Trio for Flute, Viola and Harp

Description

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In four descriptively titled movements, Trio for Flute, Viola, and Harp charts new horizons of  rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic sensibilities, all inspired by the composer’s travels and research. Movement I –Mornings at the Barnyard – is whimsical, rowdy, and playful; an opening movement evoking the spirited chaos of early mornings at a farmhouse, with all its rustic charm and rhythmic vitality. Movement II – First Fruits – essentially inspired by musical evenings shared with griots and bards in the Sene-Gambia subregion of West Africa, this movement channels oral traditions and communal storytelling through music, praise-singing, and minstrelsy. Movement III – A Nubian Dance Meditation 2.0 – a reflective reimagining of an earlier solo guitar work, this movement explores ancient Abyssinian courtship dance traditions from northeastern Africa: demure and introspective, it offers a contemplative lens on wedding rituals.  Movement IV – DragonFlies in the Meadows is basically a spirited finale with intense polyrhythmic flair. Though each movement was conceived independently, together they take performers and listeners on a sonic safari – a kaleidoscopic journey through distant lands, illuminating rhythm, song, and dance from multicultural vantage points.

Commissioned by Ebonee Thomas and the Butler School of Music (University of Texas, Austin). World Premiered by Ebonee Thomas (flute), Wilhelm Magner (viola), and Emily Levin (harp).