Compositions
Below is a list of all of my most recent compositions, and if you want to stay up to date, check out my YouTube channel and consider subscribing!
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Nightshade - Debut 2026
Nightshade - Debut 2026
Named for the night-blooming plant, Nightshade reflects the composerβs creative process: music that comes alive in the quiet hours, unfolding like a blossom after dark. The work contrasts shadow and luminescence through modal shifts, layered rhythms, and evolving harmonic color.
Performed live by Victor J. Andrew High School in Spring 2026!Β
Steps into the Mouse's Lair
Steps into the Mouse's Lair
Scored for a small ensemble, this piece features the following instrumentation: piano, flute, clarinet, alto saxophone, celesta, contrabass, and shaker. It channels the sly charm of 1960s spy films β think Mancini with a touch of midnight mischief and a wink of humor β playful, suspenseful, and full of character. Its tone and structure make it ideal for an animated short, a stylized film scene, a commercial, or other short form content. Upon request, the score can be revised to replace celesta with vibraphone.Β
Echo of a Raindrop - From Within the Cave
Echo of a Raindrop - From Within the Cave
This is my most recent large orchestral composition and the winner of the Illinois Young Composer Contest (First Place, February 2025). Written during the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra (CYSO) Composition Symposium (2023β24) lead by Eric Malmquist, the piece was brought to life in a live reading by the CYSO Philharmonic Orchestra on May 5, 2024, conducted by Kenny Lee. Iβm deeply grateful to them for the opportunity to develop and hear this work performed.
The piece evokes a scene in which a traveler takes refuge in a cave as a storm begins. Dripping water (represented by claves), echoing reverberations (mirrored in wide string passages), and the distant sounds of thunder (timpani) and rain (wind instruments) gradually build. The music moves from quiet solitude to a flourishing of sound and activity, then gently returns to stillness. This final calm carries a deeper sense of meaning, shaped by the storm's energy and transformation.Β
Awards
Awards
FIRST PLACE WINNER 2024-25 Illinois Young Composer Contest (UIUC)
PLATINUM 2024 Annual Grand Prix
PLATINUM 2024 S2 World Classical Music AwardsΒ
GOLD Grand Master Music Competition (Age 14-17)Β
GOLD 2024 S2 World Grand Prix International Music ContestΒ
GOLD 2024-25 London Young Musician, S1 JuneΒ
GOLD 2024 World Melodia Championship, S2Β
FIRST PLACE 2024 Universal Stars Music Competition, SummerΒ
SILVER Β 2024 Global Young Musician, December
HONORARY MENTION SR Large Ensemble 2024-25 ILMEA Student Composition
Frozen Velvet - Lost but not Forgotten
Frozen Velvet - Lost but not Forgotten
Written during my second year in the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestraβs Composition Symposium, this string quartet tells the story of a glove lost in the wintertime, but still remembered by its owner. The piece debuted on December 3, 2023, in a live reading by the talented musicians of 5th Wave Collective, to whom I am deeply grateful.Β
Awards
Awards
π Grand Prize Artist of the Year Composition Instrumental 2023, IYMC
π Diamond First Prize 2023 Seas4 International Royale Musician Competition
ποΈ Creative Leadership Award 2024 Winter International Royale Musician Competition
Calico - And Whispers at Night
Calico - And Whispers at Night
Created in October 2023, this piece began as a flute and oboe duet designed for my YouTube channel banner (and is featured at the top of this page). As the music evolved, I added bassoon to complete the trio. The piece blends the grace and mystery of my favorite type of cat. I hope to record it with friends in the future. Inspired by this track from Sky (video game) here.
Spring Swing Boogie
Spring Swing Boogie
The Indie Film Music Contest does an excellent job of curating short films and giving budding composers opportunities to score them. I participated in their 2023 Summer contest and scored the film Outdrawn using a DAW. I especially loved the last minute of the film (the end credits), so I notated that section and developed it into a stand-alone piece that could be performed. That version won First Place in the 2023 August Jazz, Boogie, and Rag Competition through the International Young Musicians Contest (IYMC). The organization provided excellent feedback and an opportunity to revise and resubmit, which then earned IYMC 2nd Runner Up, Artist of the Year 2023. View my score for the film Outdrawn here.Β
Awards
Awards
Revised: 2nd Runner Up for Artist of the Year 2023 IYMCΒ
Original: 1st Place 2023 August Jazz Funk, Boogie, & Rag IYMC
Violet Forest - A Color not Seen
Violet Forest - A Color not Seen
My first orchestral piece!
This is the second work I created using MuseScore during my participation in CYSO's Composition Symposium (2022-23). It was played by the CYSO Philharmonic Orchestra May 5, 2023. In the fall, a small group of musicians from my school district rehearsed and recorded it with the help from VJA music director Mark Iwinski.
Awards
Awards
π Grand Prize Artist of the Year Composition Symphonic 2023, IYMC
π Diamond First Prize 2023 Seas 2 International Royale Musician Competition
ποΈ Virtuoso Special Award 2023 Seas 2 International Royale Musician Competition
Sweet Lemon - Best Tasted on its Own
Sweet Lemon - Best Tasted on its Own
Sweet Lemon, (originally entitled Gypsy Leaf) is my first ever notated composition, and is a Wind Quintet. I created this with MuseScore while participating in 2022-23 CYSO's Composition Symposium, a nine-month program directed by Dr. Eric Malmquist. This piece was performed by the 5th Wave Collective in Dec 4, 2022.
Awards
Awards
π₯ First place State Winner 2023 NFMC JUNIOR COMPOSER CONTEST, CLASS 3
π Honorable Mention in the 2023 UIUC ILLINOIS YOUNG COMPOSER CONTESTΒ
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