Unwind/Wound Up

for String Quartet and Percussion

Written: Upcoming
Duration: 6'
for string quartet and percussion (cajón and handpan—D Kurd 10: D) A, B-flat, C, D, E, F, G, A, C) )
Commissioned by FAB5
Upcoming World Premiere: Mostly Modern Festival. FAB5, Mostly Modern Festival, Arthur Zankel Music Center, Helen Filene Ladd Concert Hall, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY, June 18, 2026
Publisher: Bill Holab Music

PROGRAM NOTE

For many years my wife Victoria and her FAB5 quintet (string quartet and percussion) have entertained thousands of people at numerous performance spaces and travel hubs in New York City, including Moynihan Train Station, the Oculus, and Chelsea Market. Having seen many of their shows, and especially the ones at travel hubs, there's a certain tension and release you experience watching people wait anxiously for their trains, and then the release they feel when they are finally on their way. I've had these experiences this myself, so I wanted to create two pieces that emulate these feelings.

Unwind/Wound Up consists of two contrasting pieces for string quartet and percussion. The first, Unwind, for string quartet and handpan, is calm and soothing. The second, Wound Up, for string quartet and cajón imitates the feeling of being worried, anxious, or even a little irritated, especially when waiting to board a train. The pieces can be performed independently, in any order, looped one after the other, or lengthened and shortened with repeats.

Unwind/Wound Up is written for and commissioned by the FAB5 quintet with support from the Department of Cultural Affairs.

– RP