Wanderlust

Wanderlust

1. Flowing Summit

2. Cosmos

3. Adventure

symphony orchestra

composed 2023-2024

“Flowing Summit” was premiered and commissioned by the Symphony NH

awarded high honors by Dartmouth’s Department of Music

Composer’s Note

Wanderlust is a collection of three pieces that depict the yearning of discovering and exploring new places, things, ideas, and the feeling of wanderlust. The three movements are Flowing Summit, Cosmos, and Adventure in their respective order. These pieces may be played together or separately.

My music thesis project awarded high honors by Dartmouth’s music department. One the works that I’m most proud of since it came after a period of writer’s block.

“Flowing Summit”

“Flowing Summit” takes the listener on a journey as one walks along the banks of the river, makes their way up to the summit of the mountain ranges, and then comes back down to the river again, now with a brand new perspective of the river. The sixteenth notes traded off in the violins that depict the flowing water are gradually passed onto other instruments until the fluid melody is taken over by a more structured melody that illustrates the strong mountain peak. Multiple key changes throughout the piece (from D to F to C to A Major) depict changes in the journey from one form of nature to the next, and highlights how one can be impacted by the beauties of New Hampshire.

“Cosmos”

“Cosmos” takes the listener on a journey through space. Constant changes in texture, melodies, and harmonies reflect the endlessness of the universe and the constant discoveries that we as humans make. The piece starts out with a pulse that continues throughout the piece. The pulse combines with string fragments and then transitions to wind fragments, which illustrate how we only knew fragments of pieces of information about the universe. The piece then makes way into a more definite, complete melodic section, as we uncover more information about the cosmos. However, a quick key change and rapid change in texture to oscillating and intertwining strings and percussion showcases that we have only begun to touch the surface of what there is to know. Towards the end, the piece dwindles down to a texture similar to the one at the beginning (with strings and harp). However, the final chord does not resolve, signifying that the cosmos is boundless. Each section of the piece is in a different key up the whole tone scale, further emphasizing the “out of world” feeling of the cosmos.

“Adventure”

As the title suggests, this last movement takes the listener on a busy, relaxing, and eye-opening adventure. The initial descending figures that start the melody were taken from the announcements from the tube stations when the train is arriving to or departing from a station. Busy figures in the strings represent the bustling of people in cities, or the crowds in a subway. The piece then transitions to a calmer section after the reference to the Westminster Abbey bells. After being soothed by a less busy environment, the listener then arrives at the core of the piece – an expansive melody that refuses to resolve, depicting the endless realizations that one can have on a journey. The bustling timbre then returns and expands further into a bright and ascending coda, marking the end of the adventure.

Symphony NH Experience

Flowing Summit was premiered on April 20, 2024 at the Keefe Center of the Arts, by Symphony NH, conducted by Roger Kalia. Flowing Summit was commissioned by the orchestra as one of the finalists of the Symphony NH Student Composer’s Contest. Eternally grateful for this splendid opportunity.

All renders below were made by NotePerformer. For a sample of the professional recording of “Flowing Summit”, please contact me!