Flow, Riffs, and Running Bass

Flow, Riffs, and Running Bass is a spin through groove, color, and kinetic energy—a concertino for cello and orchestra that I composed for Gabriel Cabezas. It was commissioned by Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music, Concert Artists Guild, the Sphinx Organization, and the American Composers Orchestra (ACO) as part of their (Re)Loading the Canon Initiative. The dialogue between the cello and orchestra leans into rhythms and sonorities drawn from elements of Black diasporic music, along with touches of Latin musical traditions. The piece opens in a haze—atmospheric, searching—before finding its footing in a slow, inevitable build. Soon, the cello cuts loose, carving out riffs and lines with a spirit that feels, at times, half-improvised. The orchestra keeps pace, matching step for step in a dynamic interplay with the soloist. After a moment of lyrical restraint, the music kicks into overdrive, sprinting toward a high-energy, high-octane finish.

Commissioned by Northwestern University's Bienen School of Music, Concert Artists Guild, the Sphinx Organization, and the American Composers Orchestra (ACO), with support from Elizabeth and Justus Schlichting, as part of the ACO’s (Re)Loading the Canon initiative.

Cello / Piano version: LISTEN HERE, Reading at Northwestern University, Bienen School of Music
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Cello / Orchestra: LISTEN HERE, Reading at Northwestern University Bienen School of Music