Duo alla Paganini was commissioned by Jason Laczkoski and Anna Draper in April of 2016. I began work on the piece on April 23, 2016, and completed it after ten compositions sessions on the following May 5th. The work is cast in three brief movements and, akin to the Paganini tradition, is intended as a display piece for both instruments. The second movement forms a contrast with the two lively outer movements, and contains some long flowing, rather plaintive melodies. The opening movement is set in sonata allegro form, the second movement in song form, and the finale in a modified rondo form with a coda in a different meter leading to an exuberant conclusion.
