Two Fantasies for a Concertmaster
Op. 26 (2023) - 9½'
for solo violin and piano
COMPOSER'S NOTE
Fantasies, or fantasias, are musical compositions rooted in improvisation. They’re less a genre than imaginative musical ideas. I composed these two little fantasies for my friend Laura Colgate, violinist extraordinaire, educator, curator, concertmaster of the National Philharmonic, and founder of the Boulanger Initiative, an advocacy organization for women composers.
As concertmaster of the National Philharmonic, Laura played a big part in the successful premieres of three works of mine: Amore e’l cor gentil sono una cosa, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, a rhapsody for voice and orchestra, and, most recently, Cosmic Cycles, A Space Symphony.
Two Fantasies for a Concertmaster is dedicated to Laura, with gratitude.