POLARIS SWALLOWED (2026)

For two seashells, double-bell trumpet (in C), double-bell horn (in F), double-bell trombone, and double-bell euphonium.
Written for the Ensemble Musikfabrik Virtual Brass Academy.
Premiered 12th January , 2026, by Ensemble Musikfabrik, at Studio des Ensemble Musikfabrik, Cologne.
Full duration: 4 minutes 30 seconds.

The centre of the universe for brass players is said to be in the mouth—a resonant microcosm for sound. Polaris Swallowed imagines a celestial compass for the oral cavity, mapping phonetic transformations across the firmament of the hard and soft palates like constellations. Countless species, humans among them, look to the skies to orient their bodies in the world. In this piece, the players find their bearings within, as if they had swallowed the North Star itself.