Program Note

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“Squeeze box” is a colloquial term for the accordion, an instrument I adore and play poorly. The image of expanding and contracting bellows haunted me as I composed Squeeze Box for symphony orchestra. Rather than simulating the sound of the accordion’s vibrating reeds, I envisioned the orchestra as a breathing organism and tried to capture the physical experience of air changing its density, thorough harmony, texture, and timbre. The piece’s narrative arc is a gradual squeeze that culminates in an inevitable moment of over saturation, out of which a more lyrical outlook materializes.

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