Pinnacles

for string trio

Duration: ca. 10’

Dedication: for Tien-Hsin Cindy Wu, David Samuel, and Mihai Marica

Program Note

Although I often begin compositions while immersed in the landscapes they’re named for, Pinnacles took shape in a different way. In the summer of 2024, I was tasked with writing a string trio as part of the Emerging Composers Intensive at Hidden Valley for three exceptional professional musicians. As the deadline for submitting the first full draft loomed, I found myself unsatisfied with everything I was coming up with. I had a core motif but struggled to develop it in a way that felt meaningful. Frustrated, I set out on a hike along Horse Mesa, northeast of Phoenix and just outside Tonto National Forest.

During the hike, my thoughts turned to the idea of potential: the potential inherent in writing for such accomplished performers, the potential that lies ahead when standing at the base of a mountain, and my own potential as a composer. Along a ridge, I could see for dozens of miles in every direction—one of many great features of Arizona’s wilderness. I reflected on the landscape’s duality: fluid, ever-changing natural systems juxtaposed with the harsh, unyielding realities of desert life and jagged mountains which burst forth from the earth. As I took in the scenery, ideas on how to progress the piece began to come to me.

The title Pinnacles carries layered meanings. On one hand, it refers to Pinnacles National Park, near the program’s base in Carmel Valley, CA—a place I was eager to visit for its extraordinary geology and unique ecosystems. But more personally, the name reflects the metaphorical pinnacles we aspire to reach in our lives. It’s a meditation on the beauty and exhilarating uncertainty of being alone in America’s wild public lands, but also on those same two qualities as they exist in our aspirations for the future. Whether in art, personal growth, or something else, the future is deeply uncertain, but as a result, it’s also full of opportunity.

At its core, Pinnacles explores the act of seeking—both in wilderness and in life. The music is based entirely on a simple, omnipresent four-note motif which is transformed in myriad ways. Fluid, organic textures and blurred harmonies evolve into a sharp, angular, rhythmically driven middle section. This dynamic mirrors not only the contrasts found in nature but also the challenges and breakthroughs of creative growth. Ultimately, Pinnacles became about more than nature. It became a reflection on striving, embracing uncertainty, and finding meaning in the pursuit of your aspirations.