Chamber Concerto

From the composer: “Debussy's Sonata for Flute, Viola, and Harp has long been a favorite piece of mine, both the wonderful notes themselves and the very characteristic color of the instruments and their supple interaction. As with several other pieces of mine in recent years, I've taken bits of musical DNA from the Sonata as a basis for the five movements, embedding the sinuous flute melody from the opening of the piece, the wandering seventh chords from a bit later in the movement, and the in-you-face viola pizzicato and harp ostinato from the finale. The piece doesn't sound like the Debussy beyond the basic color world, nor are there clear extended quotes, but at the close of several of the movements, the pianist offers a little quiet reflection on a kernel of the Sonata. It's almost as if the pianist might be, you know, Debussy.” This Chamber Concerto for a mixed soli trio and nine players was commissioned by the Aspen Music Festival and School, Robert Spano, Music Director, and it premiered on July 11, 2026, composer Donald Crockett conducting. Instrumentation: Soli Flute (doubles Alto Flute), Viola, and Harp with nine players consisting of Clarinet 1 in B-flat, Bass Clarinet (doubles Clarinet 2 in B-flat), Pecussion (1 player - 4 1/3 octave Marimba and Vibraphone), Piano, and Strings (1.1.1.1.1).