Description

Snowmelt | sunbeam for flugelhorn (or trumpet) and piano, or two flugelhorns (trumpets) and piano (duration: 4′)

Original version commissioned by a consortium led by Riley Hughes. Duo version adapted for Chroma Collective.

Snowmelt | sunbeam is a short, lyrical piece commissioned by trumpeter Riley Hughes and a 20-member consortium. Riley (and several other consortium members) previously commissioned works as part of my unaccompanied solo series written in 2020 and 2021, but this project was born from a desire for an accessible work that includes piano, is suitable for performance by younger players, and has the potential for expanding the piano part into a larger accompanying ensemble.

Inspired by the change of seasons from winter into spring, the music is full of flowing lines and interplay between the solo line and the piano. The piece culminates with a back-and-forth cadenza that leads into thick cluster chords in the piano, capturing the sound of distant thunder breaking in a faraway storm before slowing to a calm close.