Program Note: The Visitor was originally composed for Ensemble dal Niente and premiered at the Red Note New Music Festival in Normal, IL. Conceptually, the piece is an exploration of my childhood fear of spirits, ghosts and monsters. I was never afraid of the dark, but more of what was lurking in the dark. Often during the night, any noise that made it to my ear would further convince me that some kind of non-corporeal being was coming to visit me. I would stay awake for hours because I was too afraid to go to sleep. Of Course, I realize only now that such a fear is completely irrational. However, I recently began thinking about what a visit from a spirit might have actually been like. I also began to imagine the encounter from the spirit’s perspective. It occurred to me that some spirits could be quite sorrowful while others could be angry or even jubilant. It would be more complex than the simple fear that consumed me as a child. This piece endeavors to explore how such an encounter might unfold from the sadness of the visitor to the fear of the visitee.

Commisioned By: Ensemble dal Niente and the Red Note New Music Festival

Premiere: March 2014 by Ensemble dal Niente at the Red Note New Music Festival in Normal, IL.