Gilad Hochman (b. 1982)

Closer

for two alto saxophones (2022)

Closer was composed for Jonathan Wintringham and Chien-Kwan Lin, and commissioned by the International Saxophone Academy with support from Neustart Kultur. Closer was premiered by Wintringham and Lin in April of 2023 at the North American Saxophone Alliance (NASA) Biennial Conference.

Approximate Duration: 10 Minutes

  • This piece emerged from a long period of exploration during the Covid-19 pandemic. Through it, I was inspired to portray different levels of physical and mental closeness, as well as distance and detachment. In Closer, symmetric octatonic scales play a major role and correspond with the piece’s five larger sections. In its essence, Closer contemplates relationships, with oneself and with others, and contains a universal message, realized through motivic development, the relationship of the two saxophones, and the piece’s dramatic architecture.

    -Gilad Hochman