Program Notes:

Sonata for Flute and Piano traces a journey shaped by curiosity, longing, and acceptance. It opens with a gentle, searching voice – introspective and warm, yet unsettled. As the music unfolds, that yearning gives way to lighter, more playful gestures, full of energy and optimism, yet also hesitant and testing.

Tension and complexity slowly build as these contrasting impulses overlap and collide. Moments of confidence are interrupted by uncertainty, and forward motion is repeatedly questioned, redirected, and tried again. Rather than offering easy answers, the music leans into that instability, allowing the emotional weight to deepen through rich harmonies and textures.

In its final stretch, the sonata gathers its momentum into a continuous and determined flow – less a resolution born of certainty, but rather growth. What emerges is an affirmation of experience itself: the courage to explore fueled by love, to be pushed back, and to continue forward anyway. The piece ultimately embraces the beauty of what is, finding joy and meaning not in arrival, but in the act of moving through uncertainty together.

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Performed March 5th, 2025 at Schneebeck Concert Hall, University of Puget Sound

Flute – Alex Westervelt
Piano – Kim Davenport