Dear Alba is a piano cycle consisting of 11 short solo piano pieces that seek to encapsulate and pay homage to the natural beauty and allure of the Scottish countryside and its historical architecture by referencing photographs I have taken of locations I have visited while living in and traveling around the country. Similar to a collection of etudes, each piece also explores a different compositional and piano technique spanning from secondary melody and Chopin-esque left hand figurations to pitch sets and varying polyrhythms.

Premiered by Jae Ahn-Benton

Fog on Spey Bay (Live) - Dear Alba

Pugin's Nightwatch (Live) - Dear Alba

Edinburgh Castle Guards (Live) - Dear Alba

Aberdeen Dreich (Live) - Dear Alba

The River Dee (Live) - Dear Alba

Dear Alba is a piano cycle consisting of 11 short solo piano pieces that seek to encapsulate and pay homage to the natural beauty and allure of the Scottish countryside and its historical architecture by referencing photographs I have taken of locations I have visited while living in and traveling around the country. Similar to a collection of etudes, each piece also explores a different compositional and piano technique spanning from secondary melody and Chopin-esque left hand figurations to pitch sets and varying polyrhythms.

Premiered by Jae-Ahn Benton

Plight of the Cairngorms (Live) - Dear Alba

Bridge to Tantallon (Live) - Dear Alba

Balmedie Beach (Live) - Dear Alba

Milltimber Woods (Live) - Dear Alba

Through the use of calculated dissonances, frequent syncopation, and polyrhythms, Alarum seeks to personify anxiety in all its forms while also describing the journey of finding one’s identity beginning from a point of cultural disconnection to reaching a sense of community and pride in one’s multifaceted cultural identity in the form of two contrasting Latin American dances.

Premiered by Kevin Vazquez and Jae-Ahn Benton

Alarum (Live)

Sophie Moorea is an Argentinian-American composer, arranger, and trombonist from São Paulo, Brazil. With over 10 years of experience in music and dance across three continents, she seeks to highlight shared human experiences and raise awareness of social justice issues through her work.