Commissioned by the Onix Ensamble. Pierrot ensemble — 11’30”

Premiered April 14, 2019 at the IC Fine Arts Series

Open borders create interesting languages, intriguing cuisine, and rich artistic cultures. Open Borders was written for the Onix Ensemble in Mexico and in response to the political solutions of closing borders. It presents different musical ideas that seem to come from different origins. The piece starts with a ritornello—a short melodic pattern that repeats throughout the work—that regularly reoccurs in the piano. This singular idea is the core DNA of the work and all the music in the piece is cut from it. Through a variety of contrapuntal treatments on this line, a rich tapestry of music unfolds: an odd, exotic tune; a jagged blues progression; a Latin groove; a small minimalist whirlpool; a soft, tender melody; a flashy piano cadenza; and an angular, lively presto. On the return of the opening material, the different types of music find their shared origin.