Program Note:

In early May 2021, I had the privilege of visiting Canadian, a town nestled in the Texas panhandle, with several friends and colleagues. The town invited us as guests in preparation for a commissioning series involving the town's extensive art museum, The Citadelle.

One day during the trip, our group toured the Hillcrest house, which contains an extension of The Citadelle's main collection. As we began to leave, a small painting tucked away in a corridor near the ceiling spoke to me. I was drawn in by the painting's expressionistic style, but the mysterious gaze of the girl in the work is what enchanted me.

My composition imagines the girl's thoughts, but also depicts an adventure as she comes to life from the painting. The portrait is titled I Fancy Him, but what kind of person is the girl's counterpart? What emotions does the girl feel? Is she at a party, or somewhere else? What does she remember? Where does she go? Is there dubiousness at hand, or something more mundane? How do the painting's colors and style enhance all of this? 

Performances:

• Emily Richardson, Elissa Volling, Nathan Hsu, and Jennifer Lee, Citadelle Art Museum, Canadian, Texas, May 2-3, 2022.