Commissioned by the Chamber Music Festival of Lexington
"From its captivating opening--with the piano playing rustling runs, the violin and viola trading searching phrases and the cello repeating a calming riff--the music seemed the manifestation of a confident new musical voice." -The New York Times
I wrote Summer Night Music in the late spring and early summer of 2012. When I thought of when the piece was being premiered (around Labor Day, at night), I began to
imagine what the most appropriate music would be. And I thought of my own summer nights, picturing a quiet, lazy evening at home. I pictured summer evenings from
childhood. What would they sound like?
Summer Night Music is dedicated to my grandfather, who passed away while I was writing the piece. I break up the work into four movements, the first of which, “Twilight,”is a small elegy for my grandfather. “Fireflies” depicts children scampering to catch fireflies at dusk; “Evening Prayers” is meant to portray prayers before sleep. Finally, the fourth movement, “Sleep Music,” signifies the day shifting into night.
Premiere performance (audio) by Jasmine Lin, Burchard Tang, Priscilla Lee, and Alessio Bax at Fasig Tipton Pavilion in Lexington, Kentucky
Video below by the Opus One Piano Quartet (Ida Kavafian, Steven Tenenbom, Peter Wiley, and Anne-Marie McDermott)
2022
This work was commissioned by La Jolla SummerFest and premiered at the Conrad in La Jolla, CA in August 2022.
2021
Written for Edgar Meyer and the Dover Quartet in 2021
2020
Commissioned by the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts
2018
Commissioned by Chamber Music America with generous funding provided by the Mellon Foundation
2018
Commissioned By Efe Baltacigil And Nicolas Kendall
2018
Commissioned By Chamber Music Northwest, With Support From New Music USA
2016
Written for Demarre, Anthony McGill, and Michael McHale
2015
Commissioned By Chamber Music Northwest
2014
Commissioned by the Ocean Reef Chamber Music Festival
2013
Commissioned by the Buffalo Chamber Music Society for the Attacca Quartet
2013
Commissioned by Orchestra 2001
2012
Commissioned by the Chamber Music Festival of Lexington
2010
Written For The Aspen Contemporary Ensemble
2010
Commissioned by the Curtis Institute of Music
2009
Commissioned By Curtis-on-tour for Benjamin Beilman and Yekwon Sunwoo
2009
Commissioned by Music From Angel Fire, Ida Kavafian, Director
2008
Commissioned By The Curtis Institute Of Music
2007
2008 ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composers Award
