Moonlit Walk (Vibraphone/Percussion + String Quartet)

The moon inspires mystery, wonder, and introspection. In that same spirit, Moonlit Walk invites performers and listeners on a quiet journey through shadows, stillness, and slow revelation in this 10-minute work for vibraphone/percussion and string quartet. An ideal addition to a percussion or string recital, the piece offers performers the chance to grow musically through collaboration with instrumentalists outside their primary instrument family.

Genre: Solo Vibraphone/Percussion with String Quartet | # of Players: 5
Level: Medium Advanced | Duration: 10:20

Instrumentation
Score (8.5"x11" stapled booklet)
Violin I
Violin II
Viola
Cello
Percussion: Vibraphone, Ribbon Crasher, Kick Drum [1 player]

Program Notes
Moonlit Walk, originally composed in 2015 is the first classical piece I ever composed. I was 20 years old—shy, uncertain, and just starting to find my voice. At the encouragement of a professor, I reached out to a few string players to read through the piece and give feedback. That simple, intimidating experience became a quiet milestone, the beginning of my journey as a composer.

Two of those musicians were friends of mine, Jose and Maria. Their kindness and curiosity gave life to the earliest version of this music. Years later, in 2023, they reached out again, not just as friends, but as founding members of the string quartet Stringsmen OKC. They wanted to perform Moonlit Walk. At first, I was hesitant. Sharing something I had written so early in my life felt vulnerable and terrifying. But with their encouragement and some thoughtful revisions, the piece was reborn.

The moon, too, is reborn every 29.5 days. Its quiet cycle reminds us that renewal is always possible, that darkness gives way to light, stillness gives way to motion, and endings can become beginnings. Life’s unexpected turns often feel like detours, but they are also invitations: to grow, to choose differently, to begin again. These invitations, while painful, can also become gifts.

The moon inspires mystery, wonder, and introspection. In that same spirit, Moonlit Walk invites performers and listeners on a quiet journey through shadows, stillness, and slow revelation. My relationship with this piece has evolved over time, just as I have. What began as a tentative first step has become, years later, a gentle companion, a reminder of where I started, and how far I’ve come.

– C.P.