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 So much of my work with brass instruments has come into being because of incredible and intrepid brass players who have shown me new windows into my own music. Hence the title: khirkiyaan means ‘windows’ in Hindi, and this brass quintet is made up of three ‘windows’ into my work. Each movement is a transformation … 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 Meri Sakhi Ki Avaaz, at its core, is a piece about sisterhood. Each movement’s short text epitomizes the one of the many facets of having and being a sister. It is also about what sisterhood looks like when expanded beyond a single family or a single culture— when two women, from two different … 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
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 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 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 The first time I saw one of Shankar Tucker’s videos on YouTube, almost five years ago, I knew I wanted to write him this concerto. I didn’t know him back then: I was just one of his millions of fans from around the world, who was so deeply moved to see a musician … Read more
This is the original version of The Light is the Same, for woodwind quintet. Program Notes Religions are manyBut God is oneThe lamps may be differentBut the Light is the same Like many people, I spent the last half of 2016 trying to make sense of what was happening in our country and in our … Read more
Program Notes This piece was originally written for violin and piano. These are the program notes for the original work. When writing this piece, to be based upon Indian folksong, I cast a wide net for source material – I scoured the internet and my large collection of Indian music, listening to everything from Bengali … Read more
While the original version of this work is for wind quintet, I made an arrangement for flute, oboe and piano for the Aglow Trio. Program Notes Religions are manyBut God is oneThe lamps may be differentBut the Light is the same Like many people, I spent the last half of 2016 trying to make sense … Read more