Performance of FOUR KOANS by violin/viola duo andPlay, at CNX: The Columbus/NYC New Music Exchange. Program also features works by David Bird, Christopher Goddard, and Robert Honstein.
“Four Koans is an exploration of the Zen Buddhist koan concept in a musical context (perhaps the widest known koan–poorly translated–is “what is the sound of one hand clapping?”). I have always loved these irrational statements, stories, and questions designed to foil the logical mind and allow for an intuitive and spontaneous type of comprehension. I have composed these four short movements with the aim of stimulating similar mental faculties in the performers and listeners. Disengage the logical facilities of your mind, and see what type of meaning you perceive.”