As a young student of composition my teacher John Beall assigned to me a melody for theme and variations. That and other similar projects have become a part of my musical DNA and I am dearly thankful for the knowledge gleaned from my early studies with John.

The year 2014 will mark the end of John’s 35 years of teaching, and as a surprise retirement gift I have chosen to return to the same theme he gave me all those years ago and dust it off. It is now the basis for this large-scale work for orchestra. I present here my Symphonic Transformations with deep gratitude to John Beall, the man who mentored me with equal parts kindness, patience, and wisdom.