Last Sunday was the premiere of my Quintet for Guzheng and Strings, a 15-minute, three movement chamber piece combining the poignant expression of the guzheng (Chinese zither) with the familiar timbre Western strings.

Commissioned by Ames Town and Gown Chamber Music Association (Ames, Iowa), the piece was originally intended for a 2020 premiere but had to be postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Regrettably I couldn’t be present for the premiere, but I was there in spirit. By all reports the performance by guzheng artist Anwei Wang and The Telegraph Quartet was enthusiastically received.

I’m really excited to share this one; the Apple Music release was delayed for months, meaning that I couldn’t really promote it. But that delay is over!

Dice Legacy is a distinctive and rather creative real-time strategy game. It’s set on a ringworld. The citizens are dice. Dice fight, explore, level up, and even have children. The enemy is… well, I won’t spoil that. The soundtrack blends orchestral textures, ethereal vocals, a mournful cello theme, and the distinct sound of the Swedish nyckelharpa, a bowed folk instrument with a fantastic raw expressive sound.

The latter comes courtesy of nyckelharpa specialist Mats Wester, and gives the score a Northern European flavor that echoes the architecture of the dice settlers.Also featured on the score is Simone Vitucci (cello) and Eurielle (ambient vocals as well as lead vocal on the song “The Land in the Sky”).

Listen to the soundtrack on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, or your other music digital service provider of choice.