This premiere is a COVID redemption story. Finally premiered after a 3-year delay by Zachary Costello and Hyemin Kim on the campus where the piece was conceived and completed. Full circle.

Leaving Neverland, for alto saxophone and piano, was commissioned by two of Dr. Matthew Schlomer’s students in honor of him. It grew out of inspiration they received from working with living composers through Dr. Schlomer’s Composer Sandbox initiative. I was able to work closely with Mr. Costello through his senior year as the piece developed. It was intended to be dual-premiered in Spring 2020 by Zachary Simonds at the University of Wisconsin and Zachary Costello at Interlochen Academy and was one of the casualties of the pandemic. I’m so excited for this to finally find an audience. 

The piece is an exploration of leaving a safe haven (Interlochen, in this case) and setting out into the world. As such, the themes oscillate between the excitement and perhaps fear of something new and the bittersweet reflections of letting go of something precious. The saxophone explores and examines these contrasting themes overlaid with the piano’s constant motion relaying the unstopping march of time and years.