Stone in River, Dwindle Away

Instrumentation: 3 flutes, 2 oboes, english horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 3 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 tenor trombones, bass trombone, tuba, timpani, 2 auxiliary percussionists (suspended cymbal, bass drum), strings

Duration: 5.5 minutes

Program Notes:
As I composed Stone in River, Dwindle Away, I was contemplating the nature of being a composer quite a bit—contemplating how some composers are able to make their marks on history and become immortalized, while many others fall into obscurity. I was struck by the metaphor of time being a river, while my life and work is a stone, sitting in the river, likely to be weathered into nonexistence, but perhaps to remain in place, fighting against the current. These daunting thoughts have also been inspiring, however, as they put into perspective the time we have in life and the time I have to create art, and the importance of spending that time wisely, working hard as an artist and being a good person.

Stone in River, Dwindle Away was written for the Peabody Symphony Orchestra and was premiered on April 5th, 2025, Debbie Fang-Ju Kuo conducting.

Score to View: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1paGhtlteK1mKzoW8myUST1O4GD2cQPjE/view?usp=drive_link