Composer
Program Notes The word zeher means poison in Hindi. At the time I was working on this piece, I developed a pernicious case of strep throat, that three separate sets of antibiotics, over more than a month, couldn’t seem to cure. It became increasingly difficult for me to swallow, to speak and even at times, to breathe. … Read more
Program Notes In recent years, I’ve realized how deeply inspired I am to write music by the very people I write it for. I’ve always found the story of the Franck Violin Sonata as incredibly moving and romantic as the music itself: Franck wrote the sonata for Ysaye and his wife as a wedding present, … Read more
NOTE: There are two versions of this quartet — this one has Hindustani vocals and the other does not. They are the same piece, but this version is about 5-6 minutes longer, with accompanied interludes in each movement for improvisation by a Hindustani vocalist. Program Notes During the year I spent in India, I began … Read more
Program Notes During the year I spent in India, I began to notice a beautiful thing that would happen at concerts. When the artist would announce the raag to be sung or played that evening, immediately, and almost subconsciously, many of the cognoscenti in the audience would begin humming the characteristic phrases or ‘pakads’ of … Read more
Program Notes Most Indians will immediately recognize Teen Murti as name of the New Delhi residence of the first prime minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru. The residence, which now serves as an incredible cultural resource (library, museum, and planetarium) is named for the sculpture that stands in front of it. ‘Teen Murti’ means three statues, figures, or … Read more
Program Notes This Piano Quintet is an incredibly special piece in my catalog. It is in this piece that I began exploring elements of Hindustani classical music for the first time. My path to Hindustani classical music was circuitous: at the point I wrote this piece, I had been yearning for years to understand the … Read more