Composer’s Note:

Gallery Set for piano includes 8 pieces whose titles were chosen from prints of Joan Miro (1893-1983). Miro was born in Barcelona and moved to Paris in 1920, where, under the influence of surrealist poets and writers, he evolved his mature style. His images often have a whimsical or humorous quality, playfully distorted animal forms, twisted organic shapes, and odd geometric constructions. He uses a limited range of bright colors, especially blue, red, yellow, green, and black. The composer writes: “I was attracted to the simple shapes, colors, and economy of means he uses in his expression; and I felt a strong association with what I was doing at the time in my composition. I chose prints that could be associated with each of the pieces, mirroring the musical soundscape.” Gallery Set was premiered by Susan Wheatley in 2005 at the College Music Society International Conference in Madrid, Spain, and at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria.