Duration 9′ 30″ for Solo Cello or Solo Viola
Commissioned by and composed for Leo Eguchi. (Formerly titled ‘Breviary’).
The solo viola version will be available for purchase in late 2025.
Program notes:
Hymn No. 2 for solo cello is part of a series of works that are inspired by the chants of the Syrian Orthodox Church. Listening to recordings of these chants during the pandemic was greatly comforting to me. In this work for solo cello, I hope to recreate this feeling of grounded-ness, for both the performer and the listener, in both literal ways and in fanciful departures from the original source materials. This work was commissioned by cellist, Leo Eguchi for his UNACCOMPANIED program, which is an immigration themed solo performance project featuring newly commissioned works by immigrant and first generation American composers.
The solo viola version was arranged for violist Beste Tiknaz Modiri, who premiered it on November 16, 2025 in Istanbul, Turkey.