Featured Works
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Joyas Voladoras pays homage to an essay by American Author Brian Doyle. His essay is an exploration of the heart: It ponders the frantic, wild hearts of hummingbirds, the vast hearts of whales, and the tiny hearts of insects and fish and mollusks. Ultimately his essay is about our own human hearts; that is the inspiration for this piece.
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The word overlooking has two distinct connotations – a high vantage point and a failure to notice something. This piece juxtaposes those starkly different definitions of the word. The musical ideas sometimes understand their place in the greater piece, but they sometimes overlook their role, spiraling out in unexpected new directions.
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Cadenzas and Metamorphosis takes apart the Piano Trio instrumentation and puts it back together, considering the different roles each player can hold within the ensemble. What if the instruments cohere? What if they collide? What if one player subverts or usurps the music of the others? This piece explores these questions in a broad, cyclic arc.
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Smoke rising from a factory on the skyline begins as a distinct, opaque cloud. Soon, inevitably, it starts to fade. This piece meditates the importance of smoke; on the idea of fading away. It begins by extensively exploring the viola’s rich low register but eventually breaks free, growing higher and more distant until it disappears into silence.
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You are standing on a hilltop staring out at a brilliant evening sky, reflecting on your past, remembering moments that you once took for granted, wondering what the future will hold, and asking yourself what it really means to be human, what it means to be a part of the world. Perhaps, in the back of your mind, you hear a melody.
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Etude Sonata explores the technical and musical possibilities of the Double Bass. The three movements are structured around the technical skills they demand: The first takes pizzicato playing to the max, the second dives into the world of artificial harmonics, and the third is a study in long melodic lines.
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Complete Works
Orchestra and Large Ensemble
Plea for solo violin and sinfonietta, 20 minutes, 2024 [in progress]
Joyas Voladoras [expanded large orchestra version] 16 minutes, 2024
Joyas Voladoras for chamber orchestra, 13 minutes, 2024
Essay for orchestra, 13 minutes, 2022-23
Lifted From Oblivion for orchestra, 7 minutes, 2022
Endings, Beginnings for orchestra, 41 minutes, 2021
With Any Luck We'll Be Fine for orchestra, 6 minutes, 2021
The Optimist's Fanfare for orchestra, 6 minutes, 2020
Fanfare for Found Objects for found objects, 5 minutes 2020
Fanfare to Uncertain Times for orchestra, 5 minutes, 2020
Joyas Voladoras [expanded large orchestra version] 16 minutes, 2024
Joyas Voladoras for chamber orchestra, 13 minutes, 2024
Essay for orchestra, 13 minutes, 2022-23
Lifted From Oblivion for orchestra, 7 minutes, 2022
Endings, Beginnings for orchestra, 41 minutes, 2021
With Any Luck We'll Be Fine for orchestra, 6 minutes, 2021
The Optimist's Fanfare for orchestra, 6 minutes, 2020
Fanfare for Found Objects for found objects, 5 minutes 2020
Fanfare to Uncertain Times for orchestra, 5 minutes, 2020
Chamber
Four Songs for cello and piano, 8 minutes, 2024 [in progress]
Boasting and Bragging for pierrot ensemble, 13 minutes, 2024
Fantasy for clarinet and piano, 15 minutes, 2023-24
Etude Sonata for double bass and piano, 10 minutes, 2023
Annotations for wind quintet, 8 minutes, 2023
Rule of Two for string octet, 12 minutes, 2023
Cadenzas and Metamorphosis for piano trio and percussion, 10 minutes, 2023
D.960 for piano trio, 14 minutes, 2023
Smoke Rising for two violas, 8 minutes, 2023
Overlooking for piano and percussion, 25 minutes, 2022
Imperfect Symmetry for string trio, flute and piano, 11 minutes, 2022
Positive Feedback Loop, 6 minutes, 2021
Song of the Wind for percussion quartet, 16 minutes, 2021
Strong Coffee for Pierrot ensemble, 9 minutes, 2021
Mosaics for piano, cello and clarinet, 8 minutes, 2019
In Deepest Night for string quartet, piano and percussion, 10 minutes, 2019
The Butterfly for string quartet, 4 minutes, 2016
Duet for two cellos, 3 minutes, 2016
Boasting and Bragging for pierrot ensemble, 13 minutes, 2024
Fantasy for clarinet and piano, 15 minutes, 2023-24
Etude Sonata for double bass and piano, 10 minutes, 2023
Annotations for wind quintet, 8 minutes, 2023
Rule of Two for string octet, 12 minutes, 2023
Cadenzas and Metamorphosis for piano trio and percussion, 10 minutes, 2023
D.960 for piano trio, 14 minutes, 2023
Smoke Rising for two violas, 8 minutes, 2023
Overlooking for piano and percussion, 25 minutes, 2022
Imperfect Symmetry for string trio, flute and piano, 11 minutes, 2022
Positive Feedback Loop, 6 minutes, 2021
Song of the Wind for percussion quartet, 16 minutes, 2021
Strong Coffee for Pierrot ensemble, 9 minutes, 2021
Mosaics for piano, cello and clarinet, 8 minutes, 2019
In Deepest Night for string quartet, piano and percussion, 10 minutes, 2019
The Butterfly for string quartet, 4 minutes, 2016
Duet for two cellos, 3 minutes, 2016
Solo
Viola Joke for viola, 6 minutes, 2023
Four Scribbles for oboe, 6 minutes, 2023
Three Images for piano, 10 minutes, 2022
Vast Expanse for cello, 30 minutes, 2022
Air for cello, 3 minutes, 2022
The Life Tree for vibraphone, 7 minutes, 2021
Solace for piano, 7 minutes, 2021
Inside Joke for piano, 3 minutes, 2021
Forest Melodies for flute, 7 minutes, 2020
Quarantine Whispers for violin, 4 minutes, 2020
Four Scribbles for oboe, 6 minutes, 2023
Three Images for piano, 10 minutes, 2022
Vast Expanse for cello, 30 minutes, 2022
Air for cello, 3 minutes, 2022
The Life Tree for vibraphone, 7 minutes, 2021
Solace for piano, 7 minutes, 2021
Inside Joke for piano, 3 minutes, 2021
Forest Melodies for flute, 7 minutes, 2020
Quarantine Whispers for violin, 4 minutes, 2020
Choral
This Very Here for SATB choir, 5 minutes, 2024
Family Blessing for SSAATTBB choir, 5 minutes, 2020
Family Blessing for SSAATTBB choir, 5 minutes, 2020
Vocal
Agnus Dei for soprano, tenor and piano, 10 minutes, 2024 [in progress]
Arrangements & Orchestrations
Mangrove by The Accidentals on behalf of the The Kaboom Collective
Nightlife by The Accidentals on behalf of the The Kaboom Collective
Sleeve by The Accidentals on behalf of the The Kaboom Collective
Tribute to Keith Emerson by Mike Garson on behalf of the The Kaboom Collective
Lullaby for our Daughters by Mike Garson on behalf of the The Kaboom Collective
Bohemian Rhapsody by Freddie Mercury for National YoungArts Week 2023
Nightlife by The Accidentals on behalf of the The Kaboom Collective
Sleeve by The Accidentals on behalf of the The Kaboom Collective
Tribute to Keith Emerson by Mike Garson on behalf of the The Kaboom Collective
Lullaby for our Daughters by Mike Garson on behalf of the The Kaboom Collective
Bohemian Rhapsody by Freddie Mercury for National YoungArts Week 2023
Music for Media
To view more projects, visit Liam Cummins Music on YouTube.