The title “Ocaso” comes from the Spanish word for “dusk”. Although its meaning in Spanish is the same as in English, its use can also be used as a reference to old age, or what is sometimes called the twilight years of someone’s life. At the time of writing this work I was spending a lot of time thinking specifically about the process of aging and its effects on close family members. Even though the tone and sound of the music are meant to dramatize the ‘dusk’ of someone’s life, the theme of aging and dying was a a strong emotional backdrop that inspired me to write this work. Having a youth orchestra perform this work was a wonderful counterpoint to the themes that informed the work.

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Ocaso was commissioned and premiered by NYO Canada, and has been performed by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.

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