For Solo Violin & String Orchestra

Duration: approx. 8:00

There are occasional, fleeting moments in a composer’s life when inspiration for a piece just comes to you with almost no effort and the music practically writes itself. The night before I started writing this piece, I went to see a Fort Worth Symphony concert with violinist William Hagen playing the Tchaikovsky violin concerto. It was so inspiring seeing someone my age up on the stage with a professional orchestra and playing an impeccable performance. I went backstage after the concert and introduced myself to William. We became good friends and I insisted on writing a piece for him. Will accepted and I started sketching out ideas the next day. I was so excited to be writing a piece for a great violinist; the ideas just came to me and at the end of the first day, I had written one-third of the piece. Ideally this piece will evolve into a fully orchestrated violin concerto. The word anhelo in Spanish means “longing.” This piece explores those feelings of inner turmoil I think we all go through when trying to make a decision. Whether it is what you want to devote your studies to, what career you want to pursue, where to move, or any big decision you must make in your life, this piece communicates those feeling of doubt, fear, and uncertainty. Above all there are moments of hope and this anhelo is a longing for clarity, happiness, and peace with whatever the outcome will be.