Hour 1
- Glass by Hania Rani
- Shelley Washington’s Middleground
- Room (from One Day) by Tiange Zhou
- Aart Strootman’s Descend
- Sulfuric Rivers by Iman Habibi
- Sarah Louise Bassingthwaighte’s Let There Be Sparrows, then
- Varsha by Reena Esmail
Modern Notebook for November 23 - 29, 2025
Photo: composer Aart Strootman (photo courtesy of the composer's website).
On the next Modern Notebook with Tyler Kline: Aart Strootman’s Descend is a gentle tide of sound — slow, glassy, and immersive. Strings drift in silvery layers, surfacing and folding back on themselves in waves that feel tactile and luminous. There’s a quiet, rhythmic shimmer beneath it all, like a faraway rattle rolling in with the current.
Then: How do we hold on, even as everything changes? That question lies beneath The Impermanence of Things by Michael Zev Gordon. Across thirteen brief movements, the piece slips between motion and stillness, with fleeting echoes of Couperin, Debussy, and Mahler surfacing like memories.
Also in this episode: music by Hania Rani performed by violinist Mari Samuelsen, pianist Julien Quentin, and Scoring Berlin; Shelley Washington performed by PUBLIQuartet; Tiange Zhou performed by pianist Chen-Hui Jen; Iman Habibi performed by saxophonist Timothy McAllister and pianist Liz Ames; Sarah Louise Bassingthwaighte performed by the London Symphony Orchestra; Reena Esmail performed by cellist Pierre Fontenelle; Anthony R. Green performed by cellist Bryan Hayslett; and Katherine Balch performed by Exceptet.
Hour 2
- r e c o v e r i n g (speech rhythm study I) by Anthony R. Green
- Michael Zev Gordon’s The Impermanence of Things
- Tree Lines by Katherine Balch
Recent Shows
On the final episode of Modern Notebook with Tyler Kline: Hideaki Aomori’s Split stretches the bass clarinet to its limits, exploring the full breadth of its sound world. This hour also features Baljinder Sekhon’s Drifting Seeds for cello and harp, along with music by Anna Mieke, Vivian Fung, and more. Then: chamber music by Jessica Ackerley called Spark Surge — one of the highlights of the final hour. You’ll also hear Fumiko Miyachi’s piano duo Up, Down, Top, Bottom, Strange Charm , alongside music by Shirish Korde, Oliver Knussen, and others. Also in this episode: music by Tania León performed by pianist Isabel Dobarro; Claire Victoria Roberts performed by the National Youth Choir of Great Britain; Judd Greenstein performed by NOW Ensemble; Justin H. Bush performed by saxophonist Timothy McAllister and pianist Liz Ames; and flutist Tessa Brinckman performing music by Shirish Korde.
Photo: composer and cellist Andrea Casarrubios (photo credit: Titilayo Ayangade).
Photo: composer Ellie Wilson. (Photo credit: Dimitri Djuric)
Photo: Les Percussions de Strasbourg (photo credit: Christophe Urbain)
Photo: composer Daniel Thomas Davis (photo credit: Melissa Rivard).
Photo: violist Hiyoli Togawa and percussionist Alexej Gerassimez (photo credit: Anne Hornemann)
