Radiance

Commissioned by the James Madison University Symphony Orchestra
Completed in 2018
Duration: 7 minutes

Premiered in February 2019 in Harrisonburg, Virginia
James Madison University Symphony Orchestra
Foster Beyers, conductor

Program Note

Radiance is about the experience, expression, and anticipation of joy.  It begins with an explosion of color and carries the listener trough a series of emotional highs and lows over the course of its seven-minute duration.  The piece is organized in five major sections in an ABABA form.  The A sections bristle with shimmering energy, driven by brisk flourishes in the winds, percussive outbursts, and triumphant brass fanfares.  The B sections feature a singing, lyrical melody over a gently oscillating ostinato in the strings.  Radiance was written for JMU Symphony Orchestra for tonight’s premiere.