CALL FOR CONSORTIUM MEMBERS

WHAT WE’RE DOING:

In the grand tradition of such works by Johannes Brahms and Gyorgi Ligeti, Dr. Drew Stephen (UTSA professor of musicology and natural horn specialist) and I are organizing a consortium to commission a new work for horn trio.

WHAT IT’S ABOUT:

“Marbles of the dancing floor
Break bitter furies of complexity,
Those images that yet
Fresh images beget,
That dolphin-torn, that gong-tormented sea.”

— from "Byzantium" by W.B. Yeats

W.B. Yeats’s Byzantium is a richly symbolic and philosophical poem that contrasts the mortal, physical world with the timeless, spiritual realm represented by the ancient city of Byzantium. The poem envisions Byzantium as a place of eternal artistic and spiritual perfection, free from the decay and chaos of human life. Through vivid and sometimes surreal imagery—such as golden mechanical birds, spirits of the dead, and flames—Yeats explores themes of transcendence, the role of art, and the soul's journey toward immortality. Ultimately, the poem reflects the desire to escape the limitations of the flesh and attain a purer, eternal existence through the power of imagination and art.

The images suggested by Yeats’ poem evoke sonic possibilities that are at once timbrally rich, lyrical, and texturally aspirant to the transcendence promised by the poem. Each commissioner can expect a work that will communicate a lush sonic world in a way that unites performer and audience.

THE SPECS:

The proposed 14-18 minutes work will be scored for violin, horn (as with the Brahms trio, it will be playable on an E-flat natural horn, or the modern valved horn) and piano.

We’re asking all participants to commit by September 1, 2025, with delivery of printable PDF score and parts available by January 1, 2026.

ABOUT ME:

While you can certainly read my official bio here, and some lovely press quotes here, suffice it to say that composing for me is both craft and spiritual practice. The act and discipline of composing is a form of meditation—a space in which I seek to find transcendence. Composing is also a space where I look to tap deep underground springs of universal ideals, where composer, performer, and listener can find communion and joy together. I’ve been writing and performing music for most of my life. Piano lessons from childhood into college, studies in voice and years of choral singing, I’ve also trained for several years as an oud player under the tutelage of fabulous teachers including an academic year in Istanbul, Türkiye studying with Yurdal Tokcan. In this latter capacity I’ve composed chamber and solo works for the instrument (including a major new work) and arranged for my world folk band, Viatorum.

WHAT I’VE DONE:

“A composer of facility and imagination, the kind to whom both performers and audiences respond”

— Steve Smith, The New York Times

My music has been performed in venues around the world, and has received grants and commissions from Barlow, Meet the Composer, the American Composers Forum, the Wisconsin Music Teachers Association, the Utah Arts Festival, Music in the Loft, Fulbright and others. I was awarded the Jacob Druckman prize at the Aspen Music Festival, first place in the Utah Arts Festival Chamber Commission Competition, and was a finalist in the 25th ASCAP Rudolf Nissim Orchestral Composition Competition, as well as a finalist for the American Prize.

FEE FOR PARTICIPATION:

$200 per individual or ensemble
$100 for students

WHAT YOU GET:

Your name listed on the dedication page, as well as a period of exclusivity to perform the work.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED:

*PLEASE FILL OUT THIS FORM*. We will then reach out to you with details regarding the contract.