List of Works, Links, and Timings
| Piece # | Title / Links | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Caprice in Marava (solo version) (Program Note) | ~5:30 |
| 2 | Time’s Graffiti: Lucky Calligraphy (solo version) (Program Note) | ~5:10 |
| 3 | The Chalky Desert Where Nothing Grows (solo version) (Program Note) | ~4:40 |
| 4 | Wild Herons (duet version) (with Lydia Ayers flute) (Program Note) | ~8:50 |
| 5 | Island of Marava (solo version) (Program Note) | ~4:10 |
| 6 | Ombres du Vent (Shadows of the Wind) (duet version) (with Lydia Ayers flute) (Program Note) | ~3:45 |
| 7 | Suyun Gölgeleri (Shadows of the Water) (Program Note) | ~4:50 | 8 | Calligraphy of Shadows (Program Note) | ~3:20 | 9 | Shadow Calligraphy (Program Note) | ~2:00 |
| 10 | Mountain of the Blue Wind (16 flute version) (w/ Lydia Ayers, Margaret, Don flute) (Program Note) | ~7:10 |
| Scores and soundscapes for these pieces can be found: here | ||
| Lydia Ayers' earthy and ethereal album Rock Art can be found: here | ||
| Recordings, scores, and soundscapes for these and other pieces can be found at: Lydia’s DataSpace@HKUST |
Program Notes
1. Caprice in Marava (1982/2006)
Scored for: Alto Flute with optional soundscape | Duration: ~5:30
Drawing deep inspiration from Indian classical music, Caprice in Marava is a lyrical, modal work built upon Raga Marva.
The piece opens with an alap—an unmetered, contemplative section—set against an evolving computer-generated drone that
explores diverse timbral colors. The work then shifts into a lively, ever-changing melodic stream inspired by Balinese gamelan,
flowing through shifting moods and complex, asymmetrical meters (such as 5/4, 8.5/4, and 4.5/4). The electroacoustic soundscape,
added in 2006, incorporates rich rhythms and drones from the didgeridoo, tabla, and gamelan to anchor the solo alto flute.
2. Time’s Graffiti: Lucky Calligraphy (2006)
Scored for: Flute and optional soundscape | Duration: ~5:10
Commissioned by the National Flute Association
Time’s Graffiti: Lucky Calligraphy explores a vivid tapestry of timbres and cultural inflections across four interconnected
vignettes: Petroglyphs, The Dancing Figure, Blue Rain, and Raining on the Dancing Figure. Seamlessly blending Middle Eastern
modal idioms, blues influences, and extended techniques like multiphonics, the work offers a rich dynamic between acoustic
performance and digital media. While typically performed with its electroacoustic accompaniment, it can also be presented as an
unvarnished solo flute piece, allowing the subtle nuances and expressive colors of the instrument to take center stage.
3. The Chalky Desert Where Nothing Grows (1991/2006)
Scored for: Flute and optional soundscape | Duration: ~4:40
Prompted by a suggestion from flutist Robert Dick to improvise solely on the notes B and C#, The Chalky Desert Where Nothing
Grows harnesses the rich microtonal register and delicate multiphonics of this localized area of the instrument. The work evokes
the subtle, shimmering heat of a vast desert expanse—capturing a sense of inner movement within an otherwise motionless landscape.
Its electroacoustic soundscape weaves together synthesized ghost voices, Native American flutes, didgeridoo, Tuvan throat singing,
and the distinct rattle of rattlesnakes. Though designed to partner with the soundscape, it stands equally well as a purely
acoustic solo—offering a transparent canvas that spotlights the performer's delicate breath control and microtonal color.
4. Wild Herons (1971/2008)
Scored for: Flute duet and optional soundscape | Duration: ~8:50
Blending elements of jazz with impressionistic textures, Wild Herons employs fluttery extended flute techniques to mimic the
vocalizations and swift movements of birds. The optional accompanying soundscape creates a seamless blend, merging recorded bird
calls with synthesized herons, flutes, and vocal textures that continuously morph together throughout the piece. Originally
composed in 1971 under the title Last Cry of the Wild Herons.
5. Island of Marava (1983/2008)
Scored for: Solo Flute and optional soundscape | Duration: ~4:10
Lyrical and evocative, Island of Marava is drawn from the modal contours of the Indian Raga Marva. The piece incorporates mild
microtonality and accessible multiphonics to craft an intimate, meditative atmosphere.
6. Ombres du Vent (Shadows of the Wind) (1976/2008)
Scored for: Flute duet and optional soundscape | Duration: ~3:45
This multi-faceted movement explores microtonal physics and rhythmic interplay. In the opening Moderato, subtle microtonal
discrepancies between closely tuned harmonics generate shimmering, audible difference tones. The music then transitions into a
lilting Allegro Assai driven by syncopated, asymmetrical meters, before resolving into a quiet Slow section that closes like a
fading breath.
7. Suyun Gölgeleri (Shadows of the Water) (1976)
Scored for: Solo Alto Flute | Duration: ~4:50
Suyun Gölgeleri is a deeply lyrical and melancholy work for solo alto flute. Written in a slow, delicate, quasi-Middle Eastern
style, the piece highlights the dark, velvety register of the instrument through expressive, fluid phrasing. In 2009, the composer
also created alternate solo arrangements for Bb clarinet, English horn, and violin.
8. Calligraphy of Shadows) (2008)
Scored for: Solo Flute | Duration: ~3:20
Designed as a slow, reflective prelude, Calligraphy of Shadows forms a delicate mosaic constructed from dynamic snippets and
fragments of slow movements found across the composer's broader repertoire for flute.
9. Shadow Calligraphy) (2008)
Scored for: Solo Flute | Duration: ~2:00
A lively companion piece to Calligraphy of Shadows, this fast, encore-style work serves as a virtuosic collage—stitching together
energetic snippets and rapid passage work from the composer’s various upbeat flute compositions.
10. Mountain of the Blue Wind) (2006)
Scored for: Flute Ensemble (up to 16 flutes: 8 C Flutes, 2 Piccolos, 4 Alto Flutes, 2 Bass Flutes) with optional soundscape | Duration: ~7:10
Mountain of the Blue Wind is a dramatic, virtuosic tour de force exploring extreme acoustic colors. Propelled by an atmospheric
soundscape of wind and flames, the piece pushes the boundaries of flute technique through intense multiphonics, microtonal
inflections, and buzzed timbres across the full spectrum of the flute family.
Biographies
Lydia Ayers — Composer
Lydia Ayers (1952–2022) was a prolific composer, performer, and researcher based in Hong Kong, known for her pioneering work in microtonal tuning systems, extended wind techniques, and computer music synthesis. A master of traditional flutes from various global cultures, her acoustic portfolio includes over thirty solo and ensemble works for flutes, alongside an extensive catalog of electroacoustic compositions.
In 2006, Lydia Ayers was commissioned by the National Flute Association to write Time’s Graffiti: Lucky Calligraphy as the competition piece for the High School Soloist Competition. Her deep engagement with microtonality included extensive research into unlimited just intonation and the 75-tone Partch/Indian scale, which she implemented on her custom-built "Woodstock Gamelan" percussion instrument and modeled using Csound.
She co-authored the book and CD-ROM package Cooking with Csound: Woodwind and Brass Recipes with her husband, Andrew Horner, and released her solo album Virtual Gamelan (Albany Records) in 2006. Her flute and electronic works have been performed worldwide at major international festivals, including the Australasian Computer Music Conferences, the New West Electroacoustic Music Festival, the Sonoimagenes Festival in Buenos Aires, and the Musicarama Festival in Hong Kong.
Patricia Spencer — Flute
Patricia Spencer has achieved widespread critical acclaim as a soloist and as the long-standing flutist of the Naumburg Award-winning Da Capo Chamber Players. Widely recognized as a leading advocate and force in contemporary music, she has premiered well over 100 works, including major concertos and solo pieces written specifically for her by prominent composers such as Elliott Carter, Joan Tower, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Thea Musgrave, Shulamit Ran, and Judith Shatin.
Her New York City solo recitals have been presented by prestigious series including the League of Composers/ISCM, the SONIC BOOM Festival, and the Washington Square Contemporary Music Series. She has received major recording and commissioning grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Aaron Copland Fund for Music, and the Mary Flagler Cary Trust, resulting in highly celebrated solo recordings on Neuma Records.
Spencer studied at the Oberlin Conservatory with Robert Willoughby and continued her studies with Marcel Moyse, John Wummer, and Josef Marx. A devoted educator and leader in the flute community, she has served on the Board of Directors for the National Flute Association and as Chair of its New Music Advisory Committee. She currently teaches flute and chamber music at Bard College/Conservatory—where she hosts an annual summer seminar on new flute music—and directs the New Music Ensemble at Hofstra University.
Judith Sherman — Producer & Engineer
Judith Sherman is a 14-time Grammy Award-winning recording engineer and classical music producer. Named Grammy Producer of the Year, Classical seven times, she is widely considered one of the most distinguished figures in modern classical music recording.
Over a career spanning five decades, Sherman has produced and engineered landmark recordings for many of the world’s leading modern composers—including Steve Reich, Elliott Carter, John Adams, Philip Glass, Terry Riley, and John Corigliano—as well as premier chamber ensembles and orchestras such as the Kronos Quartet, Pacifica Quartet, Cleveland Quartet, and the London Symphony Orchestra.
After beginning her career as Music Director and engineer at WBAI in New York, she established Judith Sherman Productions in 1976. She served as the summer recording engineer for the Marlboro Music Festival for nearly twenty years and was awarded the Richard J. Bogomolny National Service Award by Chamber Music America in 2009 for her extraordinary contributions to the field of recorded chamber music.