Fractured Illuminations - Euphonium (TC/BC) and Piano

Some of my best memories as a child were spent working with my dad in his workshop. As a kid it felt like he had unlimited access to tools and an unyielding enthusiasm for handcrafted items. I was lucky to learn how to work with stained glass and that experience is the influence for “Fractured Illuminations.”
 
Stylistically, this 7 minute piece transitions between varying energies, like looking through contrasting colors and textures of glass panels. The opening is fierce and majestic, like taking in the full composition of a stained glass installation. Subsequent sections feature elements of counterpoint and fluid transitions between major and minor tonalities with a boisterous and whimsical finish.
 
I wrote this piece for myself and pianist Kristy Mezines, who make up the flugelhorn/cornet and piano duo Mother Chaos. The premiere for this piece will take place at the 2025 Brass Institutes of America festival at Wichita State University.