Premiere: Corvus Ensemble, Denali National Park Visitor's Center and Universiy of Alaska, Fairbanks, July 2023

 

Duration:  ca. 6'30"

 

Program Note:

 

I composed Denali Mosquito Dance during my 2023 trip to Denali National Park for the Composing in the Wilderness workshop. One persistent element of the experience was the near constant swarm of mosquitos that followed us around as we hiked through the park, even at high altitudes. This piece captures the buzz and whir of that feeling of being surrounded by insects. In a nod to Bartok’s violin duet “Szunyogtánc” and my Norwegian heritage, I include a little bit of fiddle music towards the middle of the work.