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
This is a new work, written for cellist Yoshi Masuda. It is an elaboration on the cello solo in movement 3 of my String Quartet (Ragamala). The music for this work will be released along with his new album in 2024. Program Notes one word makes a world emerged from the cello solo in the … Read more
Program Notes Sandhiprakash(p/d), meaning ‘the joining of light’, is the term for a particular set of Hindustani raags that are performed at the moments of sunrise and sunset. In this piece for unaccompanied cello, the focus is on morning sandhiprakash raags Bhairav, Ahir Bhairav and Vibhas. I’m so struck by how differently the concept of … Read more
Program Notes Varsha was written for the Haydn Seven Last Words project, for Juilliard415. The project commissioned seven composers (including Nico Muhly, Paola Prestini, Jessica Meyer, Tania Leon, Caroline Shaw and Colin Jacobsen) to write interludes between each of the Haydn quartets. This piece, Varsha, serves as an interlude between Sonata V (Sitio – “I Thirst”) … Read more
Program Notes As a companion piece to Victoria’s O Vos Omnes, I chose to set a beautiful text by the 14C Persian poet Hafiz. The text of O Vos Omnes is asking, simply, to be seen in a moment of sorrow — to be beheld through suffering and darkness. And Hafiz’s text responds in such … Read more
(*this work was originally written for SATB+cello) Program Notes As a companion piece to Victoria’s O Vos Omnes, I chose to set a beautiful text by the 14C Persian poet Hafiz. The text of O Vos Omnes is asking, simply, to be seen in a moment of sorrow — to be beheld through suffering and … Read more
Program Notes Nadiya (p) means ‘rivers’ in Hindi. In this work, I imagine two different streams intersecting — pushing and pulling against one another, tripping over each other, flowing into each other to create mellifluous, cascading melodies. The piece is in a composite of two Hindustani raags: Jog and Vachaspati — both have a light … Read more
Program Notes NOTE: The original version of Jhula Jhule is for violin and piano. This page is for a transcription for cello and piano. Please see sidebar for other versions. When writing this piece, to be based upon Indian folksong, I cast a wide net for source material – I scoured the internet and my … Read more
Program Notes It is difficult for me to find something insightful to say about a piece that is so close to my heart. I think Rilke’s text says it best. Recording This is a recording of the original version of Two Tones, for soprano, violin and piano. The tenor/cello version has not been recorded yet. … Read more
Program Notes I wrote this piece as a collaboration with dancer/filmmaker and dear friend Heather McCalden. Below is an excerpt from McCalden’s notes about her film “Figures of Speech”: The title of Reena’s music is derived from an essay by Jacques Derrida called, “The Loving in Friendship: Perhaps: – the Adverb, and the Noun”. The … Read more
Program Notes Below are the original notes that accompanied Elegism, which was one of my earliest substantive pieces of music. My close childhood friend’s father died suddenly and left our whole community in shock, and with so much grief. As an 18 year old, just beginning to understand how my thoughts translated into musical form, … Read more