National Sawdust

Vessel Redux (2018)    Michael Laurello
Christopher Harris, percussion
Dan Piccolo, percussion

Vessel Redux began as a two-minute miniature for solo percussion and stereo playback, written during the composer’s graduate studies and marking their first work for found-object percussion. Inspired by metal vessels discovered in an antique shop—an oilcan, a lobster pot, and others—the piece explores the character of imperfect, resonant sounds. Vessel Redux expands this original version by adding a new section, contrasting the composer’s earlier musical voice with their current interests. The result is a work that bridges past and present, and it is dedicated with love and gratitude to Maria and Alex.

Double Portrait (1985)    Samuel Adler
    1. Slowly and serenely
    2. Fast, rhythmic, without letup
Benjamin Hoffman, violin
Robert Satterlee, piano

The piece was written in 1985 in memory of a married couple—one of the foremost violinists of her time, Carroll Glenn (1918-1983), and her equally celebrated husband, pianist Eugene List (1918-1985).

Notturno: In Memoriam Toru Takemitsu (2011)    Marilyn Shrude
Shannon Lotti, flute
John Sampen, alto saxophone
Stephen Eckert, piano

Notturno: In Memoriam Toru Takemitsu was written in memory of Toru Takemitsu, the contemporary Japanese composer who died in 1996, and whose music has always been a great source of inspiration to me. Although the piece bears no direct stylistic affinity to Takemitsu’s music, it borrows freely from the gestural and harmonic language that was so characteristic of his work. The original version for violin, alto saxophone and piano was premiered on June 10, 1996 at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center by Maria Sampen, violin; John Sampen, alto saxophone; and Marilyn Shrude, piano. A version for flute, alto saxophone and piano followed in 2007 and was subsequently recorded by The Verismo Trio (cloudServer, ACA Digital Recordings, Inc., 2015) and by The Tower Duo (Crosswind. Revello Records, 2019).

RE/Member (2022)    Reena Esmail
Stomp Box (2011)    Robbie McCarthy

Martha Hudson, oboe
Dwight Parry, oboe

In its original version, RE|Member is a wildly colorful overture for orchestra, sandwiched between two plaintive solos for oboe. In the opening solo, a recorded oboist on a screen plays alone in her living room, and at the end of the overture, the onscreen oboist returns to play a duet — with the real oboist, live in person, in the hall. I knew that I had to make a version of the work that focused on the two oboes — there are times when the oboes are almost playing as one instrument, and other times where they feel like a huge ensemble, as they cascade over one another in huge waves of sound.

Stomp Box was composed quickly for a variety show themed “The Future.” Originally conceived as a humorous, unfinished duet, it evolved into a lively and engaging work. Reflecting on classical music’s future, the piece imagines a fusion with rock influences, inspired by a cultural “singularity.” Its structure mirrors guitar effects pedals, or “stomp boxes,” with shifting sections that alter tone and character. The result is a playful, genre-blending duet that captures spontaneity, experimentation, and a fresh perspective on contemporary performance.

Grey Fireworks (2022)    Tyson Davis
Jacob Loitz, saxophone
Niayesh Javaheri, piano

Grey Fireworks is a work that is a response to a painting of the same name by the American abstract expressionist Helen Frankenthaler. The composition, like the painting, moves quickly through various moods, colors, and gestures. The immense motion, choice of colors, and seemingly improvisational burst of bright hues of the painting enabled the composition’s structure and capricious quality that certain gestures have in the work. Grey Fireworks was commissioned by the I & I Foundation for Samuel Nebyu (violin) and Charles Abramovic (piano) as part of the Summer Festival of Lucerne Festival 2022.

Love Sweet (2014)    Jennifer Hidgon
    1. Apology
    2. The Giver of Stars
    5. A Fixed Idea
Sarah Luebke, soprano
Caroline Chin, violin
Brian Snow, cello
Francisca de Castanheiro de Freitas, piano

Love Sweet is a five-song cycle set to love poems by American poet Amy Lowell, tracing a relationship from beginning to end. Three songs feature “stopped piano,” created by lightly muffling the strings before striking them, producing a muted, percussive sound. With violin and cello in the accompaniment, this effect evokes pizzicato textures. The poems “Apology,” “The Giver of Stars,” and “A Gift” are drawn from Sword Blades and Poppy Seed (1912), shaping a work that blends poetic narrative with distinctive instrumental color.

Epitaph for Victims of War Crimes (2026)    Ramin Heydarbeygi
Roberta Michel, flute

Epitaph for Victims of War Crimes for alto flute was written for Roberta Michel.  As is generally the case, when I agree to write a new piece for a particular performer, I incorporate what I admire most about the performer in the new piece.  In this new work for Roberta Michel, I have tried to showcase her impressive technique, her exceptionally beautiful sound, and the range of emotions that she can express on her instrument. While designing and composing this work, extraordinary events took place around the world, which, naturally, affected my thinking and writing; hence, the title of this piece. Composing this piece coincided with the double bombing of a primary school in Minab and the murdering of 168 mostly primary school children; murdering of scientists, officials, and ordinary people with over two thousand deaths; and the bombing of hospitals, universities, and historical sites, including medieval and 19th century palaces, several churches and mosques, and the total destruction of a synagogue in Tehran, which appeared to have been the sole target. Epitaph for Victims of War Crimes is four expressions of lament ranging from outrage to sorrow.

Morra, for violin and guitar, arr. for violin and piano (2021)    Christopher Dietz
    1. Heavy, solid
    2. Suspended, fluid
    3. Tarantella
Caroline Chin, violin
Laura Melton, piano

Arranged for Caroline Eva Chin and Laura Melton in 2024, Morra is also the name of an ancient hand game of chance, dating back thousands of years. The piece, set in three movements, follows a lively dialogue between the two instruments while asking for the most tranquil and virtuosic qualities of both performers. Chin and Melton premiered the piece in Idyllwild, CA this past October and recorded it for Toccata Next slated for release in 2026.

Reach Out (2002)    Dai Fujikura
The Big Su
Garrett Evans, sopranino/soprano saxophone
Jake Loitz, soprano/alto saxophone
Adam Hanna, soprano/tenor saxophone
Sam Valancy, soprano/baritone saxophone

Dai Fujikura’s Reach Out explores the full timbral and virtuosic range of the saxophone quartet through an imaginative sound world. Inspired by the contrast between a serene painting by Tomoya Yamaguchi and the rock anthem *Sweet Child of Mine*, the piece blends visual art with distorted guitar aesthetics. It opens with sopranino and three soprano saxophones, using breath sounds, rapid articulation, and shifting tempos to create an otherworldly atmosphere. Gradually transitioning to standard SATB instrumentation, guitar-like riffs emerge. The result is a dynamic, chimeric work that bridges genres, textures, and artistic mediums.