Takamizu ni
hoshi mo tabine ya
iwa no ue

"In high water
the stars, too, sleep in their journey
over the rock"

-Matsuo Basho (1644-1694)
© Chris Renk, 2014

Hoshi Mo Tabine ("The Stars, Too, Sleep")

**Winner of the 2013 Indiana University Dean's Prize for Chamber Music**
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Tens of thousands of years before the written word or the invention of agriculture, anatomically modern humans began painting deep within the caves of southern France and northern Spain.

Almost entirely depictions of ice age animals, these powerful and mysterious images are both elegant and abstract, remarkably sophisticated and deeply expressive.    

Though we may never know the full story behind these paintings, they are a testament to the creativity of the human spirit and of our innate desire for artistic expression.

My goal with "Cave Paintings" is to evoke the beauty, drama and mystery of these ancient images, to imagine the mythology and spirituality of their creators, and to honor the incredible sense of wonder and awe that these paintings continue to inspire in me.
© Chris Renk, 2012

Cave Paintings

My friend, composer Chappell Kingsland, is a dynamite pianist.  This is a short piece I wrote for him.

Chappell Kingsland, piano
© Chris Renk, 2012

Piano Prelude - The Joy Of Destruction

Indiana University New Music Ensemble, David Dzubay, cnd.
© Chris Renk, 2014

The World Of Tomorrow

A prologue I wrote for the Wabash College Theater Department's 2020 production of "Anon(ymous)" (directed by Heidi Winters Vogel). © Chris Renk, 2020.

Prologue to "Anon(ymous)"

A cue I wrote for the Wabash College Theater Department's 2021 production of "Twisted Tales of Poe" (directed by Jim Cherry).  © Chris Renk, 2021

Overture -  "Twisted Tales of Poe" radio drama (Wabash College, 2021)

Overture to the animated serial "Ace and the Chariot" S1E1, © Chris Renk, 2025

Fanfare and Titles - "Ace and the Chariot" S1E1

Aspen Music Festival Individual Composition Studies Recital

Woodwind Quintet No.1, mv.1: Exultation

Adam Ewing, baritone

Text by Hannah Faith Notess

Chris Renk

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