Chamber Music | Solo Instrumental | Vocal & Choral | Orchestral

Song Without Words (2018)

Composed for Kyle Miller

Performer:

Kyle Miller, guitar

Program Notes:

Felix Mendelssohn wrote eight books of short piano pieces entitled Lieder Ohne Worte (Songs Without Words). These modest little piano pieces enchanted me as a child. Without any context to understand the title, I always imagined that the songs had not been given words because the pieces carried a special meaning that couldn’t be put into words. This magic of musical expression that leaves room for experiences too abstract or complex to be described concretely still captures my artistic imagination today. This is my first composition for classical guitar, and I am grateful to Kyle Miller for initiating the collaboration, as well as for all of his hard work in learning the piece and workshopping his beautiful instrument with me.