Description

Shades of Grey was conceived as a creative meeting of matched minds. Written for husband and wife Winston Choi and Minghuan Xu of Duo Diorama, the work was first imagined as Choi and Xu prepared to marry. A work that treated violin and piano as equal partners seemed apropos.

In any relationship, “equal” is a relative term, an ideal defined and redefined as the ambiguous roles, the shades of grey between partners emerge. Each instrument plays an undeniable, utterly unique role without which the music could not exist. They are two individuals inextricably wed as a shadow to its object, or as currents below the surface create subtle changes in the waves above.
Written into the work are inherent intricacies that can only be managed by a true duo. Since the interdependence of parts occurs at such an intense level, one must be entirely in sync with the other.

Shades of Grey is admiringly dedicated to Duo Diorama. It was commissioned by the Barlow Endowment for Music Composition at Brigham Young University.