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UP

for two pianos

Album Release April 25, 2025

Available now on BandcampSpotifyApple Music​, and Amazon Music


Commissioned and performed by Sarah Cahill and Regina Myers, co-produced by Sarah, Regina, and D. Riley Nicholson. 

Up's one unifying theme is simply "up." The piece moves up in so many directions: literally, opening with an upward motif that gets pinged between pianos in a groovy, dizzying counterpoint; gradually with increasing frequency moving up the circle of fifths; with upbeat syncopations and tempi; constantly one-upping itself with a burgeoning energy that trips over itself with virtuosic fits; and many other upward motions and themes. Loosely akin to a theme and variations, each movement is a different interpretation of the theme "up," and given the frenetic energy of every moment, tranquil interludes provide a necessary buffer for the movements and give the performers a chance to catch their breath. Even with the addition of these palette-cleansing interludes, the entirety of the work is a manic trip that both explores joyous energy and that darker underbelly of positivity when energy and motion become simply too much to be contained. 

Special thanks to recording engineers Emma Markowitz and Jason O'Connell. Recorded at San Francisco Conservatory of Music Bowes.

D. Riley Nicholson     drileyn (at)  gmail.com​

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