Reeds 8 was written in the summer of 2024 and commissioned by oboist Sarah K. Minneman. It is titled Reeds 8 because it consists of four double reed instruments, making a total of eight reeds. This piece, a perpetuum mobile lasting approximately six minutes, presents a substantial challenge for the performers' collaboration. The music is simply fast, loud, and highly rhythmic. My goal was to create a high-energy and unique piece for double reed instruments. I also employed several contemporary techniques on the double reed instruments, including pitch bending, multiphonics, and my all-time favorite—the mouthpiece cadenza, which appears in the final section.

(Wenbin Lyu, May 1, 2024)

July 23, 2024 (premiere); IDRS Conference; Northern Arizona University; Flagstaff, Arizona; Sarah K. Minneman