Gateway to the West

for Chamber Orchestra

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Completed in fall 2016, "Gateway to the West" was a commissioned project by my good friend, Victor Huls. As a conductor, he wanted to open a concert with the Ann Arbor Camerata in Michigan with a piece of mine. A personal trip to St. Louis and fascination with Copland's music at the time inspired me to write this piece. The combination of these inspirations influenced me to use a large amount of fourths and fifths melodically and harmonically throughout this work. These melodic and harmonic figures give the piece, what I believe, is a spatial American feel.

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This work was premiered in January 2017 by the Ann Arbor Camerata in Michigan under the direction of Victor Huls.