a celebration of life and the beauty that can be found in even the smallest and most seemingly insignificant things.

Encountering the opening phrase while practicing the piano, the composer was struck with inspiration and swiftly jotted down the four-part melody that would become 'Hymn.' Despite its brevity, the piece exudes a remarkable sense of satisfaction that lingers long after its initial creation. As one of the composer's earliest works, 'Hymn' stands as a testament to the power of simplicity and melody. Its delicate and reverent tones invoke the solemnity and transcendence of a sacred hymn, offering a contemplative and soul-stirring musical experience. Through its graceful melody and poignant harmonies, 'Hymn' speaks to the timeless and enduring nature of musical expression, inviting listeners to immerse themselves in its peaceful and meditative aura.

"In the Big Free & Easy" is a thought-provoking jazz-influenced piano solo that unfolds in two related sections, each with its own subtitle - "Delancey" and "Mercer." The composition is built around a single short motive that undergoes continuous variation, an approach inspired by Schoenberg's study of harmony. Although not strictly adhering to the twelve-tone-row technique, this experimental procedure imbues the piece with a greater emotional range and formal flexibility compared to previous works that incorporated jazz-inspired, Copland-esque, and blues-inflections in a relatively small manner. As the style of the piece evolves organically, it gradually expands its horizons and draws inspiration from folk sources, aiming to create a more popularly accessible work that speaks to a wider audience. With its subtle yet captivating nuances and sophisticated interplay of melody, harmony, and rhythm, it showcases the composer's mastery of both the jazz and classical idioms.

"Introduction & Capriccio" is a dynamic two-movement piano solo that showcases the composer's versatility with contrasting moods. With an impressionistic style characterized by charmingly effervescent tonalities, the work opens with the commanding scale-based section that recurs throughout the piece, creating a dance-like quality in the brief yet captivating "Introduction." The interplay between the hands displays the composer's technical skill in creating contrasting textures, leading to an abrupt end that creates a suspended sense of time and motion. The second movement, "Capriccio," is played leggiero and presents a solidly structured and thick texture that showcases the composer's ability to create dynamic and engaging musical narratives. With a spirited affability and forceful temperament, this movement concludes after a lengthy two-handed twisting and turning of lines, featuring upwards or downwards appoggiatura-like scale fragments and punctuated dissonances.

"Jester" is a playful and delightful jazz-inspired piano composition that transforms a single motif into a whimsical and spontaneous musical journey. The piece alternates between sparse, intimate sections and lively, polyrhythmic improvisations that showcase the motif's evolution. The two accompanying pianos create a dynamic interplay of rhythms and melodies, resulting in a unique and enjoyable musical experience. "Jester" captures the playful spirit of a jester, juggling and joking their way through life with a lighthearted tone and toe-tapping rhythm. This joyous piece celebrates the power of music to spread joy and laughter, leaving the listener feeling uplifted and energized.

“Junk Mail" is a captivating piano solo composed of seven short movements, each lasting less than a minute. The titles of the movements were inspired by junk mail received in Los Angeles on a particular day, and the resulting abstract music embodies the Dadaist movement's philosophy of challenging traditional norms and expectations. The movements are titled in the order of the junk mail received: "Furniture Sale," "Coupons," "Two Local Pizza Menus (A. and B.)," "Vote for Congressman Bloomfield," "The Neighbor's Mail (again)," "Continuing Education Coursework," and "Hi-Speed Bundles.

"Kentucky Harmony" is a remarkable two-movement composition for two pianos that celebrates the rich American musical tradition with its intricate melodies, distinctive harmonies, and playful rhythms. The first movement opens with a lively and syncopated fiddle-like tune that emerges from dynamic call-and-response patterns between the two pianos. The use of mixed meters and blues-inflected harmonies creates a distinct American sound that pays homage to the country's musical heritage. In the second movement, the piano takes the central role in the piece's musical drama, blending long linear lines with complex rhythmic fragments. This captivating blend of sounds adds an element of whimsy and humor to the otherwise serious and evocative music. The composition's intricate melodies, coupled with its use of complex harmonies and rhythmic interplay, make it a truly unique and exceptional work. "Kentucky Harmony" is a beautiful and sophisticated composition that captures the essence of a particular cultural tradition. Its evocative imagery and lively rhythms make it a true celebration of the rich American musical tradition, showcasing the country's diverse and eclectic musical heritage.

“Lamentations” is a beautifully crafted and evocative piece for piano that creates an ephemeral and spiritual atmosphere. The composition balances serious and sumptuous tones through tangles of energy and darting motion, exploiting the piano's unique qualities. The music's hints of modality add to its sense of timelessness and tug at the heartstrings. The piece is rhapsodically exuberant, providing a dynamic interlude of contrasting colors and stark dissonances with cool, aquatic ripples of sound. Its use of the Book of Lamentations as a springboard for a contemplative mood adds depth to its rich lyricism. The gentle, hymn-like melody flows through the deftly textured and skillfully written score. Despite its simplicity and widely separated melodies, the emotional rawness of the music is reminiscent of Stravinsky. The title reflects the piece's tenor of gentleness, mystery, and nostalgia, making it a powerful and moving work. At just five minutes in length, “Lamentations” is a moving and poignant musical journey harkening to ancient times, sounds, and historical significance.

“Little Toy Machines” is a ten-movement piano solo that explores the small, quiet sounds and sound effects of different children's toys, using them as the inspiration for its musical themes. The result is an experimental work that showcases the intricate workings of each toy through delicate melodies and playful rhythms. With movements like "Wind-Up Circus Bear" and "Flipping Monkey with Cymbals," the piece conjures a whimsical and nostalgic atmosphere that is both charming and sophisticated. The small scale of the toy sounds is explored through expectant, veiled, and hushed tones, creating a soundscape that is both subtle and alluring. “Little Toy Machines” is a delightful and substantial work that showcases the unique beauty of everyday objects, and offer a whimsical journey through the sonic world of childhood, reminding us of the simple joys and magic of playtime.

The piano solo piece "Mae Roe's Hands" evokes a sense of austere elegance and colorful. interwoven melodies and rich harmonic colors. The delicate and intricate use of open and perfect intervals adds a touch of sophistication to its already lush and skillfully crafted score. While its influences are discernible, the composition retains its own unique identity and contemporary flavor, reminiscent of the works of Charles Ives. Through its cinematic orientation, the piece takes the listener on a journey through the stark American tradition, capturing its contemplative mood with artful precision. In just four minutes, "Mae Roe's Hands" showcases the remarkable talent of the composer and the expressive potential of the piano, inviting the listener to explore the depths of its meandering melodies and timeless beauty.

"Mainsail" is a mesmerizing minimalist piano solo with a tonal center in Bb major that creates a propulsive momentum reminiscent of sails guiding a mighty ship through undulating waves of sound. High-pitched guideposts mark static melodic material amidst heaping washes of traditional harmonies echoing early French music. The music requires careful hand balancing to bring out its blurry lines and shimmering textures, much like navigating a ship through unpredictable waves. "Mainsail" is a captivating tribute to the beauty and power of the ocean, capturing the essence of minimalist music in a stunning musical journey.

"Meat on Bone" is an experimental piano solo in 7 brief movements that explores extreme soft dynamics and the entire range of the piano. The piece plays with space, silence, and fragmented gestures, without relying on traditional harmonic or melodic vocabularies. The music features quick, fleeting moments of agitation and obstinacy, followed by dehydrated fades. The work is an intellectual exploration of truncated nuances and fragmentation, rather than a typical musical narrative. The piece uses looping and continuous refrains to punctuate silences, creating delicate and sparse iterations that gradually build patterns and designs. The rhythmic ticks and familiar echoes of musical propensity provide a contrast to the piece's overall structure, which emphasizes slowness and frenzied tempi. It is a unique and thought-provoking work that invites the listener to experience music in a new way.

"The Mississippi" is a shimmering and quiet piano solo piece that captures the serene beauty of the iconic river. With a delicate touch, the piece creates a gentle ebb and flow, evocative of the river's slow, winding current. Using tremolos, the music shimmers like sunlight dancing on the surface of the water. The tonal center vacillates between D major and minor, with a delicate interplay between harmony and melody that adds to the peaceful ambiance. Quiet moments are marked by subtle guideposts, like hidden bends in the river. "The Mississippi" offers a captivating tribute to the serene beauty of the majestic American river, with its contemplative jazz-infused mood reminiscent of a lazy afternoon spent drifting along its calm waters.

"Missus" is a lyrical and introspective piano solo that features broken chords in both the left and right-hand figurations. The piece is characterized by a freely expressive rubato style in the right hand, which floats above a rolling accompaniment in the left. While the rhapsodic style introduced at the beginning of the work does develop, it remains restrained and understated, returning to the initial melody before briefly interrupting with a B section to round out its form. The result is a beautiful and evocative piece that invites contemplation and reflection.

"Move Away" is a poignant and emotional piano solo that gradually transforms into a captivating and calming syncopated lullaby. The inspiration for the piece is drawn from a line in a Dylan Thomas poem about the longing to move away and the gentle tenderness of nostalgia. The left-hand accompaniment is gentle, creating a tranquil atmosphere, while the right-hand melody soars above it with delightful interplay between the hands that is playful, rhythmic, and beautiful. Divided into two contrasting sections, the composition uses serene and calming diatonic tones with hints of other modalities, resulting in a hushed and subtly complex tone poem that tugs at the heartstrings. It is a deeply moving musical work that evokes powerful emotions in listeners.

"Music for Young People" is a suite of nine piano solo movements specifically crafted for advancing intermediate pianists. Each piece showcases heavily chromatic and moderately dissonant twentieth-century tonality in miniature character sets, with varying degrees of aggression and lyricism. These movements range from one to three minutes in length, offering a diverse array of musical styles and dynamics. The collection presents a balanced mixture of challenging finger dexterity, harmonic activity, contrapuntal density, and metrical changes, while remaining satisfying and compelling. The musical progressions that underpin the structure of the suite provide a substantial foundation for young musicians seeking a more diverse introduction to advanced forms of contemporary classical music. The movements are titled as follows: 1.) "Deliberately"; 2.) "Dreamily"; 3.) "Agitato"; 4.) "Andante con passionata"; 5.) "Marche"; 6.) "Allegro con dolore"; 7.) "Pomposo"; 8.) "Molto allegro"; 9.) "Prestissimo fantastico".

"Neches" is a piano solo in two movements that exudes a distinctive and lively character. Although the movements are not individually named, they together form a cohesive work that expresses two contrasting emotions in a brief and aphoristic style. Inspired by the serial technique and a reaction to the pervasive musical teachings endured on West Coast, the work is atonal yet lyrical, utilizing fleeting but evocative dodecaphonic inflections. The title pays homage to a small Texas town near the composer's childhood home, evoking the image of a meandering river that connects and weaves together various melodies in a manner reminiscent of the childhood bayous of East Texas. "Neches" offers a unique and captivating musical journey that is both playful and thought-provoking.

“Night Sea Nocturnes" is a beautifully composed three-movement piano solo that draws inspiration from the captivating and tumultuous Pacific Ocean experienced while living in Los Angeles. This triptych reflects the gentle undulations of the tide, evoking a range of emotions from the powerful surging energy of the ocean waves to the vast expanse of the horizon. The full range of the piano is utilized to create an immersive experience, with the first movement featuring billowing arpeggios reminiscent of the call-and-response patterns of the ocean waves. The second and third movements offer abstract sketches of the sea, with descending lines and complex rhythms that convey the passionate and expressive temperament of the ocean. The piece progresses through biting and disjointed harmonies, with a haunting and compelling development underscored by subtle background shadings that mirror the interplay of light and shadow on the surface of the sea. Experience the captivating beauty and tumultuous nature of the Pacific Ocean through the mesmerizing "Night Sea Nocturnes.

The solo piano composition "Nocturne" is a work that showcases the composer's technical and creative abilities. The piece centers around a distinctive three-note motif that is skillfully transformed and harmonized throughout the work, drawing inspiration from the seductive harmonies of Scriabin. The use of ornamental rhythms and a fully ranging scope creates a warm and full-bodied sound that is rarely achieved in solo piano works. The piece's organization into a ternary form allows for a cohesive sense of development and narrative arc. With its low tessitura and use of minor and modal tonal areas, the work evokes a sense of introspection and contemplation.

"Nuns on the Beach" is a serene and contemplative piano piece that envelops the listener in a peaceful world of introspection. The delicate melody in the right hand is beautifully crafted and supported by a subdued and atmospheric left-hand accompaniment. Punctuated pauses and moments of stillness lend a sense of spaciousness and tranquility to the composition, allowing each note to be played with deliberate intention and showcasing the subtle nuances of the melody. The result is a soothing and meditative piece that invites listeners to reflect on the peacefulness and simplicity of a life lived in harmony with nature and one's inner self.

"On the Studied Foot of Motion" is a solo piano piece that explores the interplay of bleak harmonies, syncopated melodies, and undulating rhythms in a stark and introspective manner. The piece begins with an unaccompanied introduction that sets the mood for the rest of the composition. Throughout the piece, freely-formed asymmetrical phrases lead towards a confluence of pitch cells that evolve into continuous strands of tone rows and cell permutations. The quiet pulses of minor sonorities and repetitive ostinato-like patterns create a hypnotic effect, constantly fragmenting and reproducing, overlapping back onto themselves. The somber thoughtfulness of the piece is reflected in its hushed reverence and balanced sonorities, creating a contrapuntal and crystalline texture. The internal accents and billowing phrases further enhance the introspective nature of the piece, inviting the listener to contemplate its underlying themes of motion and stillness.

“One Pound of Strawberries” is a substantial piano solo in a minimalist style. This large-scale work adheres strictly to minimalism in both its form and style. The piece is built on a long channel of connective and repeated piercing pitches that are layered above an underlying sublayer of rushing notes, creating an undulating tapestry of sound that is both mesmerizing and hypnotic. The upper, slower notes remain static and unmoving, while the lower bass notes add dynamic interest and contrast in their punctuated interruptions. Through the constant repetition of simple melodic motifs and rhythms, the piece creates a sense of timelessness and meditative calm. The high strain of the upper notes, combined with the flooding deluge of repeating notes that form an ostinato-like middle-ground, creates an overall impression of blurry sensational lines and quietly balanced fluttering tingles of finely-spun shapes and balmy sounds. It is an exploration of minimalism in music, capturing the essence of the genre with its spare, repetitive style and hypnotic, trance-inducing motifs that gradually build, layer by layer, like the accumulation of strawberries weighing one pound.

“Orange & Yellow Ochre” is a piano solo that draws inspiration from the harmonic and melodic styles of the twentieth century. The piece begins with low rumbling notes that quickly ascend in a scalar motion, creating a sense of urgency and intensity. Throughout the piece, delicate arpeggios, soft trills, and meandering lyrical lines add to the overall somber mood and capture the essence of the autumn colors that inspired the piece. The piece also features a wide range of textural and dynamic changes that paint a vivid picture of the rustling, quivering, and swirling gestures of the autumn breeze. The resulting music is both tactile and disarmingly innocent, with a haunting quality that lingers in the listener's memory.

“Oviedo” is a piano solo that evokes a strong emotional response through its mournful, chromatic ostinato and bold, affirming key of B minor. The piece features a range of dynamic shifts and tempos, as well as a variety of harmonic centers that ultimately resolve back to the tonic key. The use of heavy-handed full chords and rubato adds to the expressive quality of the piece, which builds to a powerful climax before ending with a series of echoing whispers. “Oviedo” is a moving and captivating work that showcases the pianist's ability to convey complex emotions with its low, dense, and compelling harmonies.

"Owls" is a captivating solo piano composition that enchants with its intricate and fiery notes, accentuated off-beats, and commanding heavy-handed approach. The interplay between the left-hand's dense, low chords and the right-hand's delicate broken chord arpeggios is a testimony to the piece's musical complexity and its sophistication. Designed for the full range of the piano, this impressionistic work is a reflection of the meticulous attention to detail and the careful balance that characterizes the best compositions. Its austere quality evokes a sense of intense darkness that contrasts with its compelling and dynamic drama. The piece's richly textured and intricately woven elements blend seamlessly to produce a powerful and resonant performance that is both tangible and impressive.

"Piano Sonata No. 1" is a dynamic composition consisting of three movements. The work showcases a robust and opulent melody that exudes a celebratory atmosphere. Throughout its 20-minute duration, the piece displays a cosmopolitan eclecticism, characterized by throbbing gestures, poetic linear lines, and energetic bursts of colorful sound. The composer makes use of the full range of the piano, juxtaposing stark dissonances with liquid arpeggiating sounds to create a fresh and unique musical experience. The music incorporates a synthesized blend of styles, with a nod to Morton Gould. At its core, the "Piano Sonata No. 1" is a luminous and lyrical work that blends urban, dispersed music with a personal touch. The piece is bustling with energy, uneven meters, and diverse modes of expression.

"Questions for an Overcast Day" is a piano solo that exemplifies the minimalist style. With a delicate, overarching melody that slowly unwinds and repeats, the piece evokes a somber and emotional mood. The left hand provides a harmonic and rhythmic pulse, while the right hand plays a single-note melody, creating a beguiling and gentle effect. The piece derives much of its mystery and nostalgia from its evocative title, which was inspired by a poetic verse that adorned a modern art gallery exhibit in Los Angeles. The music is characterized by slow-moving chord progressions and twisting melodic lines, creating an atmosphere of austere suggestiveness with narrowly defined tonal centers and a contemplative sense of timelessness. It showcases a commanding control of compositional techniques and a keen sensitivity to emotional nuance.

"Quiet Angels" is a delicate and popular piano solo that exudes an aura of innocence, as demonstrated by its slowly progressive chords in 3/4 time, reminiscent of a classical piano concerto. While its melody is undoubtedly memorable, the piece's structure is frequently broken into fragments of material that are later recycled in different registers, echoing the repetition and variation found in hymns. This disarmingly charming and flowingly austere quality lends sincerity to the piece, evoking a softly played instrumental prayer. The introductory and bridging material of open and unstable fifths and octaves further constructs a recognizable melody that is beautifully tranquil and gossamer-like, culminating in a satisfyingly complete musical experience.

Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's famous poem, "The Raven" is a cinematic and virtuosic piano solo that demands the utmost dexterity from the performer. The piece moves at a fast pace, conjuring a sense of urgency and foreboding that is reminiscent of the dark themes in Poe's work. The music is marked by its richly expressive melodies and intricate harmonic textures. The pianist is required to navigate a complex web of arpeggios, trills, and rapid runs that are evocative of the fluttering wings and haunting cries of the titular bird. Like Poe's poem, "The Raven" is a work of art that invites contemplation and reflection. It is a haunting and deeply emotional piece that captures the essence of Poe's brooding and macabre vision. The music unfolds in a series of carefully crafted cascades of scales, to create a sense of mounting tension and drama. It is a stunning showcase of the pianist's technical prowess and musical sensitivity. It is a work of great beauty and depth, and a fitting tribute to one of the greatest literary figures in history.

"Roman Cathedrals" is a piano solo work consisting of eight movements that capture the essence of ancient Roman architecture and culture through varied musical styles. With a precise and nuanced approach, each movement builds upon the overarching theme, evoking powerful emotions through the use of vivid textures and dynamic pacing. From seductive and disquieting harmonies in the first movement to the clear attention to nuanced characterizations in subsequent movements, the work is a postmodern blend of highly varied styles that stretch the composer’s unique harmonies and sounds into greater piquancy. Inspired by visiting Roman Cathedrals and studying its architecture, each movement paints a picture of the grandeur of ancient Roman life, from the towering spires to the intricately decorated crypts and medieval stained glass mandorias. The work is a brilliant ode to the beauty of ancient architecture and the enduring legacy of Roman culture, showcased through the virtuosic dexterity of the pianist's command.

EIGHT MOVEMENTS
1.) Doorway with Arms Of Counts Of Chazay; 2.) Tower Spires; 3.) Caryatids of the Four Continents; 4.) A Frieze of Painted Figures Decorating the Crypts; 5.) A Series of Barrel Vault Arches; 6.) Medieval Stained Glass Mandorias; 7.) Panels for the Rectable of Agnade Beaufremont; 8.) The Octagonal Baptistery Altarpiece.

"Running of the Bulls" is a virtuosic piano solo that captures the spirit of the annual festival in Pamplona, Spain, with its frenzied energy, adrenaline-fueled urgency, and raw power. Drawing inspiration from the wild and chaotic scenes of bulls stampeding through narrow streets, the piece unleashes a barrage of aggressive rhythms, jagged melodies, and dissonant harmonies, with each hand fighting for dominance in a fiercely competitive exchange. At times, the piece evokes the blaring trumpets and pounding drums of the festival's marching bands, with sections of bitonality and harmonic parallelism adding to the thrilling disorientation of the musical landscape. The music surges forward with unrelenting force, building to a climactic finale that captures the exhilarating rush of the festival's signature moment. It is a musical tribute to the storied traditions of Pamplona, Spain, honoring the courage and thrill-seeking. spirit of those who participate in this dangerous and exciting spectacle.

Inspired by the composer's visit to Cannes, "Sailboats of Cannes" is a two-movement collection of solo piano dances. Each movement features a duple tango rhythm with vivid and colorful bitonal and polytonal harmonies. The composition draws on Brazilian rhythms and incorporates original folk-like melodies. Free from traditional formulas and dramatic tension, the two dances at times imitate children's dances and harlequinade, capturing the breezy and airy melodies reminiscent of wandering along the beaches of Cannes. The work fuses South American influences with French qualities, presenting a stylized treatment of original tango melodies through multi-layered gestures and shading of voices. While the treatments may seem relatively simple, the music employs a mix of soundscapes to portray the natural disposition and atmospheric mood.

"Six Canaries" is a solo piano piece with six short movements, each lasting less than a minute. While the titles of each movement are named after different canary species, the composition is not a mere imitation of bird-song. Instead, it draws inspiration from the cacophony of these birds and creates a highly imaginative and pianistically idiomatic sound world. The music is dissonant and suspenseful, featuring ornamental and virtuosic gestures that are colorful, jagged, and hauntingly beautiful. The intricate rhythms and cascading runs create a clangorous chime-like sound, enhanced by infused arpeggiating filigree. The contrapuntal themes and intertwining voices between hands create a compelling soundscape, building successive motifs of tonal and non-tonal worlds. As the movements progress, the harmonies and melodies shift to a more angular and poignant sound, creating vivid theatrical moments of contrasting feelings. Despite its brevity, the piece is layered, visceral, and well-characterized, offering a richly hued topography that is both varied and delightfully entertaining.

SIX MOVEMENTS
1.) Norwich; 2.) Black-headed; 3.) Parisian-frilled; 4.) Stafford; 5.) Crested; 6.) Yorkshire

"Six Filament Etudes" is a 20-minute piano solo that embodies the pinnacle of virtuosic and dramatic piano writing. Each of the six etudes features a wide variety of complex and formidable technical challenges, showcasing the pianist's remarkable technical skill and interpretative abilities. The pieces are united by their intricate musical architecture and the sophisticated use of harmonies and rhythms that demand the utmost concentration and musicality from the performer. Drawing from a wide range of stylistic influences, each etude presents a unique character and musical landscape, from the rhapsodic and soaring to the introspective and subdued. The music is skillfully crafted, with detailed and intricate articulations that require the performer to navigate through an array of musical textures with precision and control. Despite the formidable technical demands, the music never loses sight of its artistic goals, with each etude building towards a climactic musical statement that is as emotionally compelling as it is technically impressive. "Six Filament Etudes" is a towering achievement in the world of piano music, a true testament to the boundless possibilities of the instrument and the creativity and skill of its composer.

“Snow Falling Like a Benediction” is a delicate piano solo featuring three movements that explore a stark, sparse wintery scene. This work evokes the exotic imagery of the bitter winter wind and snow, and of the hushed, muted, subtle tones of delicate aural passages in a frozen timelessness. The three contrasting moods of the movements - Moderate, Quickly, and Andante - steadily increase in passionate expression, magnifying the raw emotional endurance of a multi-layered landscape. The piece is a study of simultaneous melodic lines and expansive chords within the context of the pianist's force, fitting together like a sonata. The overarching sustained rhythmic intricacy of each movement plays against the slow-moving harmonies, creating a diatonically pleasing and joyful sound that is both reflective and confident. It has a strong American consciousness, with its evocative imagery and exploration of the winter landscape. Its luminous and lyrical passages make it a beautiful and emotionally charged piece that transports the listener to a serene, wintry world.

"Stars" is an exquisite piano composition that captivates the listener from the opening notes. The delicate octave inflections gradually give way to a wistful, chromatic melody that is propelled forward by broken chords creating indistinguishable harmonies. Although tonally unstable, the chords infuse the music with a sense of urgency and emotional intensity. Notably, the piece avoids key signatures, allowing for greater freedom and fluidity in the composition, evoking a sense of boundless possibility and infinite mystery. Each note twinkles like a shining star in an unknown cosmos, creating a captivating and unpredictable musical journey. The delicate and emotional nuances of the piece establish an intimate connection with the listener, evoking a hauntingly beautiful and awe-inspiring experience. Through its delicate and nuanced musical phrases, 'Stars' celebrates the enduring wonder and beauty of the celestial bodies that have inspired humanity for centuries.

"Stranded Vessels" is a captivating two-piano solo piece that beautifully evokes the enigmatic nature of the sea. The haunting 6/8 sea shanty-like barcarolle, played in the melancholic mode of E minor, features the Primo's wistful melody and the Secondo's undulating sprays of ornamental material. Together, the two pianos create a mesmerizing musical tapestry that effortlessly transports the listener to the vastness and mystery of the ocean. The title of the piece, taken from Thoreau's poignant quote "One generation abandons the enterprises of another like stranded vessels," perfectly encapsulates its underlying themes. The quote serves as a reminder of the enduring presence of the sea, a place where much inspiration is drawn, and the countless abandoned vessels are a testament to the fleeting nature of human endeavors.

"Summer Fireflies" is an impressionistic solo piano piece that elegantly evokes the enchanting atmosphere of a warm summer night. With trills, tremolos, and tumbling melodic fragments, the piece creates a mesmerizing soundscape where swirling arpeggios provide a dazzling backdrop for suspended harmonies and delicate pitches to emerge. The full range of the keyboard is explored with graceful descending and skyrocketing gestures, requiring a gentle and subtle touch from the pianist. Through its delicate and intricate musical language, the piece captures the essence of the elusive and fleeting nature of fireflies in the night, where their soft glow can be perceived as a distant lantern in the darkness. It's a musical representation of the magic and beauty of summer nights, where the sounds and sights of nature come together in perfect harmony.

"The Temptress Wine" is a piano solo that captures the essence of seduction and desire. Its expressive piano phrases, reminiscent of a seductive temptress's movements, ensnare the listener in a web of passion and forbidden carnal longing that cannot be denied. Composed in B minor, the piece's restless musical momentum drives the listener forward, igniting primal desires. The chromatically unfolding piano part builds toward a climax of dynamic intensity, evoking intimate moments between two souls. Interplay between musical themes creates a rich tapestry of emotions, from ecstasy to introspection. Syncopated rhythms add excitement and intrigue, creating a playful dance of seduction. This piece evokes a tantalizing world of lust and yearning, yet expresses these themes with a sophistication that befits its powerful impact.

"The Tender Rain" is an experimental ambient piece that weaves together tightly rotated pitch-class sets. Cascading onto the keyboard, these sets create a soothing, uneven pattern of tactile showering 'pings' and aftershocks. The piece's seductive rhythms require careful two-handed execution, with liquid permutations that shift shape and bounce with agility. Ultimately, the piece dissolves into a hushed sea of calm stillness, leaving only a tantalizingly airy misty patina in the listener's mind. Large sections of contrasting open spaces give way to sprays of high-pitched molecules, creating a cleansing, distilled nuance with vaporizing crystalline textures. Asymmetrical phrases and meters further enhance this effect, leaving behind little evidence of sound or activity. Instead, the listener is left with an alluring and immersive experience of fading, decaying atmospheric sounds that create a sense of subtle wonder and serenity.

"Test Drive" is a captivating and exhilarating piece, designed to showcase the virtuosity of solo pianists. The opening of the piece, featuring the evocative sound of a car's ignition starting three times, serves as an entrancing introduction to the frenzied Presto tempo that follows. The cascading waves of brilliant passagework that ensue evoke an animated energy, sweeping both performer and listener along through a series of key centers and torrents of streaming notes. The Prestissimo section is a sonic manifestation of the car's raw power and speed, as the performer's fingers fly across the keys with lightning-fast dexterity. The music exudes a vibrant and spirited energy, flirting with ranges, keys, and special effects, that keep the ear entertained and engaged. The rapid tempo, cascading notes, and sudden key changes mimic the twists and turns of the road, taking the listener on a musical journey that echoes the rush of a thrilling and exciting high-speed car ride.

"Three Ancient Preludes" weaves together mystical and ancient musical elements and themes throughout its three movements, creating a captivating and immersive atmosphere of the ancient Roman world. The first movement is a commanding military march that utilizes a steady tonic-dominant bass line infused with minor and modal qualities, resulting in towering walls of fanfare-like sound that capture the listener's attention. In contrast, the second movement offers a flowing and lyrical 6/8 piece with rolling arpeggios that beautifully evoke the sound of the Harp, transporting the listener to a distant time and place. The third movement features Oriental-inflected fragmentary motifs that develop into an arabesque, consisting of dreamlike chords that paint an ethereal and angelic aura against a backdrop of melodic and rhythmic music. The result is a stunning portrayal of the ancient Roman world that skillfully combines various elements to create a rich and evocative sound that is sure to captivate any listener.

"Three Chorales" is a set of three short piano solos that share whimsical and satirical themes, with short improvisatory structures that break classical traditions by lacking barlines, definitive time signatures, and modality. These modern, ambient pieces are gentle and eccentric, with deliberate dissonances and bitonal harmonies that produce piquant allusions to the absurd. While the first movement alternates between two progressions that do not move forward, the second and third movements feature largely uniform rhythms between both hands. Despite their unconventional nature, these delightful Chorales can be regarded as precursors to larger works in a concert, or enjoyed independently as a set as part of a larger program. To add to their whimsy, they feature performance instructions, such as “play with only your strongest fingers” and “What nice shoes! Are they new?”

"Three Nursery Tales" is a stunning two-piano composition in three movements that brings to life the beloved stories of "Cinderella," "The Ugly Duckling," and "The Emperor's Nightingale" in a virtuosic and beautiful musical tribute. This sophisticated work is designed for advanced players and features breathtaking melodies, intricate harmonies, and impressive technical demands that are sure to captivate audiences. The first movement, inspired by the timeless tale of "Cinderella," features playful and whimsical themes that dance and whirl throughout the piece, reminiscent of the fairy godmother's magic. The second movement, based on "The Ugly Duckling," contrasts with the first, evoking the journey of transformation from an awkward duckling to a majestic swan. The final movement, inspired by "The Emperor's Nightingale," showcases the composers' skills in creating an ethereal and otherworldly atmosphere, with its delicate and intricate passages that resemble the song of the mythical bird. "Three Nursery Tales" is a delightful work that skillfully brings together storytelling and music, making it a must-hear for all lovers of classical piano music.

"Three Women in Yellow" is a French-inspired piano solo divided into three contrasting and effervescent movements that exude cinematic grandeur, captivating listeners with its lively and delicate idiom. Its sumptuous harmonic control and alluring textures and modes of expression create a tonally rooted piece that is poignantly tender and reflective, with witty moods that showcase the diversity of its dynamic and lucid treatments. Advanced pianists will appreciate the subtle nuances and complexities woven throughout the music. The composition's framework is influenced by impressionism and is delicately woven, conveying both a sense of repose and striving. The resulting music is sophisticated and artful, with an eloquence and economy that allows it to evolve naturally and unpretentiously. The three movements, titled "Pomposo," "Adagio con doloroso," and "Delicato e elegante," showcase the full range of the composition's artistry, offering captivating variations in mood, texture, and tonality.

“Tonky” is a charmingly laid-back humming tune that draws inspiration from Jelly Roll Morton’s harmonic language. The piece features a steady left-hand stride-piano and walking bass, which borrow directly from Morton's style. A stark, occasionally dissonant chordal background provides a breezy and folksy ambiance, creating an unceremonious and complacent atmosphere. The composition is a nostalgic and episodic homage to an earlier era of music, characterized by straightforward ease and simple charms. The title "Tonky" itself is a nod to the playful and informal language of the honky-tonk jazz scene. While the piece is grounded in traditional jazz elements, it also includes modern touches, such as the use of 'blue notes,' to create a contemporary sound. The overall effect is a delightful musical journey through time, blending the old and new in a way that is both authentic and innovative and a fitting tribute to the great jazz pianists.

"Traffic Waltz" is a mesmerizing minimalist composition that spans nearly fifteen minutes, showcasing a slowly moving harmonic progression that delves deep into modality and asymmetrical structures. The piece is characterized by a repetitive cell structure that shuns conventional minimalist techniques in favor of a more daring and innovative approach. In the key of A minor, the composition gradually sheds its traditional progressions through an intricate interplay of shifting phrases and meters. The left and right hands create broken chord outlines in a two-handed interlocking pattern, producing a hypnotic and timeless effect as the notes flow by in blurry shades of contrasting colors. Bell-like tones, ringing out at different intervals, signify the passage of time as the contrasting harmonies shorten and expand, and the modes shift rapidly. Drawing inspiration from the ever-changing patterns and movements of the notorious traffic gridlock of Los Angeles, this music is a reflection of the organized chaos found on the winding interstates and freeways of the city.

"Transatlantic Yacht Race" is an orchestral composition that conjures the sense of adventure and excitement that comes with embarking on a journey across the vast expanse of the Atlantic Ocean. The music ebbs and flows like the waves of the sea, moving from tranquil harp solos to thunderous brass fanfare and rippling melodies that evoke the feeling of high-speed triumph. The piece is imbued with a sense of drama and tension, expertly crafted to capture the spirit of this epic voyage. The rhythms and melodies are characterized by surging energy and airy, open-chord expanses, giving the piece a sense of grandeur and scale that is fitting for such a monumental undertaking. The use of descending lines and rhythmically complex fragments, coupled with sumptuous orchestration and flourishes, creates a vivid sonic illustration of the boundless possibilities of charting the open seas.

"Transient Filters" is a fascinating composition that takes the listener on a journey into the realm of sound design through the use of electronic manipulation. At its core, the piece explores the intricate and delicate nuances of transients - those momentary fluctuations in amplitude that occur at the onset of a sound. By filtering these transients through a range of electronic techniques, the composer has created a vast and immersive soundscape that captivates the listener's imagination. The composition is structured around a collection of short musical motifs that interweave and evolve, creating a complex and multifaceted musical tapestry. The use of polytonality and twelve-tone techniques adds to the intellectual complexity of the piece, creating a sense of temporal ambiguity that draws the listener deeper into the sonic landscape. Throughout the composition, the tumbling voices of the piano traverse the full range of the instrument, creating a rich and varied sonic palette. The resulting sound is both mesmerizing and immersive, with each successive layer building upon the last to create a deeply satisfying musical experience.

“Tük” is an exquisite contemporary ballet composition that embodies the theme of modernism through its musical language. Composed as twelve separate movements for piano (and initially intended for ballet and orchestra), the piece balances traditional tonality with moments of dissonant, contrapuntal turbulence. The music of “Tük” is marked by a confident use of dissonance and Stravinskian-inflected polytonality, creating a dramatic lyricism and rhythmic interest that enchants the ear. The music's transitions between fluid and flexible reflective complexities and more minimalistic undercurrents are seamless and multi-layered, evoking powerful emotions through characterizations and musical contrasts. The musical language displays an instinct for the intuitive dissonances and striking counterpoint reflected in the music of late 20th-century American music and their influencing harmonic style.

"The Unluckiness of Prime Numbers" is a masterfully crafted piano composition that seamlessly weaves together the rhythmic intricacies of prime numbers with the complex patterns and harmonies found in mathematics. The first movement establishes a persistent driving ostinato, gradually layering pulsating patterns with sublayers and chordal pulses, creating a rich tapestry of sound that reflects the intricate and beautiful patterns formed by prime numbers. The second movement slows the tempo, dissolving into increasingly fragmented and looping repetitions of quiet single notes and phrases, marked by punctuated silences, that embody the mathematical concept of prime numbers' indivisibility and the spiraling shapes they create in nature. The third movement features a rousing, biting dissonance that gradually coalesces into cloud-like walls of dense sound, replicating the unpredictable and ever-expanding nature of prime numbers, which continue to be discovered to this day. The climax of the piece unifies into a single rhythm, reflecting the unchanging patterns of prime numbers in nature. Finally, the piece concludes with soft, hushed single tones that evoke the timeless and enduring nature of prime numbers. It is an exquisite and innovative composition that expertly blends the beauty and complexity of music and mathematics.

"Umbra" is a two-piano composition that enthralls listeners with its dissonant and exciting soundscape, immersing them in a haunting world of complex and intriguing musical patterns. The piece begins with a dense and frenetic texture, featuring bold, clashing chords that create a sense of tension and unease. The pianos then weave together in a series of intricate counterpoint lines, creating a shadowy atmosphere reminiscent of the eclipses of celestial bodies. The middle section showcases the virtuosic skills of the pianists with cascading arpeggios and rapid-fire scale runs that add momentum and urgency. The music then erupts into a flurry of driving rhythms and syncopated accents. In the final section, the dissonant harmonies resolve into a powerful chord progression, bringing the piece to a satisfying close. It is a composition that captivates and challenges even the most sophisticated listeners with its intricate rhythms, daring harmonies, and thrilling virtuosity. It is a work of exceptional beauty and complexity, offering contemporary pianists a true showpiece.

"Wedding Dress" is a solo piano piece that embodies the beauty and elegance of a wedding gown through its enchanting melody and intricate harmonies. The piece opens with a simple yet captivating melody that gradually builds into a rich and layered texture, evoking the opulent designs and delicate lacework of a wedding dress. The soaring melodies and sweeping arpeggios transport listeners to a world of romance and beauty, while the delicate nuances and subtle variations in rhythm and harmony bring to mind the intricate patterns and details of a bridal gown. Throughout the piece, the pianist skillfully weaves together a range of musical colors and textures, creating an elegant kaleidoscope of sound that captures the essence of the wedding dress. The music swells to a breathtaking climax, before subsiding into a gentle and intimate coda that leaves listeners feeling enchanted and uplifted. "Wedding Dress" is a work of exceptional beauty and artistry, and a tribute to the enduring allure of one of life's most cherished moments.

"The White Crane" is a piano solo piece that embodies a serene and contemplative ode to nature with a distinctive Japanese-inspired sound. The composition's evocative tranquility reflects a barren, snow-covered landscape, while the right hand's bird-like echoing calls disrupt the stoic harmonic beauty with a rhythmic energy that elicits the awakening rustling of nature. The music is imbued with a hushed and muted rainbow of pastel colors that evoke a sustained and reverenced solemnity to the focal point of the piece, the beautiful White Crane, which is beloved by one of the composer's most respected predecessors, Sibelius. The piece is a testament to the exquisite interplay between the natural world and music, showcasing the piano's ability to convey the subtle nuances of the natural environment with elegance and grace. It is a work of exceptional beauty and complexity that is sure to captivate the most sophisticated of listeners, evoking a sense of contemplation, peace, and harmony with the natural world.

"White Space" is a musical composition that beautifully captures the elusive yet mesmerizing quality of white. Whether it be the pristine snow covering the ground or the blank canvas waiting for an artist's touch, this piece portrays the ethereal beauty of white through its impressionistic sound. Beginning with tentative and delicate chords that evoke a sense of exploration, the composition gradually transforms into a sparkling and rhythmically intricate texture, reminiscent of the sunlight glinting on snow. The faster section marked "più mosso" adds momentum and urgency to the piece, creating a vivid image of white in motion. The composition ultimately returns to its opening theme of soft and transparent chords, conveying the subtle yet powerful beauty of stillness and emptiness. "White Space" is a contemplative and thought-provoking work of art that inspires us to appreciate the quiet and often-overlooked intricacies of white, reminding us of the inherent value of simplicity and minimalism in a world that often values meaningless excess and futile complexity.

"The Year of Crumbs" is a breathtakingly evocative suite of four movements for piano solo, each capturing a different vivid and picturesque scene through richly varied and expansively cinematic melodies. The piece creates a magical atmosphere, where the touching, reflective, and emotionally sensitive timbres that it produces are engrossing, affecting, and delightful. With a pleasurably romantic and contemplative mood, the composition's tiers are anchored in the American tradition and charged with imaginative surges of appeal, traversing across a bold and mysterious topography of modal and sublimely gentle, consoling passages that underscore the highly emotional tone of wonder and awe that comes with life's observations. The fluently wrought moods that alternate from isolation, faraway places, and remote wonder create a compellingly dramatic work, conveying a sense of consciousness that permeates its wide variety of sonorities and developmental techniques. This is a work of breathtaking beauty, skillfully crafted to transport listeners to a place of introspection, reflection, and appreciation of life's intricacies.

"Zoo Music: 15 Miniatures" is a captivating suite of piano music that masterfully parallels the behaviors and personalities of diverse zoo animals. Originally intended as chamber music, it was later re-scored for solo piano, showcasing the intricate register explorations, idiomatic keyboard passagework, and extreme range. The meticulously crafted movements create a harmonically intricate and melodically beautiful collection of short pieces arranged for intermediate-level solo pianists. It is a masterful and imaginative suite of piano music that skillfully parallels the behaviors and personalities of its animal inspirations, providing an engaging and unforgettable musical experience for both performers and listeners.

MOVEMENTS: 1.) Panda Bears; 2.) Ostriches; 3.) Chimpanzees; 4.) Dolphins; 5.) Giraffes; 6.) Penguins; 7.) Lions; 8.) Hyenas; 9.) Elephants; 10.) Ring-Tailed Lemurs; 11.) Alligators; 12.) Vultures; 13.) Zebras; 14.) Kangaroos; 15.) Cheetahs