In Darkness (2024)


In Darkness was written in response to a prompt that called for a solo instrument piece to be played in the dark. Since the performer would not be seen in this scenario, I thought about how a piece would sound with an intent to confuse the audience as to what kind of instruments and how many instruments there are on stage. With this in mind, the solo cello mimics multiple instruments playing simultaneously throughout the piece, such as with the cello shifting in its extremely high register, playing double stops, and playing glissandi, all while plucking the lower strings with the left hand.

Instrumentation: solo cello

Duration: 5’30”

World premiere performance in November 2024 by Cindy Chen (Cello).