Description

At the end of my sophomore year of college, I was challenged to write a piece for flute and piano using only nine notes of the chromatic scale. I was further instructed to draw inspiration from Gerhard Richter’s painting Canaletto. By the end of the compositional process, Fade to Black reflected the dueling calm and chaos I saw in the piece, using only the pitches C through G-sharp—A, B-flat, and B never appear. Though it started as an academic exercise, it quickly became one of my favorite pieces I’ve ever composed.

Run time: approx. 5′. Flute range: C4-Ab6.

Fade to Black perusal (preview before you buy!)

I used to share a concert recording of Fade to Black below. However, the flautist who played the performance has since expressed explicitly transmisogynist views directly to me and as such is no longer welcome within my professional circles. If you play this piece and receive a recording of your performance, please send me an email! Assuming you are not transphobic, I would love to feature it here.

Past performances:

• 4/1/2017, Recital Hall, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
• 2/22/2016, Katzin Concert Hall, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ (world premiere)