There is a long history behind the genesis of this brief work. The Horizon Beyond has its roots in works that I composed for the Klein International String Competition (Triptych), and a work commissioned by Maestro Angel Gil-Ordoñez for his Georgetown University Orchestra for premiere in 2014 (The First Step of the Journey). With The Horizon Beyond, I revisited the earlier works and fashioned a new brief, concert opener. The Horizon Beyond is in an arch form – moving from a quiet restlessness to more joyful, buoyant, and declamatory music, and then back to a quiet, unsettled close. The piece captures a mixture of hope and unease, a sense of reaching for something that’s just out of reach – the horizon beyond. It is dedicated to my friend and colleague, Angel Gil-Ordoñez