Light Heartbreak for Indeterminate Instrumentation and Fixed Media. 
Flute - Shia Cardona
Flute - Rachel Hacker

Light Heartbreak (2015)

Waves 22

Spencer Arias is a composer and performer based in East Lansing, Michigan who creates highly evocotive music oftentimes represented by lived experiences and social commentary. Having worked with Dancers, Musicians, Visual Artists, and Poets, he thoroughly enjoys collaboration, improvisation and community engagement. He also enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, photography, nature, and too much Netflix. 

He has been performed by musicians such as the JACK Quartet, the Rogue Trio, The Lotus Trio and the PRISM Saxophone Quartet, as well as a frequent composer at bi-annual North American Saxophone Alliance Conference. He also is the winner of the Abundant Silence Publishing Composition Competition for his String Quartet: A Long Way From Home, and 

He earned a B.M. in Composition at Arizona State where he received a Special Talent Award, and studied primarily with Roshanne Etezady, and Rodney Rodgers, as well as Timothy McAllister on saxophone. In May 2015 he received his M.M. in Composition at NYU where he studied primarily with Justin Dello Joio and Julia Wolfe. He recently served as the only Instructor of Composition at the Seattle Conservatory of Music, and is currently a Doctoral Student at Michigan State University

For more info visit spencerariasmusic.com
He works in a variety of mediums, but his favorite two are working with saxophones and choreographers. Working with dancers he often improvises as a pianist or saxophonist. This form of collaboration has proven to be the most fufilling as it leaves quite a bit of room for true in the moment artisitic expression. 

He also writes chamber, orchestra, and band music. This medium has proven quite useful in the creation of three string quartets, two saxophone quartets, various mixed ensemble works, a various large ensemble works. His chamber opera Christopher was the first of a planned group of 4 short 25 minute chamber operas designed to work as 1 concert length work or 1 half concert length work. 

He has been performed by the JACK Quartet, the World Winds Quintet, the PRISM Saxophone Quartet, Ruth Wenger, Tyler Flowers, and has appeared the North American Saxophone Alliance Conference, and the Lucca International Festival. He also is the winner of the Abundant Silence Publishing Composition Competition for his String Quartet: A Long Way From Home.

Currently he is working on a a trio for Kathleen Strahm,  Justin D. Rollefson, and Mary Price; for Violin, Saxophone, and Piano, as well as a piece for saxophone ensemble. 

He earned a B.M. in Composition at Arizona State where he received a Special Talent Award, and studied primarily with Roshanne Etezady, and Rodney Rodgers, as well as Timothy McAllister on saxophone. In May 2015 he received his M.M. in Composition at NYU where he studied primarily with Justin Dello Joio and Julia Wolfe. 
He has been performed by the JACK string quartet, the World Winds Quintet, the PRISM Saxophone Quartet, Ruth Wenger, Tyler Flowers and has appeared the North American Saxophone Alliance Conference.

Light Heartbreak (2015)

Spencer Arias

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