Shadow Song

Shadow Song (2020) was commissioned by horn player and educator Phillip Claassen for his two-year anniversary with—and, during the writing process, engagement to—trombone player and educator Tijana Ninić. It seemed fitting to sonically explore tenderness, longing, exuberance, and nostalgia in this piece, encapsulating the complex bundle of thoughts and emotions that can arise in just a single moment of a meaningful relationship. The main motif, played repeatedly by each instrument, calls out for its continuation by a partner, a desire for connection that is perhaps emblematic of the piece being writing a few months into the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout Shadow Song, the instruments’ connection and conversation are paramount as they weave and wander, concluding with a gentle gesture of coming together.