interlocutor (2021) for piano quartet 
interlocutor is a study in interruption. I love music which draws influence from speech, and just like in an argument, the instruments here are constantly talking over one another. There’s really only one musical idea in the whole piece—the simple melody heard at the very beginning of the piece—but this idea is fragmented and punctuated by all sorts of other kinds of music. In a certain way, it’s a theme and variations form; however, rather than an idea becoming more intricate or ornamented, instead there’s a sense of conflict, where an idea is shouted over and argued with. The title is also a pun on the word “interlock,” a reference to the complex hocketing and rhythmic interlocking throughout the piece. I wrote this piece in the middle of the pandemic in early 2021, during a time when I needed motion and connection in my life—therefore, this piece takes the form of animated, off-kilter dance.
 
interlocutor was written as part of the 2021 RED NOTE Festival for the Left Coast Chamber Ensemble. 
selected performances
         Mar. 2024 — Contemporary Art Music Project, CAMPGround24, Tampa, FL
         Aug. 2023 — Blueshift Ensemble, ICEBERG Composers, Plot/Twist, Crosstown Arts, Memphis, TN
         May 2023 — Decoda, ICEBERG Composers, Plot/Twist, Tenri Cultural Institute, New York, NY
         Nov. 2022 — Mayflower Arts, In Bloom, Opera America National Opera Center, New York, NY
         Jun. 2022 — MingHuan Xu, Anthony DeVroye, Nick Photinos, Winston Choi, IMF Rush Hour, Chicago, IL
         Apr. 2021 — Left Coast Chamber Ensemble, RED NOTE Festival Performance [livestream]