Maelstrom

brass ensemble

Premiere by the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music Brass Ensemble, on October 20, 2023, at Kenneth Myer Auditorium, Victoria

Sample Score 1

Sample Score 2

Maelstrom traces shifting states of flow and overflow through the image of a vast ocean vortex. Though appearing motionless on the surface, maelstroms remain in constant flux—unstoppable and also fleeting, both ominous and hypnotic.

The music seeks to conjure this dormant, restless energy, balancing turbulence with moments of stillness. Swirling and churning textures float over deep, lurking waves of sound. Maelstroms hint at something vast and unknown, be it lost treasure, other worlds, or ancient monsters. Rather than culminating in a dramatic collapse, the maelstrom dissipates, its epic momentum folding back into quietude.