My flute concerto, The Shadow of Sirius, in a fantastic live performance by the University of Texas Wind Ensemble, Jerry Junkin conducting and Marianne Gedigian, flute soloist.

Find out more: www.joelpuckett.com/shadow.html

[To buy a fantastic studio recording of this work, follow the itunes link.]

Program note: 
I have always found comfort in poetry. While in school, I was the guy with a collection of Bukowski under one arm and a collection 
of Yeats under the other. I have always enjoyed the rhythm of other people’s thoughts and feelings.

In the winter of 2009, my wife and I experienced a heartbreak that left me unsure of how to even breathe, let alone grieve. 
On March 1st, 2009, I found a copy of W.S. Merwin’s, The Shadow of Sirius, and I began to feel myself heal. I have almost no idea 
what most of this poetry means. But I know that it fills me with a profound sadness that is, at the same time, brimming with hope.
I recently heard Mr. Merwin discussing the origin of the title of his collection. He related that scientists have discovered that the star 
known as Sirius is actually a star system. What looks to our eye like a single object is actually many. Merwin found himself 
wondering what is on the other side of Sirus, lying in its shadow.
A friend once said to me, “many concerti explore a virtuosity of technique but not many explore a virtuosity of expression.” It was 
with that thought in mind that I began work on my, The Shadow of Sirius, for solo flute and wind orchestra.

Each movement offers my reflection on a single Merwin poem from the collection. Although the work is played without pause, the 
soloist plays unaccompanied solos to separates the individual movements. 

A consortium of American wind ensembles led by Michael Haithcock and the University of Michigan commissioned The Shadow of Sirius. The work is dedicated to the fantastic Amy Porter.

Grateful acknowledgment is made to the Copper Press, which has granted permission to reprint W.S. Merwin’s poetry. All poems 
Copyright 2008 by W.S. Merwin. More information about this poetry can be found at www.coppercanyonpress.com.

Buy UMICH recording

The Shadow of Sirius [UT Junkin and Gedigian, LIVE]

Lead UX researcher, music cognition scientist, and freestyle shuffle dancer 👩🏻‍💻👩🏻‍🔬💃🏻

Joel Puckett is a composer leaving both audiences and the press buzzing. His music has been described as, “soaringly lyrical” (Minneapolis Star Tribune), “Puccini-esque” (Wall Street Journal), and “containing a density within a clarity, polyphony within the simple and – most importantly – beautiful and seemingly spiritual.” (Audiophile Audition). Parterre Box recently proclaimed, “Puckett should be a household name” and the Philadelphia Inquirer’s David Patrick Stearns mused, “if the name Joel Puckett isn’t etched into your brain, it should be.” In 2011 NPR Music listed him as one of the top 100 composers under 40 in the world.

Hailed as “visionary” (Washington Post) and “an astonishingly original voice” (Philadelphia Inquirer), his music is performed by the leading artists of our day and is consistently recognized by organizations such as the American Composers Forum, BMI, Chorus America, National Public Radio, and the American Bandmasters Association.

Puckett’s music attracts diverse performers and listeners through its emotional energy and commitment. Melding tradition with innovation, his distinctive style grows from his power to create transcendent experiences using charismatic musical language.

The Fix, a grand opera commissioned by Minnesota Opera, premiered in the March 2019 to packed houses, enthusiastic audiences, and largely effusve praise. With a libretto by Academy Award and Tony Award winner, Eric Simonson, the work depicts the rise and fall of the 1919 Chicago White Sox. It is a tragedy ripe with power, romance and redemption, set against the backdrop of America’s favorite pastime. Puckett’s earlier commissions have been premiered and performed worldwide, to exuberant critical acclaim.

His flute concerto, The Shadow of Sirius, premiered in 2010 and has received more than 200 performances and been recorded multiple times, including 2015’s Naxos Surround Sound disc, “Shadow of Sirius,” which received a 2016 Grammy Nomination. Currently the Chair of Music Theory, Ear Training, and Piano Skills at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, Puckett presents workshops nationwide and frequently serves as an adjudicator at competitions for rising composers. His music is represented worldwide by Bill Holab Music.