Caustics (2025) for flute quartet

Caustics continues my fascination with drawing connections between two forms of musical spirals: suspension chains and textures that glacially move outward in contrary motion, creating the illusion of infinite expansion. At its core, Caustics is a search for moments of tranquility along these spirals. The title refers to the intricate patterns of focused light formed when rays are refracted or reflected by a curved surface, most commonly seen as the shifting figurations of light at the bottom of pools. Active textures in the lower registers of the flutes representing these figurations persist through much of the first half of the piece, interacting with the difference tones produced by the higher suspension chains.

Recorded by the Romanian Flute Ensemble on October 25, 2025 at the Facultatea de Muzică și Teatru in Timișoara, Romania.