on buoyancy (2016) for orchestra ​

The sea has always served as an inspiration to my music, but rarely as directly as in on buoyancy, which was written as a programmatic depiction of the ocean. The piece begins in a swirl of color, with sounds intertwining like unaligned waves. Cascades of descending lines collide with swells in the brass and strings, and fragments of melody emerged from the texture before being swallowed up again. In the middle section of the piece, a shimmering sound world is punctuated with rumbling growls in the brass, and as the work closes, the intertwined swells and flowing runs of the opening section return. The primary melodic and harmonic material of the work is derived from Takemitsu’s “sea motif” (the notes spell out S-E-A in German), and this motif is explored and developed over the course of the piece. 

​on buoyancy was written as part of the first-ever Composer Apprenticeship with National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America, under the guidance of Sean Shepherd.

With mentor Sean Shepherd and Composer Apprentice Zach Egan after premiere of on buoyancy
​Photo Credit: Jennifer Taylor

on buoyancy is scored for orchestra (3333 - 4331 - timp+3perc - pno - hp - str)

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selected performances 
​Dec. 2018 - Austin Symphony Orchestra, Peter Bay, A Tale of Two Titans, Long Center for Performing Arts
Nov. 2018 - Austin Symphony Orchestra, Peter Bay, A Tale of Two Titans, Long Center for Performing Arts
Jul. 2016 - National Youth Orchestra of the USA, SUNY Purchase, Harrison, NY (reading session)

selected honors
Texas Young Composer Competition, 1st place
Metropolitan Youth Orchestra Emerging Composers Competition, 2nd place