Ken Benshoof

In Shadow, Light

in Shadow, light', commissioned by Zart Dombourian-Eby, was composed in 1997, and premiered in Chicago at the National Flute Association convention the same year. Like many of Benshoof's other compositions, this piece uses classical textures and structural concepts, but includes idioms from folk, jazz, and popular music. Designed to integrate the distinct sounds of string instruments with that of the piccolo, in Shadow, light is a true chamber piece for piccolo and string trio, with responsibilities distributed equally between the instruments through contrapuntal textures and conversational interplay. A wide range of colors and expressive articulation from the piccolo completes the integration.