DURATION: Approximately 5 minutes

In 2010, I took a summer trip to Costa Rica with my family, and stayed near the active Arenal Volcano. While there, I witnessed what would be one of the final eruptions of the volcano to date. Although Arenal has yet to erupt again, it is still active, occasionally rumbling and spitting smoke and promising of another explosion. Rather than depict the eruption I witnessed, I instead wrote this trio to capture the sense of anticipation that builds with each passing year. The piece begins quietly with distant rumbling and a tentative flute melody, before springing into a more rhythmically active interior section which nevertheless remains somewhat restrained. The piece ends as it began, leaving the question of the impending eruption unanswered.

Volcán Arenal was commissioned by the 2022 Valencia International Performance Academy. It was premiered at the festival by the Valencia International Contemporary Ensemble (VICE)