OUTLINE (2017)

for string quartet

Commissioned in 2017 by the Aspen Music Festival. 6'

premiered by Aspen Philharmonic Orchestra mentor fellows Jimin Lim, violin, Jecoliah Wang, violin, Seido Karasaki, viola, and Leo Singer, cello on 3 August 2017, and repeated on the chamber series on 14 August 2017.

Outline is a brief meditation on expressive handicaps. In the first half of the piece, the quartet is restricted to unison rhythms, dynamics and contours, but free to use a broad harmonic and textural palette. Midway, everything flips: the individual players move independently, but they are each strictly bound to the same melody. In both cases, we receive a seemingly indirect report, incomplete and inviting.