Jan. - March 2024 (for 2 violins and piano)

The original spark came during the tap-dancing-eggs sequence from the musical “Something Rotten!”, the spark of which was an image of two soft-boiled eggs trying to dance a tango together.

Soon after, I received news that an important musical figure in my life, a phenomenal bandoneon player who thought me the art of tango music, has recently been fighting cancer. Since then, I wrote this piece with him in mind. A piece with moments of uncertainty and lack of direction that always returns to the tango sound. Tango music will always be with you, in any shape.

Commissioned and premiered by Princeton University’s OPUS, performed with Allison Jiang (‘26) and Miriam Waldvogel (‘26) on May 2nd, 2024.

Illustrated by Satoko Kitagawa

June 2021 (for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, and piano)

Here’s a new version of Sherlock Tango, this time with a new instrumentation and protagonist. Who’s Nyarlock? He is my version of the genius.

Performed and recorded by International Contemporary Ensemble in July 2021.

National YoungArts 2023 Finalist Winner

The American Prize National Nonprofit Competition in Composition (chamber division) 2022 winner

Tribeca New Music Young Composers Competition 2022 Honorable Mention

June 2021 (for bandoneon, violin, cello, and piano)

Inspired by the world’s beloved Sherlock Holmes, this piece begins with a creepy carousel-like music that the mischievous Moriarty, the arch-enemy of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s mastermind detective. Holmes intervenes before the situation becomes too perilous, looking for clues and solving the puzzle before humanity suffers great destruction. The love-hate relationship between the consulting detective and the consulting criminal progresses throughout the wild, maniacal tango.

Jan. 2020 (for bandoneon, two violins, cello and bass)

Mystery Tango is based on the concept of an escape room, which is a thrilling adventure inside a room full of riddles. A series of clues are discovered as you uncover the mystery to the plot, but you must piece together the puzzle pieces before it is too late. This piece illustrates the thrill and enigma of solving the case. 

Performed by Rodolfo M. Zanetti, Lucie Gelinas, Yuri Lee, Devree Lewis, and Pedro Giraudo at MCM Live Tango Music Winter Night on February 7th, 2020.