In 2016, Alex Rushe (a talented oboist and long-time friend of mine) requested me to compose a work for woodwind quintet, which would hopefully be performed in a competition and premiered at a band concert. I came up with the idea for the work while having a family discussion, and the ideas flowed like a river from there.

With the work possibly being performed at a competition, and with the quintet being comprised of state-level instrumentalists, I decided to compose a short, technical work that moves very quickly. I also wanted to compose a work that explored the relationship between fast-moving passages and slower-moving, singing phrases. The work that came out of these ideas was "Forward," which I completed in approximately one month.

"Forward" is dedicated to my great friend, Alex Rushe. Thank you for not only requesting this work from me, but also for providing a gateway for me to compose my first work for an ensemble that I am not as familiar with. This work was definitely a milestone for me.

"Forward" has yet to receive its premiere.

"Forward" (2016), for wind quintet

Distance is a short work that was originally intended to be part of a work for piano solo of multiple movements, but after that work, unfortunately, ended up falling through, I decided to take this movement (my favorite movement) and make it into its own work.

The work is characterized by many small details, one of which is the soft range of dynamics. The dynamics, throughout the entire work, never go above mezzo-piano. The work is also characterized by its constant flowing motion and usage of fast-moving ostinatos. The work also contains a short theme which is returned in many different ways, along with various effects made through the voicing of the music.

The work received its title through my association of gazing into the night sky with the music. The work had an innocent undertone to me, and I heavily compared this to the feeling of amazement that one may receive while staring in awe at the stars and their wondrous glory. However, one may find many different emotions to be associated with this work while listening to it. It is a work of many tiny details, and when these details are seen from a different perspective, the entire identity of the work may be changed. That is what personally amazes me.

"Distance" was completed and given as a Mother's Day gift for my mother, Laura Sturgeon. ​Distance is also dedicated to one of my greatest friends and one of the most talented pianists I know, Samuel Glicklich.

"Distance" has yet to receive its premiere.

"Distance" (2017), for piano

Jesse Kaiser — "Diversion" (2016)
for string orchestra

Performed by the Newberry Chamber Orchestra (Jesse Kaiser, conductor)

Performance at the Newberry Opera House (Newberry, South Carolina) on April 22, 2018.

This recording has been uploaded by the composer on behalf of all involved parties. This recording is protected by copyright and other related rights.

"Diversion" (2016), for string orchestra (Live)

"Intermezzo" is a short and simple work, but the music does not, in my opinion, capture the significance that the work plays in my compositional life.

After I composed my op. 5, "Distance," my output suddenly came to a stop. From mid-2017 to mid-2018, I went through a very intense battle with writer’s block, during which I released no new music. I was able to compose some beginnings to a few works, but I had no idea how to continue them, and I ended up discarding the works entirely. However, after I graduated from high school in June 2018, the music started to come out again (I can practically taste the irony).
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I was improvising at the piano one day when I stumbled upon a progression that I absolutely fell in love with, and I immediately knew that it was going to be the basis for a new work. I just knew it. I wrote the music very quickly, but I spent an additional number of weeks polishing it, making sure that it was just the way I wanted it. Once it was finished, I felt such an unbelievable sense of relief, knowing that I had finally finished a work after a whole year of trying and ending up with nothing.

"Intermezzo" (2018), for piano

Jesse Kaiser — "Terzetto" (2019)
for saxophone trio

Performed by the UofSC Graduate Saxophone Trio:
Dillon Smith, soprano sax
Matthew Castner, alto sax
Andrew Hutchens, tenor sax

World premiere at the University of South Carolina School of Music (Columbia, South Carolina) on April 27, 2019.

This recording has been uploaded by the composer on behalf of all involved parties. This recording is protected by copyright and other related rights.

"Terzetto" (2019), for saxophone trio (Live)

"Thou hast made me" (2019), for SATB divisi, a cappella

Toccata No. 1

In December 2018, I reached out to my old friend Geoffrey Gibbons, who had semi-recently taken the position as choir director of Chapin Middle School, which just so happens to be my old middle school. I expressed my interest in writing a piece for his singers, not necessarily expecting to hear anything back. However, Geoffrey got back to me very quickly and was very enthusiastic about the idea. We wasted no time and scheduled a time to get coffee and talk about the piece as soon as possible.

Because this was going to be a piece for middle school singers, we spent most of our time talking about not only the limitations of developing voices, but also about writing a piece that would pique the interest of middle schoolers, not only through the text but also through the writing of a compositionally sound piece of music, which can be more difficult to do when composing a piece for a less capable demographic. Geoffrey was not very specific about what he wanted for the piece (which was both a blessing and a curse), only specifying how long of a piece he wanted and, of course, what ranges were comfortable for his singers.

My first obstacle was to find a text, and I also wanted to find a text in the public domain for this particular project. After some searching, I stumbled upon the poem "Invictus" by William Ernest Henley. It immediately struck me as an ideal text to use for the piece as it was exactly what I was looking for: a short, simply crafted poem with language that is not too abstract, yet not too straightforward.

"Invictus" (2019), for SAB divisi & piano

Jesse Kaiser (b. 2000) is a composer, conductor, violinist, and vocalist based in South Carolina. His music spans diverse styles and ensembles, with recent works including "Full fathom five," a miniature setting of "Ariel's song" from Shakespeare’s "The Tempest," and "Un flambeau, Jeannette, Isabelle," a Christmas anthem based on the traditional French carol.

He is the founder and artistic director of the Jesse Kaiser Ensemble, a professional choir in Columbia, South Carolina, known for eclectic, high-level performances. He also serves as a cantor and choral scholar at the Basilica of St. Peter and regularly performs with the South Carolina Philharmonic.

Kaiser studied at the University of South Carolina School of Music with John Fitz Rogers, Fang Man, David Kirkland Garner (composition), and Ari Streisfeld (violin). He participated in the Brevard Summer Music Festival, where he studied violin with Margie Karp and performed under conductors Ken Lam and Keith Lockhart, and he performed at the ACDA Southern Division (2016) and National (2017) conferences under composer/conductors Christopher Aspaas and Eric Whitacre, respectively. He received the John Lawrence McElyea Scholarship in 2020 for his musical contributions to the USC School of Music, and was a finalist for the 2021 Creativity in Music Awards for his electronic music installation "Information Alpha."

Outside of music, he enjoys time with family and friends, cooking, working on his studio, and watching his favorite YouTube creators.