Chamber Operas:
Something Like a Distance (2023)
Chamber Opera in One Act
Music & Libretto by Daniel Knaggs
- Themes of healing and vulnerability through confronting painful memories.
Concept: Rachel, a reserved and distant office worker, has long dismissed the romantic interest of her co-worker William. One afternoon, after being questioned by another co-worker about her guarded nature, Rachel reacts cryptically. Later, as a tornado warning forces early office closure, Rachel and William remain behind when a power outage triggers a traumatic flashback for Rachel. She reveals that as a child, her parents were killed by a reckless driver during a blackout. Shockingly, William realizes he was the driver, a mistake that has haunted him since. Despite the revelation, Rachel begins to confront her grief, showing the first signs of healing.
Performers:
Audrey Welsch, mezzo-soprano (Olivia)
Adam Partidge, baritone (William)
Shannon Crowley, soprano (Rachel)
Loop38, Lyndsi Maus, piano
1. Aren’t you going to leave?
2. Are you alright?
3. Aria: I was always frozen
4. Duet: What was this storm (excerpt)
Zita di Lucca (2022)
Serva e Patrona
Chamber Opera in the dialect of Dante
Libretto by Daniel Knaggs & Vincenzo Reale
- Themes of selflessness and courage in the face of jealousy, betrayal, and injustice.
- Celebrates the transformative power of compassion and sacrifice.
Commissioned by the 2023 Puccini Chamber Opera Festival in Lucca, Italy, this opera portrays the extraordinary life of a domestic servant who was so renowned that even Dante called her “a saint” in his Inferno some 400 years before her official canonization. Zita aids the poor despite jealousy and (correct) accusations from the head servant, Matilde, who plots to ruin her. Amid a famine, Zita secretly distributes food from her master’s supplies to the needy, only to be caught by Matilde. When her master, Signore Fatinelli, returns to sell the same food, Zita prepares to face severe punishment as Matilde seizes the chance to expose her.
Performers:
Caitlin Aloia, soprano (Zita)
Emily Treigle, mezzo-soprano (Matilde)
Kellen Schrimper, baritone (Beggar, Signor Fatinelli)
Monarch Chamber Players
1. Accusation Scene (*click CC for English subtitles)
2. Aria: Non più cibo (*click CC for English subtitles)
3. Final Scene excerpt (*click CC for English subtitles)
Vocal-Large Ensemble
Two Streams (2021)
Cantata in 14 Movements
- Explores mercy as a timeless and universal call to peace
- Inspired by resilience and faith amid personal and historical upheaval
Commissioned by the Musica Vera Festival in Poland, Two Streams is born of love and transformed by loss after my father’s unexpected passing in 2019. Dedicated to him, it draws inspiration from Maria Faustina Kowalska (1905–1938) and her message of mercy—a call for peace in a world resistant to it, written just before World War II.
The 14-movement work, featuring texts from Faustina’s diary, Scripture, and liturgical sources, is symmetrically structured and composed in two versions: Polish and English. Its music weaves together styles from Medieval chant to contemporary, reflecting the timeless role of music in expressing mercy. Two Streams continues this tradition, celebrating a universal and enduring message of hope.
VI. Song of Mercy II
V. Only Love (Polish version at the Musica Vera Festival in Poland)
The Joyful Mysteries (2023)
Choral Symphony in 5 Movements
- Themes of joy amidst sorrow, fear, and suffering
The Joyful Mysteries explores the paradox of joy intertwined with sorrow in five mysteries, revealing a deeper joy unshaken by suffering. The libretto uses active dialogue and first-person perspectives to bring the stories to life, with the orchestra enriching the spiritual and emotional dimensions. Texts from Hildegard of Bingen and Bernard of Clairvaux complement each other—Hildegard’s mystical, fiery imagery and Bernard’s tender, heartfelt appeals—offering contrasting yet harmonious insights into the mysteries.
Performers:
Gabriela Reyes, soprano (Mary)
Sarah Mesko, mezzo-soprano (Angel, Elizabeth, Anna)
Federico de Michelis, bass-baritone (Simeon)
Leonardo LLagostera, treble (Child Jesus)
Houston Chamber Choir
Kinetic Ensemble
Monarch Chamber Players
Robert Simpson, conductor
I. Annunciation (excerpt)
II. Visitation (excerpt)
III. Nativity (excerpt)
IV. Presentation (excerpt) – Anna’s aria
V. Finding (excerpt) – Finale
Song
This Other Life (2023)
cycle of four songs
Poetry by Jaan Kaplinski (1941-2021)
This Other Life is a song cycle of four pieces setting the evocative poetry of Estonian poet Jaan Kaplinski. The poems explore themes of nature, twilight, and human connection, offering a canvas for me to musically depict landscapes transformed by the shifting light of day into night.
Performers:
Adam Partridge, baritone
Rachel Chao, piano
II. From so many light years away (excerpt):
Ave Maria No. 20 (2024)
Mater Creatoris
Written for Demetrious Sampson Jr., Ave Maria No. 20 – Mater Creatoris is the 20th piece in my 50-year Ave Maria Project (2005–2054). This work opens the project’s third decade and served as the closing piece for my Dante e la Donna concerts in 2024. This Ave features passages from Dante’s Paradiso (Canto XXXIII), reflecting the summit of his journey and the concert’s theme of ascending from earthly to celestial love. A musical quotation from my Dante Songs (No. 4) connects to Dante’s lifelong quest to praise una donna as the bridge between heaven and humanity.
Performers:
Demetrious Sampson, Jr., tenor
Aquinas Ensemble Schola Cantorum
Yuri McCoy, organ
Brady Knapp, conductor
Ave Maria No. 20 (ending):
Orchestral
The Fire Within (2022)
For Symphony Orchestra
Written for the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra in Bulgaria, The Fire Within (2022) reflects on inspiration as an inner spark—both a force for creation and potential destruction. Drawing on the imagery of fire, the music portrays sparks, embers, and flames, symbolizing the transformative power of inner passion. The work explores how this “fire within” can lead to creativity, compassion, and courage…
Performers:
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
The Fire Within (excerpt):
Two Columns at Sea (2016)
Tone poem for string orchestra
Commissioned by Kinetic Ensemble, Two Columns at Sea is inspired by a vivid dream of Don Bosco’s, symbolically depicting a fierce battle at sea. The composition captures the dream’s vibrant imagery through foreboding musical gestures and a combination chaotic adventure and unabashed lyricism.
Performers:
Kinetic Ensemble
Two Columns at Sea (excerpt):
Choral
Trois Chansons (2016)
three songs for unaccompanied choir
Trois Chansons is a set of three pieces exploring time by blending music and poetry from the past and present, culminating in a vision of a peaceful “tomorrow.” Inspired by Debussy and Ravel’s a cappella Trois Chansons, this work pays homage to their legacy, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of Ravel’s composition.
This second chanson features a humorous poem by Maurice Rollinat. It continues to feature the Ars Nova cadential motif that weaves through all three chansons, symbolizing the continuum of time and linking music to textual meaning.
Performers:
Vancouver Chamber Choir, Canada
Jon Washburn, conductor
II. Le Val des Ronces (The Valley of Brambles)
Of Time and Passing (2016)
three songs for unaccompanied choir
Of Time and Passing (2016), a three-song choral cycle commissioned by VOCES8, showcases the ensemble’s versatility and vocal precision. The second song, To Everything a Season, sets the ancient text from Ecclesiastes to a modern, rhythmically percussive pop style, using the ephemeral nature of popular music to reflect the transitory essence of seasons.
II. To everything a season