Adoration

Variations On Reverse Entropy - Roger Zare

We Choose to Go to the Moon-Roger Zare

Ghost Town Triptych (Flex Strings Version)-Roger Zare

Performed by Eighth Blackbird and the U.S. Navy Band, Capt. Kenneth Collins, conductor.

Full performance video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHMabYCLKrI

Eighth Blackbird + US Navy Band, Kenneth Collins, conductor

Vital Sines

ASIMO-Roger Zare

Zare - Breathless

This is a piece that I wrote while pursuing my Master's degree at the University of Illinois in 2021. It is a piece about domestic abuse, including the process of gaslighting and various assaults that a survivor may experience.

... over and over and...

Performed May 31, 2016 by the EOS Repertoire Orchestra, conducted by Jiao Wang at the 2016 Beijing Modern Music Festival in the Concert Hall of the Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing, China.

The beauty and order of fractals never ceases to amaze me, from the simplicity of the Sierpinski Triangle to the incredible complexity within the Mandelbrot set. I am mesmerized by videos that zoom ad infinitum into one of these fractals, revealing the same shapes over and over, gradually transformed by subtle and complex processes. In Fractal Miniatures, I have strung eight short movements together that each reflect my impressions of various fractals, taking them as pieces of art. 

The eight movements are arranged symmetrically, with the fifth movement as the focal point. The outer movements, named after the famous Sierpinski Triangle, are rhythmic and unyielding, pounding away at incessant rhythms through massive swells and dips. The second movement, flowsnake, is a spoonerism of snowflake, and is a simple space-filling fractal. This movement concentrates on sinewy flowing lines that spiral around one another. The third and seventh movements both open the same way, with the cello and percussion fading in ethereally into a pointillistic texture. The third movement, Newton Fractal continues this idea in a somewhat fitful manner, with various instruments taking turns with interjections. The seventh, Nova Fractal, is more linear, featuring a muted trumpet solo over an amorphous soup of string trills. 

The fourth and sixth movements are named after the Dragon Curve, another space-filling curve. These two movements are abrupt and explosive, with sharp attacks and caustic gestures. They are also almost-exact mirror images of each other. The central movement of the set is named for arguably the most easily-recognized fractal, the Mandelbrot Set. Scored without percussion, the musical shape of this movement mimics the characteristic bulbous shape of the fractal. An underlying ostinato in 7/8 sets the stage for soaring lines and expansive harmonies.

Fractal Miniatures was originally written for the SONAR new music ensemble as a mixed nonet. For more information, please visit http://www.rogerzare.com/fractal_miniatures.htm

Fractal Miniatures for orchestra

Miranda Schreiber's composition "Guitar Quartet No. 1" received its world premiere by Miguel Lumbao, Jackson Miller, Matthew Kwon, and Angelo Favis on October 26th, 2020 at Illinois State University.

Program Notes:

Most of the pieces that I compose are absolute; they exist just for the beauty of music itself and the natural emotions that it brings to each individual. However, I sometimes develop a programmatic interpretation of my own compositions as I gain a deeper understanding of them. Guitar Quartet No. 1 is one of these pieces.


I believe that music is like a person. A melody is like a person's voice - it has words and intonation, as well as a unique timbre in every person or instrument. Music's body language is expressed through rhythm, while music's emotions and facial expressions are predominantly expressed through the harmony. All of this is what makes music so humanistic.


The chill groove at the beginning of the piece represents our daily lives, as we often let our bodies go through the usual routine of everyday life. The main theme is presented shortly thereafter, representing our voice. The canon takes this voice and envelops us in it, making us feel lost in our own thoughts. Our inner thoughts are interrupted when a new texture arrives with harmonic development, making us take the time to meditate or pray. We take this moment to rest and reflect on life. It is towards the end of the piece that we celebrate the realization that there is something greater than ourselves which allows us to live life as intended.

Guitar Quartet No. 1

Ghost Town Triptych-Full Suite: Roger Zare

Music by composer Roger Zare. Check out more by visiting http://www.rogerzare.com