“memories of a stone skipping the skin of the Water on the Lake” is about the repetition of a still image that moves in the memories of the mind. There are five versions of this musical single memory, each one being different from the others; and the difference is due to repetition, since transformation occurs through repetition.

This piece intends to experiment with internal and aural perception of time, the idea of being in sync, and trying to be in sync, aurally and internally. 

* This piece was composed for the Composer Conference Ensemble, as part of the Fromm Fellow Composer Conference Festival 2021

memories of a stone skipping the skin of the water on the lake-August 2021

Aqueeressence
Yoshi Weinberg, flute
Daniel Schreiner, piano

Live performance at The Graduate Center (CUNY) Elebash Hall. 

Olivier Messiaen's "Le Merle Noir" for flute and piano was written in 1952 as a test piece for the Conservatoire de Paris. This was Messiaen's first piece to imitate the song of a single bird species, the Blackbird.

Messiaen - Le Merle Noir

World premiere of '10 Narrow Trees for Small Gardens,' performed by RighteousGIRLS (Gina Izzo, flute + delay pedal; Erika Dohi, prepared piano) at Joe's Pub, 7/5/2022. Unrevised version.

I. flute + piano 
II. alto flute + piano
III. flute with delay pedal + prepared piano
IV. flute with delay pedal + prepared piano

'10 Narrow Trees for Small Gardens' was composed in the early months of 2021. Written for RighteousGIRLS, it is scored for flute with optional electronics and prepared piano. The ten-minute work is divided into four movements of identical length that can be played in various combinations.

As in most of my music, the entire piece is based on a small amount of material – in this case, a sequence of short motifs. As they unfold and recur, the earlier motifs recede and the latter ones become more prevalent. Guided by a simple algorithm, this process gives rise to a drifting effect, like the movement of clouds across the sky.

In '10 Narrow Trees for Small Gardens,' each movement has a distinct timbral profile. The first movement is straightforward, with unaltered flute and piano. The second movement is played on alto flute, while the piano uses the sostenuto pedal for an afterimage effect. The third movement introduces prepared piano pitches in the right hand and analog pedal effects in the flute. The fourth adds preparations in the piano left hand.
 
In addition, as the piece progresses, the flute, piano left hand, and piano right hand take turns splitting off from the other voices and jumping into new registers, creating fresh harmonic, rhythmic, and textural combinations. The mood changes as well from movement to movement, alternately matter-of-fact, pensive, playful, and trippy.

I came upon the title by chance in a gardening blog. In one sense, the four brief movements are like small gardens, “planted” with a variety of succinct motifs. On a deeper level, it spoke to me of our time of pandemic confinement, when it became more important than ever to have a bit of nature at hand, a living thing. Beauty brings hope.

10 Narrow Trees for Small Gardens is dedicated to Gina Izzo and Erika Dohi of RighteousGIRLS.

10 Narrow Trees For Small Gardens

ornithology of desire for was commissioned by InfraSound Ensemble as part of their 23/24 season. It is scored for three spatialized piccolos and electronics. 

Performed on November 11th, 2023 by InfraSound Ensemble
"Portals Between Worlds," LGBT Center of New York
Yoshi Weinberg, Stefanie Proulx, and Megan Torti, piccolos
Alex Ring Gray, electronics

ornithology of desire (2023) for three piccolos and electronics

Commissioned by Americas Society

Performers: Charlotte Mundy, Soprano
Yoshi Weinberg, flutes
Madison Greenstone, clarinets
Russell Greenberg, percussions
Kathryn Sloat, harp
Alec Goldfarb, electric guitar
Pala Garcia, violin
Thea Mesirow, cello
Tristan Kasten Krause, double bass
Yanqi Chen, electronics
Sebastian Zubieta, conductor

Mixing and Mastering by Murat Çolak at GERYON Label.

Mors Osculi (Live performance)

Samuel Lord Kalcheim

Do I Wake or Sleep? for Chamber Orchestra

Reading by Contemporaneous at Inaugural Contemporaneous Open Mic Event 
March 4th, 2025
Roulette Intermedium, Brooklyn NY 

Do I Wake or Sleep? for Chamber Orchestra

This work is an arrangement of the traditional hymn tune "Amazing Grace." Written for the St. Olaf College Harp Ensemble, and premiered May 17th at Boe Memorial Chapel. 

The St. Olaf Harp Ensemble:
Elinor Niemisto, conductor
Emma Burck
Jenny Allen


Amazing Grace

"I Will Not Be Sad in This World" by Eve Beglarian

Yoshi Weinberg, alto flute

I Will Not Be Sad In This World by Eve Beglarian

The piece is based on a poem by Yadollah Royaee. 

" when desertion 
drew a habit of circle
in the circle of habits
the habit of return
and turn
until the shape of desertion
gets lost in the habit" 

Translated by Deniz Khateri
Image: Abstract Painting by KOEN LYBAERT

Escape- گریز for Alto Flute and electronics 2016

Flute, Adam Eydelson
Electronics, Yanqi Chen
Cover Painting, Gerhard Richter. Clouds. 1982.

Amazing Grace

Yoshi Weinberg

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