Palmyra Peak (2017)

solo piano – 6 min

Program Notes

Palmyra Peak is the first in a set of works for solo piano based on specific places. The piece is based on memories from visits to Telluride, Colorado in the winter. It portrays two scenes: a dark, quiet, peaceful forest and a snow-covered, vast mountain range. Palmyra Peak is the tallest point in this mountain range. The work travels to both of these scenes through two different styles: a quieter, grounded section at the beginning and end, and a louder, bombastic section in the middle. The styles contrast in similarity to the contrast of the two scenes.