Winner of the Lee Ettleson Prize from Composers Inc.

My Sonata for Violin and Piano remains one of my favorite works, written during my time at the University while studying with composer William Bolcom, to whom it is dedicated. For those familiar with my teacher’s music, his influence on the sonata should be evident, particularly in its attitude—the willingness to blur artistic boundaries, draw from diverse stylistic genres, and revel in the explosion of pastiche. While some of these traits have diminished in my music over time, the sonata’s lasting impact on my development as a composer lies in its enduring call for artistic liberation and freedom.

The sonata was written with a deep trust in my musical instincts and gut feelings, rather than preconceptions or detailed planning. The opening passage, from which the entire work unfolds, came to me as if by gift during a car ride with my father, with whom I strongly associate this piece. Its four-movement structure emerged organically from the surprising variety and potential of its materials, discovered through musical free association and play. My focus was on allowing these spontaneous musical ideas to surface without suppression. As a result, the work incorporates elements as varied as the Blues, a quote from Brahms, stark dissonances, and simple, unexpected melodies—all woven together into a singular dreamscape.

I began the composition in the autumn of 1995 and completed it in June of 1996. Maria Sampen and Gordon Beeferman premiered the first movement in Ann Arbor, Michigan, just prior to the first complete performance on August 18, 1996, in Ozawa Hall at the Tanglewood Music Festival. Glen Cherry performed on violin and Miri Yampolsky on piano.