Program Note
I first met Jonathan Bruzon in 2021; we were both in the pit for Oberlin’s production of She Loves Me. He made an immediate impression on me, both with his horn playing and as a person. I made up my mind to approach him about collaborating on a piece after hearing his rendition of On Green Dolphin Street after rehearsal one evening. We instantly found common ground with our love for early 20th-century French composers, video game soundtracks, and jazz and fusion music.
A Cozy Breed of Alchemy is a showcase piece for the horn, with soaring, singing lines and fast technical passages. There are also open spaces for the horn player to improvise. Many thanks to Qi Qu and Kassi Wilson for their wonderful work on this piece, and to Jonathan for all his insight and encouragement.