i. transience
ii. aria
iii. hub

Glass Terminals is a reflection upon airports as liminal spaces. Terminal interiors (especially more recent airports) are designed to help passengers navigate their way from check-in counters to boarding areas. Glass aesthetics predominate––a means of easing travellers’ claustrophobia, and a way to introduce natural lighting. The passengers, particularly those in-transit, are in a state of “limbo;” neither here nor there. As a result, airports exist in dynamic equilibrium, with people constantly commuting to and fro, flying in and out.

The music explores these aspects of air travel within three distinct movements: “transience” focuses on the dynamic equilibrium of transiting passengers; “aria” is a meditation on the process of waiting at a boarding gate (while also paying homage to Baroque adagios); “hub” is inspired by the complex networks of inbound and outbound flights, as well as bus, train, and highway connections between airports and their cities.

Instrumentation:
Oboe
Piano

soprano saxophone & clarinet versions available upon request

Duration: ca. 9’

Performances:

5/2027: Tacoma, WA
Jigsaw Chamber Ensemble

4/2027: Seattle, WA
Jigsaw Chamber Ensemble

5/2026: Boca Raton, FL
Lynn Conservatory Ensemble Contemporain
Amanda Rearden, oboe
Ian Lewis, piano

1/2026: Metuchen, NJ
Nikki Pet, clarinet
Lyndon Ji, piano

1/2026: New Brunswick, NJ
Nikki Pet, clarinet
Lyndon Ji, piano

6/2025: Indianapolis, IN
Courtney Miller, oboe
Suzanne Polak, piano

6/2025: Leipzig, Germany
Jiheng Li, oboe
Jin Yan, piano

5/2025: Stanford, CA [postponed]
Cindy Liu, oboe
Zachary Guo, piano

11/2024: Llíria, Spain
Aitor Llimerá Galduf, oboe

10/2024: Baton Rouge, LA
Devin Gilbreath, oboe
Melanie Mallard, piano

10/2024: Columbia, SC
Courtney Miller, oboe
Suzanne Polak, piano

9/2024: Greensboro, NC [new iii]
Courtney Miller, oboe
Suzanne Polak, piano

6/2023: Bangkok, Thailand
Courtney Miller, oboe
David Gompper, piano

2/2023: Iowa City, IA
Courtney Miller, oboe
Alan Huckleberry, piano

5/2022: Iowa City, IA
Courtney Miller, oboe
Alan Huckleberry, piano

10/2021: Houston, TX
Annie Winkelman, oboe
Ayane Nakajima, piano