“Bitterroot and Phlox” was written for the Chatter PDX string quartet. Inspired by the wildflower seasons of the hills north of Missoula, Montana, this work traces the landscape from the delicate Missoula Phlox of spring rains to the striking deep-pink Bitterroot that emerges from parched summer soils. The rhythmic language of the interlocking pizzicato parts is drawn from the Kotekan of Balinese Gamelan. Each voice is woven together the way the natural world itself layers sound and texture. Independent voices fill each other's gaps, creating a dense, sonic fabric that mirrors the resilience and quiet complexity of these wildflowers and their terrain.

Original cover art by Andy Lloyd Josten.