top of page
PROGRAM NOTES
Black
Saxophone Quartet
Duration:
5'
Year:
2008/12
- Saxophone Quartet edition -
Program note:
“Black” was originally composed for two amplified Bass Clarinets, and was written for the virtuoso duo, “Sqwonk.” The two musicians weave tightly woven patterns together, creating a fabric of music that has complete integration. In this “integrated” world, the musicians are equals and complete each other’s every move. As the musical patterns develop, they also move and change, allowing factions to spin off and push the momentum forward. In creating a version of “Black” for Quartet, I wanted to expand the sonic capabilities of the work, make it almost three-dimensional. I choose to not always follow the music literally, but to change some of the parts and even add notes to make it more idiomatic for a Quartet. In the end, I hoped to create five minutes of rapid firing notes combining and merging into one, black (w)hole. Black is also one of the most performed low instrument duos worldwide.
-MM
Black
2 Soprano or 2 Alto or 2 Tenor Saxophones
Duration:
5'
Year:
2008/14
- Soprano/Alto/Tenor Saxophone edition -
Program note:
“Black,” was originally composed for two amplified Bass Clarinets, and was written for the virtuoso duo, “Sqwonk.” The two musicians weave tightly woven patterns together, creating a fabric of music that has complete integration. In this “integrated” world, the musicians are equals and complete each other’s every move. As the musical patterns develop, they also move and change, allowing factions to spin off and push the momentum forward. It is five minutes of rapid firing notes combining and merging into one, black (w)hole. Black is also one of the most performed low instrument duos worldwide.
-MM
Black
2 Baritone Saxophone
Duration:
5'
Year:
2008/11
- Baritone Saxophone edition -
Program note:
“Black,” was originally composed for two amplified Bass Clarinets, and was written for the virtuoso duo, “Sqwonk.” The two musicians weave tightly woven patterns together, creating a fabric of music that has complete integration. In this “integrated” world, the musicians are equals and complete each other’s every move. As the musical patterns develop, they also move and change, allowing factions to spin off and push the momentum forward. It is five minutes of rapid firing notes combining and merging into one, black (w)hole. Black is also one of the most performed low instrument duos worldwide.
-MM
Black
Bassoon & Bass Clarinet
Duration:
5'
Year:
2008/19
- Bassoon & Bass Clarinet edition -
Program note:
“Black,” was originally composed for two amplified Bass Clarinets, and was written for the virtuoso duo, “Sqwonk.” The two musicians weave tightly woven patterns together, creating a fabric of music that has complete integration. In this “integrated” world, the musicians are equals and complete each other’s every move. As the musical patterns develop, they also move and change, allowing factions to spin off and push the momentum forward. It is five minutes of rapid firing notes combining and merging into one, black (w)hole. Black is also one of the most performed low instrument duos worldwide.
-MM
Black
Clarinet & Alto Saxophone
Duration:
5'
Year:
2008/22
- Clarinet & Alto Saxophone edition -
Program note:
“Black,” was originally composed for two amplified Bass Clarinets, and was written for the virtuoso duo, “Sqwonk.” The two musicians weave tightly woven patterns together, creating a fabric of music that has complete integration. In this “integrated” world, the musicians are equals and complete each other’s every move. As the musical patterns develop, they also move and change, allowing factions to spin off and push the momentum forward. It is five minutes of rapid firing notes combining and merging into one, black (w)hole. Black is also one of the most performed low instrument duos worldwide.
-MM
Black
2 Bass Clarinets
Duration:
5'
Year:
2008
- Bass Clarinet edition -
Program note:
“Black,” for two amplified Bass Clarinets, was written for the virtuoso duo, “Sqwonk.” The two musicians weave tightly woven patterns together, creating a fabric of music that has complete integration. In this “integrated” world, the musicians are equals and complete each other’s every move. As the musical patterns develop, they also move and change, allowing factions to spin off and push the momentum forward. It is five minutes of rapid firing notes combining and merging into one, black (w)hole. Black is also one of the most performed low instrument duos worldwide.
-MM
Black
Basset Horn & Bass Clarinet
Duration:
5'
Year:
2008/16
- Basset Horn & Bass Clarinet edition -
Program note:
“Black,” was originally composed for two amplified Bass Clarinets, and was written for the virtuoso duo, “Sqwonk.” The two musicians weave tightly woven patterns together, creating a fabric of music that has complete integration. In this “integrated” world, the musicians are equals and complete each other’s every move. As the musical patterns develop, they also move and change, allowing factions to spin off and push the momentum forward. It is five minutes of rapid firing notes combining and merging into one, black (w)hole. Black is also one of the most performed low instrument duos worldwide.
-MM
Black
2 Violins
Duration:
5'
Year:
2008/11
- Violin edition -
Program note:
“Black,” was originally composed for two amplified Bass Clarinets, and was written for the virtuoso duo, “Sqwonk.” The two musicians weave tightly woven patterns together, creating a fabric of music that has complete integration. In this “integrated” world, the musicians are equals and complete each other’s every move. As the musical patterns develop, they also move and change, allowing factions to spin off and push the momentum forward. It is five minutes of rapid firing notes combining and merging into one, black (w)hole. Black is also one of the most performed low instrument duos worldwide.
-MM
Blackitude
Baritone Saxophone, Bass Clarinet, Piano, Marimba, Violin, Cello
Duration:
5'
Year:
2008/18
- Sextet edition -
Program note:
“Black” was originally composed for two amplified Bass Clarinets, and was written for the virtuoso duo, “Sqwonk.” The two musicians weave tightly woven patterns together, creating a fabric of music that has complete integration. In this “integrated” world, the musicians are equals and complete each other’s every move. As the musical patterns develop, they also move and change, allowing factions to spin off and push the momentum forward. In creating a version of “Black” for Sextet, I wanted to expand the sonic capabilities of the work, make it almost three-dimensional. I choose to not always follow the music literally, but to change some of the parts and even add notes to make it more idiomatic for a Sextet. In the end, I hoped to create five minutes of rapid firing notes combining and merging into one, black (w)hole. Black is also one of the most performed low instrument duos worldwide.
-MM
Blackmoon
Violin, French Horn, Piano
Duration:
18'30"
Year:
2024
Program note:
I: New Moon
II: Selene & Cynthia
III: Blue Moon
IV: Eos
V: Supermoon
VI: Dark Moon
VII: Red Moon
“Black Moon” is a lunar infused dream in seven movements, each movement illuminating a vision of lunar inspiration. The name Black Moon itself comes from the horn trio the music was written for but also from a month with two new moons, among other meanings. Some of the movements are rooted in Greek mythology, for example Selene, sometimes called Cynthia, the goddess of the Moon, or her sister, Eos, the goddess of dawn. Other movements draw inspiration from natural lunar phenomena, like a Supermoon, when our moon seems so large it could fall out of the night sky, or the rarely seen Blue Moon. Dark Moon is a story of forbidden love that can only hide on the dark side of the moon. The final movement, Red Moon, occurring during a total lunar eclipse, is a glimpse into the militaristic underworld looming within the shadow of the moon.
-MM
Brick
Orchestra
Duration:
22'
Year:
2005
Program note:
“Brick” was commissioned by the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, NPR, WNYC Radio, the Cheswatyr Foundation, and the American Music Center and was premiered by Orpheus on February 4, 2006, at Carnegie Hall. It was the featured work on Orpheus’ 2006 European tour and was received with magnificent success across Europe. “Brick” is in seven short, colorful, and whimsically titled movements. The music speaks with a smooth surface, yet it churns underneath with a carefully crafted array of interlocking patterns and shifting emphasis. Each movement treats the orchestra as a musical canvas with the composer painting colorful, evocative, and glorious sounds. The music has a constant forward motion flow and ripples through vibrant arpeggios, rich chordal sections, and multi-colored orchestrations. “Brick” is melodic, tuneful, and contrapuntal, yet glistens on the surface.
-courtesy Orpheus Chamber Orchestra
Canonada
Flute, Clarinet, Violin, Cello, Piano, Drum Set
Duration:
5'
Year:
2001
Program note:
Commissioned as one of eight pieces for a concert for children called Planet Noise, Canonada is typical of the high-energy, optimistic music Mellits has made a name composing. Featuring use of driving rhythms, blues & pentatonic riffs, funk-derived syncopation, and heavy use of canonic writing, it is a percussive piece that continually loops itself around creating a texture that drives the music forward. Canonada was commissioned by the Common Sense Composers Collective for the New Millenium Ensemble.
Concerto for String Quartet & String Orchestra: Tapas
Solo String Quartet & String Orchestra
Duration:
11'
Year:
2011
Program note:
“Tapas” is in eight short movements all working together to a large extent like a baroque suite. The individual lines fit closely together much like the pieces of a puzzle, each instrument relying on each other to fill in the spaces. My task was to create a work that allowed for short “tastes” of different musical ideas that still worked together creating a larger whole. The music itself should speak directly, creating a sound world unique to itself. Tapas was commissioned by “Musique en Roue Libre” and is dedicated to the French cellist Fabrice Bihan. The original version, which this edition is based on, is for String Trio was premiered in August 2007 in Hendecourt-les-Cagnicourt, during a two-week festival of the music of Mellits and Brahms.
Dark Matter
Amplified Bass Clarinet
Duration:
8'
Year:
2018
- Bass Clarinet edition-
Program note:
“Dark Matter” is the first piece I composed fully, from beginning to end, after battling a long recovery from being diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease (VKH). Of all the bizarre symptoms that I experienced, the most other worldly was blindness; I lost nearly all my eyesight in my right eye, and 50% in my left. This meant I could sense some light through my left eye, and was therefore not in complete darkness, thankfully, but it did put me into another world. There was never a moment when I did not trust my doctors in being able to repair the damage and halt the disease, however, this came at a cost. The drug therapy was equally as damaging, if not worse, than the disease itself. For ten months straight, I was not able to write music, not able to sleep, and I lost a bit of myself during this time. However, once the disease was finally pushed back, I began finishing “Titan,” a work I had started before the symptoms appeared. Much to my surprise, the music was filled with joy. The next piece I started was “Dark Matter,” which was the first work of mine to have material that was entirely post recovery. In a way, the electric guitar pedals and the processing are the disease, and the musical instrument is me and my eyesight. I wanted to take this experience of struggle and recovery and channel it into music. The path of recovery for me was continuously getting healthier overall, but there were a few setbacks when the disease fought back, which are depicted in the music itself. It was a battle -- a silent, blind, and dark scream -- a struggle. The timing of being asked to incorporate electric guitar effects pedals seemed too perfect of an opportunity to channel the energy of my disease into music, so I jumped at it. I cannot thank all the musicians involved in the consortium for “Dark Matter” enough, who were willing to go along with a piece written with electronics in mind; and to my friend Jacob Goforth for putting the consortium together and for having the bold idea of using effects pedals.
-MM
Dark Matter
Amplified Tenor Saxophone
Duration:
8'
Year:
2018
- Tenor Saxophone edition -
Program note:
“Dark Matter” is the first piece I composed fully, from beginning to end, after battling a long recovery from being diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease (VKH). Of all the bizarre symptoms that I experienced, the most other worldly was blindness; I lost nearly all my eyesight in my right eye, and 50% in my left. This meant I could sense some light through my left eye, and was therefore not in complete darkness, thankfully, but it did put me into another world. There was never a moment when I did not trust my doctors in being able to repair the damage and halt the disease, however, this came at a cost. The drug therapy was equally as damaging, if not worse, than the disease itself. For ten months straight, I was not able to write music, not able to sleep, and I lost a bit of myself during this time. However, once the disease was finally pushed back, I began finishing “Titan,” a work I had started before the symptoms appeared. Much to my surprise, the music was filled with joy. The next piece I started was “Dark Matter,” which was the first work of mine to have material that was entirely post recovery. In a way, the electric guitar pedals and the processing are the disease, and the musical instrument is me and my eyesight. I wanted to take this experience of struggle and recovery and channel it into music. The path of recovery for me was continuously getting healthier overall, but there were a few setbacks when the disease fought back, which are depicted in the music itself. It was a battle -- a silent, blind, and dark scream -- a struggle. The timing of being asked to incorporate electric guitar effects pedals seemed too perfect of an opportunity to channel the energy of my disease into music, so I jumped at it. I cannot thank all the musicians involved in the consortium for “Dark Matter” enough, who were willing to go along with a piece written with electronics in mind; and to my friend Jacob Goforth for putting the consortium together and for having the bold idea of using effects pedals.
-MM
Dark Matter
Amplified Cello
Duration:
8'
Year:
2018
- Cello edition-
Program note:
“Dark Matter” is the first piece I composed fully, from beginning to end, after battling a long recovery from being diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease (VKH). Of all the bizarre symptoms that I experienced, the most other worldly was blindness; I lost nearly all my eyesight in my right eye, and 50% in my left. This meant I could sense some light through my left eye, and was therefore not in complete darkness, thankfully, but it did put me into another world. There was never a moment when I did not trust my doctors in being able to repair the damage and halt the disease, however, this came at a cost. The drug therapy was equally as damaging, if not worse, than the disease itself. For ten months straight, I was not able to write music, not able to sleep, and I lost a bit of myself during this time. However, once the disease was finally pushed back, I began finishing “Titan,” a work I had started before the symptoms appeared. Much to my surprise, the music was filled with joy. The next piece I started was “Dark Matter,” which was the first work of mine to have material that was entirely post recovery. In a way, the electric guitar pedals and the processing are the disease, and the musical instrument is me and my eyesight. I wanted to take this experience of struggle and recovery and channel it into music. The path of recovery for me was continuously getting healthier overall, but there were a few setbacks when the disease fought back, which are depicted in the music itself. It was a battle -- a silent, blind, and dark scream -- a struggle. The timing of being asked to incorporate electric guitar effects pedals seemed too perfect of an opportunity to channel the energy of my disease into music, so I jumped at it. I cannot thank all the musicians involved in the consortium for “Dark Matter” enough, who were willing to go along with a piece written with electronics in mind; and to my friend Jacob Goforth for putting the consortium together and for having the bold idea of using effects pedals.
-MM
Dark Matter
Amplified Horn
Duration:
8'
Year:
2018/2023
- French Horn edition -
Program note:
“Dark Matter” is the first piece I composed fully, from beginning to end, after battling a long recovery from being diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease (VKH). Of all the bizarre symptoms that I experienced, the most other worldly was blindness; I lost nearly all my eyesight in my right eye, and 50% in my left. This meant I could sense some light through my left eye, and was therefore not in complete darkness, thankfully, but it did put me into another world. There was never a moment when I did not trust my doctors in being able to repair the damage and halt the disease, however, this came at a cost. The drug therapy was equally as damaging, if not worse, than the disease itself. For ten months straight, I was not able to write music, not able to sleep, and I lost a bit of myself during this time. However, once the disease was finally pushed back, I began finishing “Titan,” a work I had started before the symptoms appeared. Much to my surprise, the music was filled with joy. The next piece I started was “Dark Matter,” which was the first work of mine to have material that was entirely post recovery. In a way, the electric guitar pedals and the processing are the disease, and the musical instrument is me and my eyesight. I wanted to take this experience of struggle and recovery and channel it into music. The path of recovery for me was continuously getting healthier overall, but there were a few setbacks when the disease fought back, which are depicted in the music itself. It was a battle -- a silent, blind, and dark scream -- a struggle. The timing of being asked to incorporate electric guitar effects pedals seemed too perfect of an opportunity to channel the energy of my disease into music, so I jumped at it. I cannot thank all the musicians involved in the consortium for “Dark Matter” enough, who were willing to go along with a piece written with electronics in mind; and to my friend Jacob Goforth for putting the consortium together and for having the bold idea of using effects pedals.
-MM
Dark Matter
Amplified Baritone Saxophone
Duration:
8'
Year:
2018
- Baritone Saxophone edition -
Program note:
“Dark Matter” is the first piece I composed fully, from beginning to end, after battling a long recovery from being diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease (VKH). Of all the bizarre symptoms that I experienced, the most other worldly was blindness; I lost nearly all my eyesight in my right eye, and 50% in my left. This meant I could sense some light through my left eye, and was therefore not in complete darkness, thankfully, but it did put me into another world. There was never a moment when I did not trust my doctors in being able to repair the damage and halt the disease, however, this came at a cost. The drug therapy was equally as damaging, if not worse, than the disease itself. For ten months straight, I was not able to write music, not able to sleep, and I lost a bit of myself during this time. However, once the disease was finally pushed back, I began finishing “Titan,” a work I had started before the symptoms appeared. Much to my surprise, the music was filled with joy. The next piece I started was “Dark Matter,” which was the first work of mine to have material that was entirely post recovery. In a way, the electric guitar pedals and the processing are the disease, and the musical instrument is me and my eyesight. I wanted to take this experience of struggle and recovery and channel it into music. The path of recovery for me was continuously getting healthier overall, but there were a few setbacks when the disease fought back, which are depicted in the music itself. It was a battle -- a silent, blind, and dark scream -- a struggle. The timing of being asked to incorporate electric guitar effects pedals seemed too perfect of an opportunity to channel the energy of my disease into music, so I jumped at it. I cannot thank all the musicians involved in the consortium for “Dark Matter” enough, who were willing to go along with a piece written with electronics in mind; and to my friend Jacob Goforth for putting the consortium together and for having the bold idea of using effects pedals.
-MM
Dark Matter
Amplified Bassoon
Duration:
8'
Year:
2018
- Bassoon edition -
Program note:
“Dark Matter” is the first piece I composed fully, from beginning to end, after battling a long recovery from being diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease (VKH). Of all the bizarre symptoms that I experienced, the most other worldly was blindness; I lost nearly all my eyesight in my right eye, and 50% in my left. This meant I could sense some light through my left eye, and was therefore not in complete darkness, thankfully, but it did put me into another world. There was never a moment when I did not trust my doctors in being able to repair the damage and halt the disease, however, this came at a cost. The drug therapy was equally as damaging, if not worse, than the disease itself. For ten months straight, I was not able to write music, not able to sleep, and I lost a bit of myself during this time. However, once the disease was finally pushed back, I began finishing “Titan,” a work I had started before the symptoms appeared. Much to my surprise, the music was filled with joy. The next piece I started was “Dark Matter,” which was the first work of mine to have material that was entirely post recovery. In a way, the electric guitar pedals and the processing are the disease, and the musical instrument is me and my eyesight. I wanted to take this experience of struggle and recovery and channel it into music. The path of recovery for me was continuously getting healthier overall, but there were a few setbacks when the disease fought back, which are depicted in the music itself. It was a battle -- a silent, blind, and dark scream -- a struggle. The timing of being asked to incorporate electric guitar effects pedals seemed too perfect of an opportunity to channel the energy of my disease into music, so I jumped at it. I cannot thank all the musicians involved in the consortium for “Dark Matter” enough, who were willing to go along with a piece written with electronics in mind; and to my friend Jacob Goforth for putting the consortium together and for having the bold idea of using effects pedals.
-MM
David
Violin, Cello, Piano
Duration:
11'
Year:
2023
Program note:
David was commissioned by The Chamber Music Conference and Composers’ Forum of the East, Inc., and written in fond memory of David Stam (1935-2023). David Stam was a remarkable individual I had gotten to know purely from the many conversations we would have following concerts in Syracuse, NY. David was never at a loss for words nor opinions on music, and thus we would have the most wonderful and insightful conversations. The music of David follows many questions, and partial conversations. Each section of the music poses a question, however, the questions are mostly left unanswered. Instead, the music has a conversation with itself, before moving on in search of something, or someone, which is no longer with us.
-MM
Disciples of Gouda
Piano, Cello, Marimba, Percussion
Duration:
10'
Year:
2003
Program note:
“Disciples of Gouda” was written in 2003 on a joint commission from the Common Sense Composers Collective and Essential Music. This 8-minute tone poem uses additive and subtractive techniques to shape musical cells from one ‘theme group’ to another, loosely following sonata form. The expansive and contractive nature of the work combined with an accented hand drum part give the music emotional swells that all combine to push and pull the listener through the musical landscape.
Discrete Structures
Soprano Saxophone & String Quartet
Duration:
15'
Year:
2024
- Saxophone & String Quartet edition -
Program note:
Discrete Structures is a set of connected miniatures, each sharing musical material and each movement completing each other. Sometimes they complete a movement that has already happened, sometimes they complete it before it even begins. However, they are all based on the same musical material, and as I was writing each movement that material became more and more clear, completely on its own. I wanted to create a sound world that connected to itself almost serendipitously, creating connections throughout the work. The music of each movement on their own are very structured, the building blocks of each are all manipulations of each other, keeping the entire piece connected. Some structures depict events that happened to me during the summer of 2024, for example, III: Survival Structure, inspired by an encounter with a homeless girl reading philosophy in the center of Bucharest, Romania; stay strong, tomorrow is another day. Other structures compare similar material however, from different perspectives: a wooden clock turns into gold then melts into a liquid. Serendipity can sometimes be joyous or can sometimes give pause. Events happen seemingly on the own but often have an impact, from moment to moment, measure to measure.
Discrete Structures
Clarinet & String Quartet
Duration:
15'
Year:
2024
- Clarinet & String Quartet edition -
Program note:
Discrete Structures is a set of connected miniatures, each sharing musical material and each movement completing each other. Sometimes they complete a movement that has already happened, sometimes they complete it before it even begins. However, they are all based on the same musical material, and as I was writing each movement that material became more and more clear, completely on its own. I wanted to create a sound world that connected to itself almost serendipitously, creating connections throughout the work. The music of each movement on their own are very structured, the building blocks of each are all manipulations of each other, keeping the entire piece connected. Some structures depict events that happened to me during the summer of 2024, for example, III: Survival Structure, inspired by an encounter with a homeless girl reading philosophy in the center of Bucharest, Romania; stay strong, tomorrow is another day. Other structures compare similar material however, from different perspectives: a wooden clock turns into gold then melts into a liquid. Serendipity can sometimes be joyous or can sometimes give pause. Events happen seemingly on the own but often have an impact, from moment to moment, measure to measure.
Discrete Structures
Clarinet & Piano
Duration:
15'
Year:
2024
- Clarinet & Piano edition -
Program note:
Discrete Structures is a set of connected miniatures, each sharing musical material and each movement completing each other. Sometimes they complete a movement that has already happened, sometimes they complete it before it even begins. However, they are all based on the same musical material, and as I was writing each movement that material became more and more clear, completely on its own. I wanted to create a sound world that connected to itself almost serendipitously, creating connections throughout the work. The music of each movement on their own are very structured, the building blocks of each are all manipulations of each other, keeping the entire piece connected. Some structures depict events that happened to me during the summer of 2024, for example, III: Survival Structure, inspired by an encounter with a homeless girl reading philosophy in the center of Bucharest, Romania; stay strong, tomorrow is another day. Other structures compare similar material however, from different perspectives: a wooden clock turns into gold then melts into a liquid. Serendipity can sometimes be joyous or can sometimes give pause. Events happen seemingly on the own but often have an impact, from moment to moment, measure to measure.
Discrete Structures
Soprano Saxophone & Piano
Duration:
15'
Year:
2024
- Saxophone & Piano edition -
Program note:
Discrete Structures is a set of connected miniatures, each sharing musical material and each movement completing each other. Sometimes they complete a movement that has already happened, sometimes they complete it before it even begins. However, they are all based on the same musical material, and as I was writing each movement that material became more and more clear, completely on its own. I wanted to create a sound world that connected to itself almost serendipitously, creating connections throughout the work. The music of each movement on their own are very structured, the building blocks of each are all manipulations of each other, keeping the entire piece connected. Some structures depict events that happened to me during the summer of 2024, for example, III: Survival Structure, inspired by an encounter with a homeless girl reading philosophy in the center of Bucharest, Romania; stay strong, tomorrow is another day. Other structures compare similar material however, from different perspectives: a wooden clock turns into gold then melts into a liquid. Serendipity can sometimes be joyous or can sometimes give pause. Events happen seemingly on the own but often have an impact, from moment to moment, measure to measure.
bottom of page