Caprice was written as a gift to my mother-in-law, Julie Waller. When I first met my wife, I found out that her mother was an accomplished flute and piccolo player who was still actively performing in many ensembles. I later discovered that she was also unfailingly charming, witty, and graceful. I have tried to capture a few of those qualities in my work, my first for this type of instrumentation. The style of the composition is strongly influenced by the work of Joe Hisaishi, known mostly to American audiences for his collaborations with pioneering filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki. It is bright, playful, and has a hint of good-natured mischief about it. Caprice was completed on December 22nd, 2022. I owe a great debt of gratitude to my wife Megan, whose gentle “reminders” were utterly crucial to the creation of the work. Thank you, I am so lucky to have both of you in my life.

Cover Art: Untitled by Lorenzo Sangio, used with permission.

Caprice received its premiere performance in April 2023 with Julie Waller as soloist with The Villages Flute Choir.

Photo of the composer with Julie Waller taken by Megan Skaggs