ABOUT THE COMPOSER Katie Roberts, composition Katie Roberts (b. 2003) is an American composer originally from Monson, Massachusetts. Growing up, she studied piano and voice and played clarinet in her school’s band. She received her Bachelor of Music in Composition from the University of Hartford’s Hartt School, studying with Dr. Gilda Lyons, Dr. Thomas Schuttenhelm, and Dr. Kyle Grimm. She currently resides outside of Philadelphia while finishing her master’s degree in Music Composition, studying with Dr. Robert Maggio and Dr. Adam Silverman at West Chester University’s Wells School of Music. She is currently teaching private piano and voice lessons and is looking forward to continuing composing and teaching after graduation in Spring 2027. Her composition style is very spatial with open textures and counterpoint between instrument voices. At this recital today, there will be a variety of chamber pieces, from solo unaccompanied instruments to solo piano pieces to chamber groups.
PROGRAM NOTES unspoken conversations This piece is a conversation with people who are no longer a part of my life, for a variety of reasons. These are people that life gave me for a period of time but for one reason or another, one or both of us had to walk away in order to survive and keep moving. They were important for shaping who I became, but it definitely took some healing and screaming at the sky first. So to those people: I'm grateful that you were a part of my life for a period of time, and I'm grateful for the little things I do that remind me of you. I hope your life is everything you hoped for and more and know that I will be cheering you on and hoping for the best for you, but from a safe distance. I am sorry and I forgive you.
EARLY SPRING EXPRESSIONS This piece begins in a cold and distant manner before growing to become more warm and expressive, depicting the duality of spring starting out bitter and cold before eventually warming up to much nicer weather. Throughout the life of this piece it has taken on many meanings for me, from different people in my life to different seasons of change I've been through. It always starts the same, cold and distant before eventually warming up to a more comfortable and connected feel.
UNDER THE SUN These pieces were originally composed for solo cello and were arranged for solo French Horn in 2026. Each piece is based on some aspect of space and can be performed in any order. This project started when I wrote Free Fall and upon completing, realized it reminded me of space, so I decided to write a collection of miniatures about space to follow Free Fall.
STARGAZING This piece was written to evoke the feeling of the day ending, but there being so much beauty and pause between the day ending and the next day beginning. Each of these movements emphasizes one of those pauses. The first, Sunset, creates the feeling of the day ending but with the end comes a beautiful expressive sunset, showing that even though something seems like it ends, it doesn't necessarily end. Next, Stars is meant to evoke the full period of time, from starting to see the first couple stars come out, to seeing the sky covered in them and the reminder that we are so small in comparison to the universe. Lastly, Sunrise, has a similar feel to Sunset but instead of the feeling of ending, we have the feeling of just beginning. The piece starts with similar vibes to Stars but evolves into a feeling that we're just beginning. Throughout this piece, you will notice some similar motives found within the three movements, emphasizing the connection between the end of a day and the beginning of the next.
ARTFUL The title of this piece is an acronym that is spelled out in the title of the 3 movements. I wrote this piece about how music, my ARTFUL form, has helped me throughout my life. Each movement describes a scenario where I turned to composing to cope and make things make sense.
ROLLER COASTER This piece is separated into three different sections with an intro. The intro is a few arpeggiated chords setting up the key for the first section. The first section is labeled as fast and airy, "like flying". This section has both hands playing high on the piano in fast and complementary rhythms. Throughout the section, the performer repeatedly bounces toward the middle of the piano before bouncing away back towards the upper area of the piano. As the performer gets towards the end, the notes get closer towards the middle of the piano and more in a pattern that we eventually connect with the next section. The second section is an expressive take on a waltz with the left hand alternating between eighth notes and quarter notes while the right hand moves through melodic patterns that sometimes emphasize the waltz pattern or push against it. The final section is labeled "Majestic and Grand" and is a grand finish to the piece. It alternates between time signatures, connecting the melodic patterns of the first two sections as well as new ideas. The characteristic of this section is dramatic rolled chords, reminiscent of the intro section but changed by the rest of the piece. The piece ends suddenly, leaving listeners wondering if there is more to come, emphasizing the unfinished nature of adventures and exploration, and that there is always more exploring to come in life.
PRISM This piece is a conversation between all five members of the ensemble, with melodic ideas bouncing around the ensemble, frequently in pairs or trios, with the occasional full ensemble moment for emphasis and drama. I titled this piece PRISM because the musical ideas have this way of twisting and adjusting the feel and the reaction for the audience. The ending feels unexpected both in when it happens and how it happens because sometimes you don't realize the gravity of a situation until you step away from it.