When I composed Ricochet, I was inspired by the minimalist music of Steve Reich, focusing on taking a single rhythm in the piano and stretching it out into a whole piece. I scored the two hands in close proximity, bouncing off of each other in a kind of rhythmic ricochet.
Ricochet is also the first piece I composed for the piano for me to perform myself in a public setting. Here’s me below premiering Ricochet for Jazz Orchestra with the University of Texas Jazz Orchestra playing the solo piano introduction.
February 28th, 2020, Bates Recital Hall, Austin, TX
Huge thank you to my piano teacher Farshad Zadeh for encouraging me and advising me in this process.
Austin Ali 