Cadenza for the Once Young (2018)

For solo violin
Duration: 2 minutes
Commissioned for Yevgeny Kutik by Washington Performing Arts.

Program Note:

When Yevgeny explained to me the concept behind his extended project, Meditations on Family, I decided to write my short violin piece about my grandparents, specifically about my grandmother. After the death of my grandfather, my grandmother (or Mamani, as we call her) moved to the U.S. to be close to her family. She and Babaee (my grandfather) were living in Iran all alone after their children immigrated to US and Europe, so it was only natural for Mamani to come live here after her husband of 60+ years had passed. However, after a short period of five years, Mamani decided to move back to Iran as she was homesick, missed visiting Babaee’s resting place and all their memories. This piece is dedicated to their lasting love and decades of companionship.