Premiered by the Louisville Orchestra on February 27, 2024, as part of the "In Harmony" tour of Kentucky.

In the short time I've lived in Louisville, I’ve learned one thing: Kentuckians love bluegrass. The syncopation, tight harmony, and soul embedded so deeply in the music are infectious. As a new Kentucky resident and admirer of this genre and its connection to this region, I wanted to pay homage to the art form.

"Unstrung" is a deconstructed bluegrass tune. Traditionally, string instruments (bass, guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle) comprise the heart and soul of the sound. I was interested in the hallmark techniques associated with these instruments and the bluegrass sound: plucking, strumming, and chopping. I decided to bring these characteristics to the forefront while maintaining the spirit of the music. I imagined taking off the strings and putting them back together again.

Hear an Excerpt of the Work:

• Listen on Soundcloud

Premiered by Chris Robinson (violin), Dillon Welch (violin), Jon Mueller (viola), and Lillian Pettitt (violoncello) on January 23, 2024.

The inspiration for Growing Perspectives was born out of personal experiences. Growing up, I spent time in nursing homes and senior centers. My dad is a geriatric psychologist, and I would often come into the facilities with him on the weekends to play piano for the residents. On the other end of the spectrum, I teach young musicians how to play piano and write music. Additionally, my wife works with children in the health care setting. During the pandemic, I collaborated with young oncology patients to write songs describing their hospitalization experiences.

I have always felt a connection with younger and older generations and wanted to create a project that uniquely compared, contrasted, and celebrated who we are and how we make sense of the world as we grow up. Over the course of five sessions with seniors at Jeffersontown Senior Center and 1st graders at Cochrane Elementary, we explored the creative process through interviews and improvisation.

For the interview portion, I asked everybody fundamental human questions: “What makes you happy?” “What are you grateful for?” “What do you believe in?” I was struck by both the simplicity and depth of both generations’ answers. They were wonderful, sometimes surprising, and fully honest. The responses are a snapshot of who we are and how we think during this particular moment in this region.

My hope is that by compiling the thoughts and words of two opposing generations in our community, we can see each other more openly, more clearly, and more fully.

World premiere by the Louisville Orchestra and Artefact Ensemble on May 10, 2024.

Heirlooms is a piece about remembrance. It is a piece about how we live through physical mementos left behind; how they represent a part of our personalities, a moment in time, a particular life event. Written in three parts for eight singers and orchestra, each movement draws inspiration from someone connected to Kentucky and/or Appalachia.

Through each of these stories (a beekeeper, an artist, and a granddaughter), we get a sense of where each writer is from, how they love, how they grieve, and what rituals they create to remember those who have passed on. It is my hope that this piece itself serves as an heirloom.

Text by Rūta Kuzmickas, Alex Berko, and Laura Berko based on stories written by and about Dr. Kellie D. Brown, Julie Baldyga, and the Louisville Story Program.

Hear Excerpts of the Work:

• Listen on Soundcloud (Mvt. 1)
• Listen on Soundcloud (Mvt. 2, excerpt 1/2)
• Listen on Soundcloud (Mvt. 2, excerpt 2/2)
• Listen on Soundcloud (Mvt. 3)

For woodwind quintet. Written for the Louisville Orchestra's Once Upon an Orchestra series. Based on the book by Laura Numeroff.

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As my residency with the Louisville Orchestra came to a close last year, I was approached with the idea of composing a new work for violin, cello, and orchestra. The piece was to be commemorative and feature two principal players in the orchestra: Gabe Lefkowitz (violin) and Nick Finch (cello). I was also told that my piece would be paired with Ellen Zwilich’s Double Concerto, commissioned by the Louisville Orchestra in 1991. 

I was initially daunted by the task of composing a work that features two instruments I do not play. At the same time, I was honored to be included in the orchestra’s rich history of commissioning new music and knew that with some score study and back and forth with Gabe and Nick, it would be an exciting challenge. I also knew I wanted to compose a piece that showcased both the youthful spirit and mature sensitivity of the soloists and the ensemble. 

In order to feature these different aspects, I decided to break the piece up into six continuous movements of various lengths. The work begins with a spark and propels into a consistent groove. The soloists fly over and collide with the orchestra un?l they reach a breaking point. The opening material is then transformed into an arching melody that peaks and slides its way back into pulse, plumme?ng towards the finale.

Typically, when I set out to compose a piece, I start with some sort of programmatic element. Recently, those elements have included historical narratives, religious principles, or personal stories. However, in this case, rather than having a specific story in mind, I allowed the music to be its own narrative. I decided to keep the title simple: Double Concerto as a way of honoring Zwilich’s work and to allow the audience to create their own story as they listen.

• Friday, October 13, 2023 | Coffee: Lasting Legacies | Whitney Hall | Spiegel Grove
• Friday, October 13, 2023 | NightLights: Lasting Legacies | Ogle Center (New Albany, IN) | Spiegel Grove
• Saturday, October 14, 2023 | Classics: Lasting Legacies | Whitney Hall | Spiegel Grove
• Thursday, November 9, 2023 | Music Without Borders: Musical Fantasies | St. Michael Catholic School | Be
• Friday, November 10, 2023 | Music Without Borders: Musical Fantasies | St. Vincent DePaul Family Success Center | Be
• Saturday, November 11, 2023 | Music WIthout Borders: Musical Fantasies |California Community Center | Be
• Tuesday, January 23, 2024 | Jeffersontown Seniors Center | Growing Perspectives
• Tuesday, February 27, 2024 | In Harmony Commonwealth Tour | Corbin Arena (Corbin, KY) | Unstrung
• Wednesday, February 28, 2024 | In Harmony Commonwealth Tour | Western Hills High School (Frankfort, KY) | Unstrung
• Saturday, March 2, 2024 | In Harmony Commonwealth Tour | Carson Center (Paducah, KY) | Unstrung
• Tuesday, March 5, 2024 | In Harmony Commonwealth Tour | SKyPAC (Bowling Green, KY) | Unstrung
• Friday, March 8, 2024 | In Harmony Commonwealth Tour | Norton Center (Danville, KY) | Unstrung
• Saturday, March 9, 2024 | In Harmony Commonwealth Tour | Sadowski Center (Ft. Knox, KY) | Unstrung
• Friday, March 22, 2024 | Jeffersontown Seniors Center | Growing Perspectives
• Thursday, April 11, 2024 | Music Without Borders: Bridging Beats | The Jeffersonian | Unstrung
• Friday, April 12, 2024, | Music Without Borders: Bridging Beats |St. Vincent DePaul Family Success Center | Unstrung
• Friday, May 10, 2024 | Coffee: Creators Fest | Whitney Hall | Heirlooms
• Saturday, May 11, 2024 | Classics: Creators Fest | Whitney Hall | Heirlooms
• Wednesday, November 6, 2024 | Once Upon an Orchestra | Main Library | If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
• Thursday, November 7, 2024 | Once Upon an Orchestra | Northeast Regional Library | If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
• Friday, March 7, 2025 | Coffee: Strainvsky’s Firebird | Whitney Hall | Double Concerto
• Friday, March 7, 2025 | NightLights: Strainvsky’s Firebird | Ogle Center (New Albany, IN) | Double Concerto
• Saturday, March 8, 2025 | Classics: Strainvsky’s Firebird | Whitney Hall | Double Concerto
• Wednesday, March 19, 2025 | Once Upon an Orchestra | Southwest Regional Library | If You Give a Mouse a Cookie