What am I doing? I am an active composer in worlds such as contemporary classical, modern jazz, songwriting and theatre. Composing for me is all about engaging with the subject and performers involved, and it is important to me to think and feel in the environment of each individual situation I find myself in. I thrive in collaboration with other musicians and artists to collaborate with their ideas and strengths to create engaging and meaningful art and music. I am especially interested in diving into and expanding my existing frameworks on spectral composition, extended notation, microtonal notation, phenomenological listening, vowels and speech orchestration, musical expression of data, electro-acoustics, exploration of gender, environmental awareness, and exploring the line between structure and freedom.
Composition to me is also deeply tied, perhaps inherently so, to improvisation, and I often try to combine developing improvised ideas with thought out forms and structures. I love the idea that one can create their own sound world or musical language with each piece. I also love melody, texture, and rhythm. <3
When writing notated music, often I put a lot of attention into the writing by hand, as it gives me a new sense of creativity versus writing into a music notation software and also makes it easier to write extended techniques, colors, visual spacial elements, etc. If I am writing for a small ensemble I will choose to engrave my scores by hand, it is a meditative and rewarding (though sometimes time-consuming) process. I thank Marti Epstein showing me her engraving process!
I hold a Bachelor's of Music in Composition/Performance from Berklee College of Music '2021 Magna Cum Laude
Composition Studies at Berklee included: Private Lessons: Marti Epstein, Arnold Friedman Group Lessons and composition ensembles: Richard Carrick, Marti Epstein, Mischa Salkind Pearl, Alla Cohen, Arnold Friedman, Kris Davis, Julia Werntz, Gabriele Vanoni
Selected Masterclassesin the Composition Department: with David Lang, loadbang, Maria Schneider, George Lewis, MIVOS Quartet Composition related Masterclasses in the Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice at Berklee Wayne Shorter, Terri Lynne Carrington, Kris Davis, Val Jeanty, Aaron Parks, Linda May Han Oh, and Billy Childs.
Additionally I have studied composition at Sibelius Academy with Timo Alakotila and Juhani Nuorvala. I currently study with Jussi Reijonen and Sebastian Dumitrescu.
Like a Whisper/ kuin kuiskaus, 2024 for 31-EDO lumatone, quarter-common meantone baroque harpsichord and slide trumpet/vocals (note, pdf does not yet include program notes, it is however to show the notation)
Growth in Mourning, 2023 for soprano, alto, tenor, flute and cello, commisioned by the Into the Light ensemble. Premiered August 2023 in Massachusetts, US. www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4j0MVHwH4k
Dragonflies (flutter by), 2023, commissioned by the Girl Circus for Oregon Country Fair 2023 stage show;2 vocalists, trumpet, trombone, clarinet in Bb, tenor saxophone, violin, cello, electric bass, piano. premiere July 2023
Ducks (hatching everywhere). 2023, commissioned by the Girl Circus for Oregon Country Fair 2023 stage show;2 vocalists, trumpet, trombone, clarinet in Bb, tenor saxophone, violin, cello, electric bass, piano. premiere July 2023
Otus 2023, written for Zipora Ogola's master's recital; trumpet, concert kantele, guitar, drumset, premiere September 2023
Terms and Conditions Scratch Night; in 6 scenes; 45m soundtrack for I3 Collective's Scratch Night performance art piece. premiere April 2023
Sisarus Hambo, 2023, written for Kietoutumo (Devina Boughton and JP Jyväsjärvi) on trumpet/vocals and piano. This is a piece that is paired with trad. Swedish folk tune Vallpigan vals. premiere February 2023
Wistful Sea, 2022, written for Kietoutumo (Devina Boughton and JP Jyväsjärvi).on trumpet/vocals and piano. This is a piece that is paired with contemporary folk tune Flatworld by Andy Cutting.
Terms and Conditions, 2022 was composed for "Terms and Conditions" installation/performance at Aalto University with I3 Collective. This iteration did not make it into the performance but was used as samples in live improvisation and then the piece later became dismantled and expanded to become "Terms and Conditions Scratch Night"
In Transit, 2018, commissioned for the Neither/Nor Ensemble in collaboration with Boston Conservatory dance division, dance choreo by Adia Hollist. Ensemble directed by Richard Carrick, written for piano, flute, trumpet, clarinet, morin khur and throat singing, percussion, voice, violin, and electric guitar, performed April 2018
Syntylaulu, 2018, commissioned for loadbang, baritone voice, trumpet, trombone, bass clarinet, premiered March 2018.
Acknowledgement: I did not understand the Karelian heritage of the Kalevala when I composed this piece and want to acknowledge that the Kalevala was appropriated by Elias Lönnrott.