When I was asked to write a work for the Gryphon Trio, I was absolutely thrilled with the opportunity. Up until that point, I had held off writing for this medium mainly because I wanted to ensure my technique was firmly established before taking on such a project, most especially when high-caliber players are involved. As well, this was an opportunity for me to explore new ideas with a group that has devoted themselves to performing new music as well as standard repertoire. After brainstorming with their pianist Jamie Parker and cellist Roman Borys, we came up with enough ideas to formulate the thesis of the piece. To my surprise, of their 21 years of commissioning new works, the "gryphon" mythology had not yet been explored as a theme. We decided that this would be the direction to go. As well, it was important to have the work specifically tailored to the Gryphon Trio. Being that they have been performing together for so many years, they have established a sound that defines their group. This needed to be taken into consideration – having them express themselves as one entity, not three separate players.
The work explores the colouristic, virtuosic, and expressive possibilities of the piano trio while highlighting my more personal musical language. Much of the work is based on musical materials from my solo piano work Eccentric Gestures. It is in three movements and takes the listener through the mystical world of gryphons. Each movement is loosely based on the personalities of each player of the Gryphon Trio: I – Jamie Parker (pianist), II – Annalee Patipatanakoon, III – Roman Borys. One could say that each movement is a character piece of three mystical gryphons inspired by each of these players.
