The farthest distance : for saxophone quartet and wind ensemble

The Farthest Distance is a work for saxophone quartet and wind ensemble in four movements. It is inspired by my visits to the Menil Collection art museum in Houston, Texas, as well as the beliefs and activism of the museum’s founders, John and Dominique de Menil. The de Menils were avid collectors of contemporary and indigenous art, as well as ardent believers in the importance and necessity of art in modern society. They were also fierce advocates for civil rights, giving money and support to a wide variety of causes and organizations dedicated to helping marginalized communities in historically segregated Houston. The work follows an overarching narrative inspired by the de Menils’ philosophies on art and social activism. It is based on four different works found in the Menil Collection, by artists Robert Rauschenberg, Cy Twombly, Mark Rothko, and Dan Flavin. Each movement of the piece tackles a different artwork, and approaches interpreting the art in a different manner. The movements are tied together with several thematic and motivic ideas that span the length of the piece. Harmonically, the piece is the first to utilize a new harmonic system that I have developed over the course of the last few years.