Year
2024
Instrumentation
Bassoon solo
Duration
ca. 6′
Commissioned by
New Sounds New Sounds New
(New = Living: Music!)
Written for
Ben Roidl-Ward, bassoon
Premiere
November 1, 2024
Tenri Cultural Institute, New York
Performances
June 13, 2026 · Indiana premiere
Pieces for One
Ford Hall, Indiana University
Jacob Wolf, bass clarinet (bass clarinet version)
February 13, 2025 · New Mexico premiere
Music From the Americans Concert Series
Keller Hall, The University of New Mexico
Program Note
먹 [mək] is a Korean word that means “inkstick.” Though ink might seem like mere blackness, it unveils an infinity of shades through brush strokes, ink density, water concentration, the pressure of the hand, and the empty spaces. I related this to the performer’s kinesthetic sense: ink density represents the pressure of the reed in the mouth, brush strokes represent the intensity of air blown into the instrument, water concentration represents the volume of air, the pressure of the hand represents the minor movements of finger muscles and gestures on the instrument’s keys and tone holes, and empty spaces represent the spaces in the sound.
This piece is written for the bassoonist, Ben Roidl-Ward.
