Composition Premieres

Description

Preludes for Solo Piano Composer: Gregory Smith Performer: Jamie Decker Instrumentation: Solo Piano Movements: No. 1 - Danza, No. 2 - Grave Lullaby Of a Falling Leaf Performer: Jamie Decker (Piano) Composer: Mac Hayes Elegy Written and performed by Julia Chu (Violin) "Elegy" tells the story of somebody important to me whose life purpose changed very suddenly and very drastically. Throughout the piece, the momentum builds and falls, representing their change in confidence as they rediscover who they are and what their new life purpose is. Sonata for Piano and Theremin Composer: Ian Croker Performers: Ian Croker - Theremin, Jamie Decker - Piano The theremin was invented by Leon Termen in 1920, making the instrument only a century old, so there are few pieces in the concert repertoire composed with it in mind. Its vocal quality and lyrical abilities make it a good fit for romantic repertoire, especially for voice, but works written for other instrument rarely display the full breadth of the theremins abilities—a unique combination of extensive range, lyrical sensitivity, and new gestural possibilities. Of course, the solution to this problem to perform new works for the instrument. This one-movement sonata is my first finished work for theremin, which I attempted to imbue with the romantic sensibilities of great sonatas such as Brahms’ or Debussy’s cello sonatas, while also exploring the new possibilities of this unique instrument.