A rendition of Moon River, dedicated to my mom, Lyra Pherigo.

Moon River

"Spur of the Moment" (2000) was written for pianist Leah Hokanson. The piece consists of five short movements, each capturing a particular mood or moment I happened to be in while writing the piece. Instead of telling the pianist and the audience which movement stands for which mood, I decided to label them simply with the numbers one through five, letting the music speak for itself. 

Spur of the Moment (2000) for Solo Piano

This is the audio to my upcoming YouTube video, in celebration of Martin Luther King day and also Black History Month, but also to just call attention to the Equal Rights movement, no matter your race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, etc. Thanks for listening.

MLK (Lucas Pherigo Cover)

"100 Kilos" for two pianos in 3 movements. 
I. Fast
II. Slow
III. Faster 

It's called "100 Kilos." Because it's heavy. 

Performed by the incredible Casey Robards and Tony Patterson. http://www.caseyrobards.com/special-projects/patterson-piano-duo/

100 Kilos (for two pianos)

This is a new recording by the newEar ensemble (Kansas City) of a 1992 work originally written for and premiered by the SUNY Stony Brook Contemporary Chamber Players.  The toccatas in the work are characterized by rapid sixteenth-note motion and/or by rhapsodic solo passages.  The interludes are, in contrast, static in nature and tend to feature the ensemble working together to produce a slowly changing texture.  The total effect is rather like racing at breakneck speed from one kaleidoscope to another, to another, etc.  

Toccatas & Interludes (recording by newEar)

The Best Thing in the World (2015)
for SATB Chorus a cappella 
Premiere Performance: 
Khorikos, November 7, 2015; New York, NY
Text: 	Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861)	
The Best Thing in the World
What’s the best thing in the world? 
June-rose, by May-dew impearled; 
Sweet south-wind, that means no rain; 
Truth, not cruel to a friend; 
Pleasure, not in haste to end; 
Beauty, not self-decked and curled 
Till its pride is over-plain; 
Light, that never makes you wink; 
Memory, that gives no pain; 
Love, when, so, you're loved again. 
What's the best thing in the world? 
 — Something out of it, I think. 

Program Notes: One of the things that immediately drew me to this poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning was the opening line: What’s the best thing in the world? It actively invites the reader to reflect on this question and by answering creates a space of gratitude in which Barrett Browning’s beautiful imagery lives and breathes. 

I was impressed with the way Barrett Browning was able to list her “best things” one after another, yet, from a formal perspective, the poem does not read like a list. Each idea flows beautifully to the next, vividly expressing her answers to the question. My goal was a similar one during the composing process.  I wanted to capture musically the uniqueness and emotional expressivity of each individual idea, while creating a sense of belonging together. 

“The Best Thing in the World” was commissioned by Khorikos and premiered on November 7, 2015 in New York, NY.  


The Best Thing In The World (2015) for SATB Chorus a cappella

Recording by Chris McKiggan ("Chris the Pianist"). The term “phenomenon” has come to mean, in our celebrity-driven world, a star of popular culture.  PHENOMENON pits the two worlds of 21st century concert piano music and 20th century gut-level boogie woogie against each other in the body of the same pianist.  Perhaps being educated initially on the streets and then attending a prestigious music school, the performer, some twenty years later, arrives at an aesthetic midlife crisis.  Or perhaps this is just the composer, projecting. 

Phenomenon for Piano Solo

This is Lee's Summit North Camarata, Steve Perry conductor, singing my composition The Inward Music at state contest in 2010. Text by Rumi:
"We rarely hear the inward music, but we're dancing to it nevertheless."

Robert's Choral Music

The Inward Music (Contest)

These are 3 of Heritage Choir's favorite pieces from the 2016-17 season. "Indodana is in a lesser-known African language and is a mournful piece on the death of Jesus, written by contemporary South Africans. "Sing Joyfully" is a Renaissance anthem penned by English composer, William Byrd. "Verleih Uns Frieden" is an enduringly popular piece written by Romantic composer, Felix Mendelssohn, telling of the peace and protection that comes from God.

Verleih Uns Frieden - Mendelssohn

This is the back half of my first single. Posting to get feedback!

The Inward Music (Contest)

Robert Pherigo

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