Symphony No. 3, “Ave Maris Stella” (2005) was written for the Duquesne Contemporary
Ensemble and is dedicated to composer David Stock. Throughout his career, Stock has been a
tireless and generous advocate on behalf of new music and living composers. This work is
dedicated to him in tribute – as both an important American composer and a significant
contributor to America’s contemporary musical life.
The work’s basic source material is the plainchant Ave maris stella (“Hail, star of the sea”) –
appropriate because of Duquesne’s standing and history as a Catholic university. When the
composition of this work first began, the original plan was for a celebratory and vibrant piece.
As the planning progressed, however, personal circumstances intervened and began to change
the work’s tone – becoming substantially bleaker and more obsessive.
