a page from my sketchbook which became House Work.
This Sunday, August 30th, my new clarinet quintet House Work will premiere on YouTube. I was lucky to be introduced to the Pogossian family in Los Angeles (remotely, of course) by Jay and Helen Schlichting, who suggested I write something for them to learn and record during quarantine, since all of our musical summer plans had been cancelled. The piece that resulted is a pocket theme-and-variations—lots of activity packed into a small space, befitting a family of five. We conducted rehearsals remotely over the past few weeks, then Jay (renaissance man that he is) filmed and recorded it as part of an online concert alongside music by Coleridge-Taylor and Bartók. I’m thrilled with how the piece is sounding in the Pogossian family’s capable hands, and excited to share it with you all come Sunday, August 30 at 10pm EDT / 7pm PDT.