Armenian Rhapsody (Clarinet Piece no. 1)

When I first moved to NYC in 2017, I reconnected with my Armenian roots (my grandfather was Armenian) through the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU). They introduced me to the Armenian community and I quickly began to learn about the music and culture, eventually traveling to Armenia to study in AGBU’s summer program. The organization has a yearly concert at Carnegie Hall, and I wrote a piece for the 2017 edition. My piece was initially for solo piano, but I have since reworked it for piano and clarinet. It uses a melody known as “Shalakho” (traditional dance) and “Soorp, Soorp” (Christian hymn), as well as my own melodies. I recorded this with an incredibly gifted clarinetist, Emmalie Tello.

Music for Strings

These two pieces were both initially for films, but they stand alone. “Tea Later?” was written during my undergrad for my own short film (which you can see in the film section). It was recorded by a small chamber string orchestra, but probably could’ve been done with one person on each instrument, no doubling.

The “Little Daydreamer” is music for string quartet that I wrote for an animated film by my close friend Jenny Li. Scores and recordings found below. Contact me for parts!

Two Tunes with Casey Lewis

During the pandemic, Casey and I found ourselves both back home in Bland County. We had heard of each other, but never had made any music together. That’s when our friendship began. We started putting programs together and playing all over the southwest Virginia, doing a mix of country, bluegrass, jazz, gospel, originals, classic rock, and Christmas music. We recorded these three tracks for films (two of them are in “Fleur de Sel” which is on the film page). Two are my originals, and one of course, is a rendition of “Wayfaring Stranger.”

Spirit of Water: I. Hudson

In 2021, I was commissioned by the World Aral Region Charity along with four other composers to write a suite for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, and piano. The organization cleans up polluted water, and the each movement was to represent a body of water in the composer’s country. The premiere took place in NYC at Opera America and the proceeds went to the WARC’s cleanup efforts in Uzbekistan. The first movement is mine, and I dedicated it to the Hudson River.

The melody that opens the piece is what is known as the “Algonquin Water Song,” which praises and worships the world’s water, the “blood of the earth.” This melody can be heard throughout the suite’s five movements, tying together the bodies of water they depict. The tranquility of the Algonquin melody is disrupted by the arrival of the colonists, represented by restless rhythms and the 'Song of Eventide', which eventually silences the 'Water Song' entirely. 'Song of Eventide' is an anonymous ballad from the Hudson area, presumably written in the early 20th century.

The Hudson River Valley was originally settled by the Dutch and then the Irish, the latter being the likely origin of the melody for this song. Its lyrics describe a man who attempts to drown himself in the river, but is unable to sink, landing every time on a tire or some other piece of trash. A testament to the destruction of the natural habitat at the hands of industrialism, I found the song’s subject very appropriate for my piece. The music grows more dissonant and dense as the movement progresses and eventually collapses, giving way to the cello’s final echos of the 'Water Song,' a desperate plea for the water and the planet. Below is a video of the performance and the score of my movement only. Contact me for parts!