Solo Instrument

Blue Hour (2022)

For Donovan Bown

Premiered March 23rd in Stiefel Hall by Michelle Moeller

Oboe

5 minutes

Program Notes

“Blue Hour is a short, lyrical, and rhapsodic piece for solo oboe dedicated to my friend and colleague, Donovan Bown. The title of the piece refers to the brief period of time before sunrise when the sky is entirely navy blue, and the world is slowly waking. In envisioning this piece, I recalled memories from the past few years—waking up early during the cold Alberta winter to get to rehearsal, riding an overnight bus into Toronto as the sky begins to light up, and most recently observing New York City transform from its nocturnal simmering into its daily hustle and bustle. The piece ends as the first rays of sunlight are seen on the horizon.”

-Michael Nunes

Vast (2021)

For Ryan Garbett

Premiered November 23rd, 2021 in Walter Hall, Toronto by Michael Nunes

Horn and Electronics (Max/MSP or Pure Data)

10 minutes

Program Notes

“I am convinced there is a correlation between playing the horn and an appreciation for the limitless. Much of our best repertoire and excerpts evoke either mountains, forests, and wide-open skies, or intimate heart-to-heart moments. In my opinion, these apparent extremes are much more similar than they initially appear. Vast is my love letter to all the moments that make me grateful that I am a horn player. It moves through four distinct and expansive sonic landscapes—from the inside of a human body all the way up to outer space and back—taking the player and listener on a journey through my conception of infinity.

When I listen to electronics, I am always struck by how natural they appear. Digital effects such as delays, EQ's, and reverb are all inspired by real-world acoustic phenomena, and I enjoyed exploring how these effects create a dialog between the horn and the electronics. To further personalize the sounds I worked with, every piece of audio apart from a synthesized keyboard patch was recorded in and around my childhood home in Sherwood Park, Alberta. Some of these sounds are left relatively unchanged, while others were heavily edited to create multiple different, yet connected, sound effects.”

Suite for Piano (2021)

For Benjamin Kersey

Recorded live by Benjamin Kersey on January 17th, 2022 at the University of Toronto's Electroacoustic Music Studio.

Piano (advanced)

Movement 1: Toccata

Movement 2: Fugue

Movement 3: Church Bells

8 minutes

Toy Box (2019)

For Christina Kant

Premiering March 16th, 2020 in the Royal Conservatory of Music by Christina Kant (delayed due to COVID-19)

Harp

6 minutes

For Lucy Nesbitt

Horn

4.5 minutes

Program Notes

“Quixotic Fantasy, written for my friend Lucy Nesbitt, demonstrates her astonishing agility and clarity across all registers of the horn. Although the term quixotic is used to describe the musical content, it is almost equally applicable to the absurd and unusual registral demands made of the performer! Starting with a bright and pompous march in compound time, the piece falls lower and lower, descending into a melodramatic romantic middle section. Peppered with runs and arpeggios, this section truly shows off the horn player’s command of the entire instrument. The piece returns to its A section, before a coda ending triumphantly on pedal F: a note both Lucy and I agree is one of our favourites to blast!”

-Michael Nunes