Composer
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 Description of “From the Mahabharata” production: This dance-theatre production of From The Mahabharata – The Great Dance-Off tells the story of a dance company internal struggle in staging a dance version of the Indian epic story of the Mahabharata. The main conflict arises when the artistic director cannot choose between a classical and … Read more
Program Notes Earth Speaks is a large 45-minute choral work that explores different perspectives on our earth through the lens of three Pasadena institutions. It was commissioned by Pasadena Master Chorale in 2015. The first section looks at the earth through the lens of California’s Native Americans. After an exhaustive search for poetry from the Tongva … Read more
Program Notes The title of this piece is a conglomeration of two words: the Italian word ‘tutti’, means ‘all’ or ‘everyone’, and the term ‘tarana’ designates a specific Hindustani (North Indian) musical form, whose closest Western counterpart is the ‘scat’ in jazz. Made up of rhythmic syllables, a tarana is the singer’s chance to display … Read more
Program Notes The word nishani means “keepsake” in Hindi — and this piece was just that. I wrote it on the floor of my empty apartment in New Haven in the weeks before I finally left the East Coast in 2014 to move back to my hometown of Los Angeles. Those thirteen years away from … Read more
Program Notes The title of this piece is a conglomeration of two words: the Italian word ‘tutti’, means ‘all’ or ‘everyone’, and the term ‘tarana’ designates a specific Hindustani (North Indian) musical form, whose closest Western counterpart is the ‘scat’ in jazz. Made up of rhythmic syllables, a tarana is the singer’s chance to display … 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 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 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
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
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