For flute, bass clarinet, tenor saxophone, percussion, piano, violin, and cello; premiered by the Grand Valley State University New Music Ensemble across Badlands, Wind Cave, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton National Parks in July 2016; also performed as part of New Music Detroit’s annual music marathon, Strange Beautiful Music IX . 7 minutes, 34 seconds.

A recording of Teewinot was released by Innova Records in 2020, as part of the “Dawn Chorus” album, and it can be found here.

See score as PDF (right or control-click to download)

Teewinot (pronounced TEE-win-aht) is a mountain set within Grand Teton National Park, a landscape formed by earthquakes, glaciers, and creatures. Teewinot, the piece of music, is a musical ecology of sorts, a bundle of musical possibilities set within a larger structure of events. You might think of it as a sonic time lapse of the history of this land.

Teewinot was commissioned by the acclaimed Grand Valley State University New Music Ensemble, in celebration of the 100th birthday of the National Park System. With a funding award from the National Endowment for the Arts, eight composers including myself, Rob Deemer, Alexandra Gardner, Patrick Harlin, Jeff Herriott, Molly Joyce, Phil Kline and Paula Matthusen, were asked to create music to be performed within the parks. The music reflects the immense diversity of the parks while capturing their breathtaking and inspiring landscapes and wildlife. You can find out more about the project here and watch a short video trailer here.