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Romance in E Minor, Prelude to A Minor Forest Fugue, A Minor Forest Fugue — World Premiere at Grusin Music Hall

On April 15, 2025, the Piano Suite received its world premiere at Grusin Music Hall, University of Colorado Boulder, performed by Dr. Andrew Todd — concert pianist, CU Boulder doctoral alumnus, and Assistant Dean for Advancement at the CU Boulder College of Music.

Program Note

These three piano works are inspired by my longing to visit Sintra, Portugal, particularly the enchanting Pena Park and its lush forests, written about by Eurydice da Silva in Mountain of the Moon. For me, these works are about the essence of yearning and a profound desire for experiences yet to be realized. Drawing on emotions tied to new possibilities and unfulfilled dreams, these compositions explore the delicate interplay between hope and longing. It is my desire to inspire the listener and performer to connect with their own aspirations and dreams. Through the romance, the prelude, and the fugue, I hope to evoke a whimsical sense of potential and beauty, encouraging listeners to embrace the unknown and find inspiration in their own creative journeys.

— Glenda Luck

About the Performer

Dr. Andrew Todd is a concert pianist, CU Boulder doctoral alumnus, and Assistant Dean for Advancement at the College of Music, University of Colorado Boulder. He made his Carnegie Hall debut at Weill Recital Hall and has championed new music throughout his career.

Soleil d’automne — World Premiere at Grusin Music Hall

On March 19, 2025, Soleil d’automne received its world premiere at Grusin Music Hall, University of Colorado Boulder, performed by the Renova New Music Ensemble — CU Boulder’s acclaimed student-led contemporary choir — under the direction of conductor Blake Clawson, with Andrew Thomas Wilder on classical guitar.

Program Note

I composed this piece to embody the essence of autumn, reflecting on the beauty and transcendence in nature during this season of change.

The seed to this choral work began as a deeply personal art song (quite a few years ago) — written and sung on classical guitar while sitting in a field, under a late afternoon September sun, among the trees, the birds, and the bugs. I was not singing about Autumn. I was singing Autumn.

Quite a few years ago, having lived in French-speaking Senegal and at the time deepened my studies in the language over some years, I began thinking and writing in French as one does as they become more intimate with a language. I find French to be a particularly beautiful and melodic language, perfectly suited to the delicate emotions this piece embodies.

Transforming this art song into a choral piece has been deeply satisfying — celebrating the beauty of shared voices and creating a communal experience. The gentle whistling and delicate guitar accompaniment enhance the work’s intimacy, tying it back to its original personal feeling and grounding it in nature.

Text

Soleil d’automne, regarde les fleurs du champ, comme elles baissent leurs têtes. Le vent emmène nos pétales au loin, l’un après l’autre.

Soleil d’automne, brillant à travers les branches des arbres tandis que les feuilles tombent du ciel à la terre, se pose là en prière.

Autumn sun, look at the flowers of the field, how they lower their heads. The wind carries our petals far away, one by one.

Autumn sun, shining through the branches of the trees while the leaves fall from the sky to the earth, resting themselves there in prayer.