Passage Through The Andes (2026)

Instrumentation: Indigenous Flutes and Clarinet in B-flat
Duration: ~9:00
Written for Laurie Friedman (of HEVREH Ensemble)
Premiere to be announced shortly

Program Notes:

This work brings together an Indigenous Andean flute and the Western clarinet in a musical dialogue shaped by memory, travel, and mutual transformation. At its core lies an ancient harawi melody — a lyrical song tradition of the Andes associated with reflection, longing, and communal memory. This theme serves as the foundation for a set of variations that journey through three regions where Andean musical traditions are especially prominent: Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador.

Each variation reimagines the harawi through the lens of a distinct Andean popular style. The music travels through the energetic pulse of the Peruvian huayno, the ceremonial weight and rhythmic drive of the Bolivian morenada, and the lyrical, song-like character of the Ecuadorian pasillo. Through these transformations, the two instruments encounter new rhythmic worlds, expressive gestures, and cultural textures.

As the journey unfolds, the Indigenous flute and clarinet gradually learn from one another. The flute begins to adopt elements of the clarinet’s agility and ornamentation, while the clarinet absorbs the flute’s restraint, breath- centered phrasing, and sense of decorum. Each instrument presents its own version of the harawi theme within the character of each country’s musical language, creating moments of contrast, imitation, and synthesis.

In the final reprise of the original theme, both voices return transformed, carrying the traces of the journey they have shared. The work closes with the sound of the drone flute, used metaphorically to suggest resonance, balance, and harmony between traditions — not as a blending into sameness, but as a coexistence shaped by listening, learning, and respect.