Chamber
Duets, Trios, Quartets, Quintets, &c.
Guzheng Trio No. 1, “Fishmint”
Instrumentation: Guzheng (1), Clarinet in B-flat (1), Piano (1)
12’
In three movements, this trio is for piano, guzheng, and clarinet in B-flat. The first movement is the search for shiny scales in murky water, while the second movement is a lively vision of the fish living in a colorful dance. The final movement represents the transformation of a fish, specifically the sagitta, into a heartleaf, also called fish mint (Houttuynia cordata).
SCORE
https://www.universaledition.com/en/Works/Guzheng-Trio-No.-1/P0366944
The music is framed in such a way that the guzheng is represented in different manners. First, it is murky and crude, indicating primitive interaction and cloud-like material. Second, the music is joyous, full-bodied, and clear. Finally, like the first movement, the physicality returns, but now with bowing. Where the start is meant to be a fish within water, the end is meant to be like a leaf floating on top. It is not a part of either world, but instead is something else.
Guzheng: Jingyao Chen
Clarinetist: Wang Long
Pianist: Zhang Shiyue
Performed at the China Conservatory of Music on November 24, 2025.
String Trio No. 1
Instrumentation: Violin (1), Viola (1), Violoncello (1)
14’
For violin, viola, and violoncello, this trio was written in 2026. It is based on four paintings by the artist “Juliart.”
SCORE
https://www.universaledition.com/en/P0366560
The first is on a dragon; the second on a sheep herder with three sheep; the third is a painting that includes imagery of ancient ruins and tendrils extending out of the mind; and the fourth is based on the melody “Es war im Böhmerwald” and is on a painting of skylight
FIVE BAGATELLES
Instrumentation: Violin (1), Harp (1)
16’
Conceived as a series of sketches while living in Wales, Five Bagatelles tells the story of a soul’s pilgrimage into the hereafter for violin and harp.
SCORE
https://www.universaledition.com/en/Works/Five-Bagatelles/P0367498
The cycle opens with Marwysgafn. It is a solemn deathbed song marking the severance of life, and tarting with a death-song highlights mortality not as an end, but as a new beginning.
In the second bagatelle, Gwymon (“Seaweed”), the departed human soul is equated to uprooted seaweed suspended beneath coastal waters, drifting helplessly along the ebb and flow of ocean currents. Just as the unmoored soul leaves its body, so too does the kelp leave the waters.
Gwyllgi begins as the soul washes ashore, encountering the formidable black mastiff of Welsh lore. Though traditionally a hellhound, it serves less as a malicious beast than as an authoritative sentinel, marking the boundary between worlds. The music reflects the eerie, watchful atmosphere of the threshold. It ends with the fog that often accompanies the twilight dog being lifted and heart feeling safely nostalgic.
Mwyar (“Blackberries”) draws on tales of the cunning Pwca and the intoxicating, overripe fruit associated with its realm. The mood is warm; it wishes to stay and come to full maturation, but as with life, it must be fickle and fleeting.
Closing the cycle, Englyn adopts the metrical principles of the traditional Welsh poetic form. Functioning as a bright, warm-hearted epitaph, this bardic coda distills the preceding journey into an enduring inscription for the lost life. It is not a mysterious or grueling tale, but a cheerful one; not because the soul did not venture, but exactly because it did.
Dedicated to Viola Räisänen
Oboe Sonata No. 1
Instrumentation: Oboe (1), Piano (1)
11’
In three connected movements, this sonata is for oboe and piano. Its catalogue number is Y. 63. It was written using four Central Asian folksongs, respectively:
I. DÄSSAN
Burning Juniper
“Babajklar / Grandfathers” (Turkmen)
The beginning of the work is with the piano, who presents the fragrance of burning juniper – a pan-Steppe protection ritual. The oboe enters with a soothing song-like lyricism that gradually becomes more sorrowful until the piano builds another pulsing solo to end the movement.
II. KÜÜ
Snow Song
“Ак Куу / White Swan" (Kyrgyz)
A nod to snow-dressed steppes and a lone swan that lives there, the second movement continues the pulsating rhythms of the first movement. The energy follows the same structure of the first movement, only the roles of the oboe and piano are somewhat reversed. Rather than beginning or concluding with a piano solo, the two are more integrated, or at least they try to be.
III. YALLI
Apple Offering
[Oboe] "Бер алманы бишкә бүләйек / Let us divide one apple into five" (Bashkir) + [Piano] "Омон ёр/Farewell, my Beloved" (Uzbek)
The final movement is a village song that pays homage to a circle dance, or more accurately the Yallı. Here, the piano follows the path of one folksong, while the oboe simultaneously follows a different one. The story is told from the point of view of an apple, so that one can observe the individuals dancing around. In this way, the usage of the themes becomes more communal and less introspective. In the center, there is another piano solo that is the summation of those before it. It depicts villagers dancing in expansive circles. When the oboe enters again, it is inspired to be more animated and lively. The concludes with an Elk's bugle of sorts, where the oboe recalls the rustic atmosphere. The piano dances away bittersweetly from the energy produced by the oboe.
Clarinet Sonatina No. 1
Instrumentation: Clarinet in A (1), Piano (1)
16’ 30’’
Composed for clarinet (A) and piano, this sonatina is in five movements.
SCORE
https://www.universaledition.com/en/Works/Clarinet-Sonatina-No.-1/P0366412
The first movement is inspired by my sunroom, which is also a small library. The music is sentimental but wandering in nature, and interruption is an important tool throughout.
The second movement is a short memorial to a coppice, or a grove of trees that is routinely cut down. It is a dance of smoke and boughs.
Following this, the third movement is inspired by pottery fragmentation and the disintegration brought on by time. It is a faster, lighter dance that is split in half.
The fourth movement is also a morceau, and it was written for the plant of the same name.
The sonatina ends with a magical légende. The fifth movement is an ostinato that hints at medieval chants and a long since extinguished past.
Wind Quintet No. 1
Instrumentation: Flute (1), Oboe (1), Clarinet in Bb (1), Horn in F (1), Bassoon (1)
11’
For flute, oboe, clarinet in B-flat, horn, and bassoon, this quintet is in three interconnected movements. The first is up to figure 15; the second is to figure 19; and the last is until the end. Sketches for this piece took many forms until finally become a wind quintet. Namely, it first existed as a concertino for soprano saxophone and string orchestra.
SCORE
https://www.universaledition.com/en/Works/Wind-Quintet-No.-1/P0367194
The first movement begin slowly and lyrically before becoming an upbeat dance in 2/4. Formally, this is the most regular, with the structure aligning with ABBA, if you include the intermezzo that begins the second movement. There, the music recalls the lyricism of the opening before expanding upon it, passing around the ensemble before finalizing on a sweetly and airy cadence to end the movement. The final part of this work return to playfulness of the first movement, but a more intense energy. The work concludes with a dramatic embrace of the lyricism, as a heroic return, before one final, gasping cadence.
Dedicated to Dawn Walters & Martin Suckling
Violin Sonata No. 1
Instrumentation: Violin (1), Piano (1)
15’
On different shades of the Finnish "ruska," or color-changing of the leaves.
Piano Trio No. 1
Instrumentation: Viola (1), Violoncello (1), Piano (1)
12’
For viola, violoncello, and piano, this trio is in four connected movements. The piece won 2nd place in the NMGCS II International Composition. It was premiered in Baku, Azerbaijan on September 22, 2022 at the Hajibeyli International Festival. It was then performed on October 20, 2022 at the Bruno Walter Auditorium Lincoln Center, New York. It was published in the Library of Congress, and this version makes several small improvements.
Score
https://www.universaledition.com/en/Works/Piano-Trio-No.-1/P0367614
The opening of the work is Yer (“Earth”). It is drone-like in the style of muğam, and it evokes improvisatory, loamy textures—harmony is firm like stone.
In Boşluk (“Void”), Amirov’s melody begins to crystalize and a number of birds are introduced musically—in general, this section has a mournful tint. Lyricism and fluidity are valued here.
Kənar (“Edge”) returns to the stability of the opening muğam-style, as it opens with a piano solo. Warm and cold extremes duel for control of the narrative, and the Sanan and Khumar Theme forms at fig. 14.
Symbolic of both the lovers Sanan and Khumar, and of the unity gifted by the simurgh, Əbədi (“Eternal”) concludes the work. Only those birds mentioned in the text—as well as the lovers—are cited here, and the harmonic struggles between the A—E-flat tritone is resolved.
The final image is that of the simurgh, which shines in a fiery heat whilst also drawing inspiration from the “Song of the Blind Arab.”
Performed at the Bruno Walter Auditorium, Lincoln Center in New York City at the Gala Concert of the National Music & Global Culture Society. The concert was a celebration of the Azerbaijani composer Fikret Amirov, and Piano Trio No. 1 placed second in the composition competition featured therein.
Divertimento No. 1
Instrumentation: Guitar (4)
13’
For guitar quartet, this divertimento was initially inspired by Italian Renaissance music and it pays homage to Niagara County.
SCORE
https://www.universaledition.com/en/Works/Divertimento-No.-1/P0366420
Corrente is a flowing, contrapuntal dance that follows the winding path as if walking alone a canal. Pavana is a steady, regal dance that is contrasted with a graceful counterpart, continuing with the flowing theme. Villanella is a dreamy depiction of the countryside in a glassy introspective tone. The piece ends with a humble, provincial display from the first guitar. Piva is the most energetic of the set, and is rife with both fiery clusters of chords carried throughout the lines and longer, flowing melodies, all over a constant ground-bass.
The work was written for guitarist Conn Sullivan. It was performed at the University of Buffalo and at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.
Divertimento No. 2, “Flowers”
Instrumentation: Flute (5)
13’
Commissioned by the Junior Conservatoire of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff, Wales, this divertimento is a set of four dances for flute quintet. In addition to being inspired primarily by late-Renaissance dance forms, each work is a portrait of a flower, and so it is also known as the “Flower Suite”. The work was used by both the younger students and the older students of the conservatoire/college for teaching purposes under the direction of Joanne Abson. It also remains one of the few works I have personally conducted.
L I L A C M A D R I G A L
While not technical a dance form, this piece is based on my favorite flower – the lilac. Alternating between chordal blocks and sparsely polyphonic passages, this madrigal is a faithful portrait of the lilac in color and in fragrance. It ends with a gesture of grace.
F O X G L O V E T O U R D I O N
Marked “cardial” – in reference to both the vivacious energy of the music and to the flower’s utility in heart medication – this dance is in fiery contrast its predecessor. Splotched throughout are fragmentary fughettas and spritely counterpoint. The piece concludes with a final recitation of the opening theme in the first flute.
M A R I G O L D C A R O L
A tender depiction of the marigold in its garden. In accordance with the traditional use of the carol as a round-dance, the lines of this dance pass between the quintet in a circular manner. The crux of this movement is a duet between the first and fifth flute, leading to the combination of both the duple and triple time themes.
T U L I P P A S S E P I E D
The most energetic of the set, this finale is for the tulip – bright and rife with color. The music playfully wanders from the opening theme – one that is somewhat confused in its time signature – to a confident counter-theme. The piece ends with these themes married in joyous content.
Divertimento No. 3
Instrumentation: Flute (2), Harp (1)
10’
Composed for the Junior Conservatoire at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, this work is in three movements. Each piece is accompanied by a painting by the contemporary British artist, Shaun Hughes. This has also been orchestrated.
I
Alluding to the classical tale of Pygmalion – who carved his love out of ivory – this movement opens the set in a wondrous calm. As if peering through the foliage at the gleaming statue, the piece is complimented by the warming colors of the painting “Through the Trees.”
II
An ode to the autumn, this piece is impish and celebratory in tone. The music is rife with buoyant leaps and intertwining counterpoint, and it is accompanied by the painting “Autumn Journey.”
III
The final piece in this set utilizes the theme from “Polorum Regina”, which is included in the Llibre Vermell de Montserrat (Red Book of Montserrat). It is a pristine and hypnotic piece from the medieval manuscript, and it augments the mystic connotations hinted at by the title. The mandrake is a plant frequently used by medieval apothecaries/pagans to induce a delirious and euphoric state. This association with a naturalistic magic, in my mind, produces the most gilded of the pieces herein.
Epitaph
Instrumentation: Flute (2), Harp (1)
3’ 30’’
Composed for the Junior Conservatoire at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, this work is based on the Seikilos epitaph: a stele containing the oldest complete musical composition.
SCORE
https://www.universaledition.com/en/Works/Epitaph/P0366352
The piece begins with the image of gently rocking waves. The pace quickens, and the two flutes pass gull calls between each other before the first flute introduces the main theme of the Seikilos tablet. Briefly, an image of the sea returns before the hypnotic central section begins. The polymetrical lines blur the sense of time in the music, as if looking ahead whilst remembering the past. The work concludes with one final sighing gesture by the sea.
BERCEUSE
Instrumentation: Flute (1), Guitar (1)
3’ 30’’
For flute and guitar, this work was commissioned by Tŷ Cerdd for The National Eisteddfod of Wales 2021. It is built on the Welsh folksong “Anodd Ymadael,” or “A Difficult Parting.”
SCORE
https://www.universaledition.com/en/Works/Berceuse/P0367217
The tale tells of a widow in a modest cottage telling her children why the father is absent. The music gently, but unsteadily rocks back and forth to replicate the uncertain night’s rest ahead.
Chevrefoil
Instrumentation: Trumpet in B-flat (2), Tenor Trombone (1), Horn (1), Tuba (1)
3’ 30’’
Meaning “honeysuckle,” this piece is loosely based on the eponymous lai by the medieval poet Marie de France. The title is in reference to the honeysuckle as a symbol of love that runs throughout her writing of the story Tristan and Iseult.
Therein, the honeysuckle is intertwined with the hazel to such a point that, if ever they were to be separated, the both of them would perish. This is emblematic of the love between Tristan and Iseult and their unwillingness to leave each other’s side.
Performed by the Emerald Brass of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
SCORE
https://www.universaledition.com/en/Works/Chevrefoil/P0205389
Légende
Instrumentation: Guitar (1), Harp (1), Piano (1)
13’
In five brief movements, the inspiration of this set is from medieval Occitan literature. The organization of the movements depicts a "legend," or some sort of story which one recounts to another, beginning in the morning and ending in the evening.
SCORE
https://www.universaledition.com/en/Works/Legende/P0366339
A L B A
Similar to an aubade – a morning love poem – the alba serves as an introduction to the legend, and it depicts a sunrise amongst lovers.
R E V E R D I E
From the haze of the first poem, this movement projects a sense of dance, life, and energy. The reverdie, traditionally, is a poem that celebrates the arrival of spring.
K Y R I E L L E
The most pensive and introverted, the kyrielle is a solemn reflection of the self; here, represented by the harp. The piece concludes with a quotation of the “kyrie.”
E S T A M P I E
A fiery dance, this poem counteracts the serious nature of the previous movement with intense momentum. The troubadour estampie ends swiftly and with a scent of wit.
S E R E N A T A
Utilizing all the previous thematic material, the serenata (or serenade) completes the course of the “day” in the legend. It is particularly similar to the aubade as both poems have traditionally functioned in the same way, only at different times of the day. As such, the serenata can be compared to the back-binding of a book closing shut.
Flute Sonatina No. 1
Instrumentation: Flute (1), Piano (1)
5’
For flute and piano, this sonatina is in two small movements, drawn from sketches from when I was young. It was composed for the Junior Conservatoire of the Royal Welsh College of Music of Drama. It is dedicated to Joanne Abson.
SCORE
https://www.universaledition.com/en/Works/Flute-Sonatina-No.-1/P0366540
The first movement is vibrant, fast, and ephemeral. The opening half is quick to develop, while the second half travels to a slower and calmer disposition. It ends in one brief motion.
The second movement is a completely different character. It was originally a piece for solo piano based on Sir Thomas More's "Utopia." Its gentle ostinato rocking resembles a barcarola, hence the name.
String Quartet No. 1
Instrumentation: Violin (2), Viola (1), Violoncello (1)
19’
Sketches for this quartet originate from 2021, and it sat dormant until being completely rewritten and finished in 2026. The story of the work is loosely based on the tale of Assipattle and the Stoor Worm – an Orcadian dragon-slayer legend (wiki).
SCORE
https://www.universaledition.com/en/Works/String-Quartet-No.-1/P0366917
The first movement is on the princess at the heart of the story – Gem-de-lovely. The second is inspired by my love for heavy metal, and it based on combat with the wyrm of the story. The third movement is a Georgic of the Virgilian tradition that uses a favorite Armenian plaint of mine, En sarer (In the Mountains). It is based on the blood (corpse-sea) of the slain dragon, whose body formed the islands of the North (Orkneys, Iceland, etc.). The final movement is very similar to the original casting, and it is intended to be a stylistic re-telling of the combat from the second movement and the entire tale, as an Homeric microcosm. It does this as a hastilude – a type of medieval tournament battle. Sickersnapper is the name given to the sword won by Assipattle for slaying the wyrm.
String Quartet No. 2
Instrumentation: Violin (2), Viola (1), Violoncello (1)
30’
A string quartet in five movements, written in the fashion of a Bildungsroman. It was the first work composed as part of PhD studies in York, UK, and it is dedicated to Quartuor Diotima.
Concerto Grosso No. 1
Instrumentation: Violin solo (1); Harp (1); Harpsichord (1); Violin (2), Viola (1), Violoncello (1), Double Bass (1), string orchestra
12’
In four movement, this work is inspired by sketches from my Piano Suite No. 6. The music is radically transformed from the originals, with the odd movements (Cobblestone, Ossuary) being the most similar and the even (Wheat, Burčák) being the most transformed.
Concerto Grosso No. 2, “Das Eismeer”
Instrumentation: Violoncello solo (1); Santur (1); Harpsichord (1); Violin (2), Viola (1), Violoncello (1), Double Bass (1), string orchestra
20’
This concerto was composed as inspired by the painting Das Eismeer, by Caspar David Friedrich. In addition, a short responsory also creates the image the music tries to manage:
Across the endless plains of frosted ice, I see a ship that has been broken. Somewhere locked inside the wooden mess, is an unperturbed bottle of Schnapps. Despite the chaos and merciless loneliness that surrounds it, this remains as the last bastion of human creation, congeniality, and warm; and it is to show that even when the strongest timber is shattered and hardened glaciers snapped, our glassen hope can remain.
The concertino consists of santur, solo violoncello, and harpsichord; their ripieno consists of string orchestra (min. 3 violoncelli in the ripieno).
Viola Concertino No. 1
Instrumentation: Viola solo (1); Violin (2), Viola (1), Violoncello (1),
Double Bass (1), string orchestra
13’
Based on the poems of Scottish poet William Kerr, these are three short works that comprise my Viola Concertino No. 1. It is dedicated to my parents. It was originally sketched as a set of art songs for tenor and piano. The poems that inspired the work are below:
I. Nocturne, on "The Trees at Night"
II. Eclogue, on "The Apple Tree"
III. Coronach, on "In Memoriam D. O. M."