Violin Concerto

ensemble 2.2.2.2, 4.3.3.1, timp. + 3, hp., strings, solo violin
written spr.-sum. 2025
duration 24 minutes

Commissioned by David Alan Miller and the Albany Symphony

For Keila Wakao, with admiration and gratitude

program notes

The violin has always reminded me of dance. Playing the instrument necessitates a certain fluidity of motion, with typical bow technique characterized by rocking, back-and-forth energy. It is perhaps unsurprising that there is such a long and storied tradition of the violin accompanying dances of many kinds, from the gavottes and gigues of Bach’s day to the resonant virtuosity of bluegrass fiddle.

For this piece, I imagined the concerto as ballet: the orchestra as dance company, the violinist as principal. The first movement’s title, ‘Manèges,’ literally translates to ‘carousel,’ which in ballet refers to large-scale circular patterns of motion. The music moves in spirals of harmony, tightening and relaxing as the violin leads the orchestra through whirling progressions. After a relentless cadenza and a brief answer from the orchestra, the piece proceeds attacca into the second movement - ‘Ballon,’ a term that describes the prized lightness and buoyancy of motion that ballet is so famed for. Here, the music is quick, vibrant, and acrobatic, full of dazzling pyrotechnics in the violin and energetic interjections from the orchestra. Finally, after building to a head, the piece culminates in the final movement: a relatively brief coda, entitled ‘Soutenu,’ or ‘sustained.’ The soutenu technique, true to its name, requires dancers to maintain a steady, elevated position even as they turn, and this idea inspired the final, rising melodies of the concerto. The only true slow music of the piece, the chords here are gentle, transparent, and stable, providing a sense of groundedness following the rapid changes of the earlier movements. The piece ends with a final series of callbacks and flourishes as the violin guides the piece to a ringing close.

I owe much thanks to my incredible collaborator, Keila Wakao, whose generosity of spirit and astonishing musicianship were fundamental to this piece’s conception. I am tremendously grateful for the work she put into both learning and editing such challenging music, and her kindness and patience made the compositional process significantly less stressful. All thanks to David Alan Miller and the Albany Symphony for commissioning the piece and putting us together.