Program Note

Amok was inspired by the many miles I’ve hiked with my friend Matt Tracy, for whom the piece was composed. Matt and I have spent time in the backcountry of national parks throughout the US and Canada, and though some hikes go to plan, the moments that often stick with me are memorable for their chaos. Whether it’s a night spent overconfident, underprepared, awake, and shivering in Zion, or 75 mph wind and sideways rain that made me question my sanity on a ridgeline in Glacier, those experiences are always punctuated by breathtaking beauty and a chance to feel humility in a whole new way.