LEAPS AND BOUNDS (2022) for piano quintet
Instrumentation: 2 violins, viola, cello, piano
Duration: ~9 minutes
Performance/Recording History:
Premiered by violinists Joshua Cisneros and Derek Choi, violist Zach Bishop, cellist Jonah Cohen, and pianist Thomas Weaver on August 7, 2022 at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute Young Artists Composition Program Recital in Lenox, MA
Recorded by members of Chamber Project St. Louis (Jane Price and Jo Nardolillo, violins, Louis Privitera, viola, Marta Simidtchieva, cello, Nina Ferrigno, piano) on March 25, 2023 at Webster University in St. Louis, MO as part of the Young Composer Competition of The Community Music School of Webster University Events
Awards:
Selected as the 1st Place Winner in Level II (ages 17-21) of the 2023 Young Composer Competition of The Community Music School of Webster University
Program Notes:
I’ll just come right out and say it - this piece has some schmaltz. In previous pieces, I’ve attempted to carefully straddle the boundary between emotionally compelling and indulgently sentimental music, but I’ll readily admit that this piece crosses that boundary. At the surface level, the title of this work, LEAPS AND BOUNDS, is in reference to the pervasive motif of the piece, which outlines a leap of a 7th, and the boundless sense of energy the piece attempts to convey. At its core, the piece is inspired by the sense of self-discovery and rediscovery that I’ve experienced through my interactions and relationship with one person. I’ve felt myself change and grow by leaps and bounds recently, in large part due to this one other human. Yes, I know, it’s sappy and trite, but it’s the truth, and I’m certainly not ashamed of it. As composers, we often feel compelled to write music that is intimately related to our personal experiences, and this piece is no exception. And besides, who doesn’t enjoy a little schmaltz once in a while, right?