Circle Dance

Commissioned by the Portland Youth Orchestra and the Youth Orchestra Commissioning Initiative, and premiered in November 2020, "Circle Dance" was composed for a horn quartet. The inspiration behind this new work was the communal, folk tradition of dancing in a circle, which has history in many cultures.  Specifically, I focused on the rhythms of the African and Latin traditions.  I feel it an important factor for all musicians, but especially young musicians, to become familiar with as many different musical influences as possible.  Here was a great opportunity to help in that effort.