Gray Tree, for Solo Cello

“‘Gray Tree’ represents the need to grow and adapt to an ever-changing environment. It embodies the spirit of youth and possibility, reminding the listener/performer that even in times of great disappointment and challenge, there can be beauty in the adaptation.

The piece was inspired by the painting of the same name by Piet Mondrian (1911)”

Aidan Vass (b. 2003) is a Los Angeles based composer. He is a 3x YoungArts winner for classical composition, a finalist for the ASCAP Morton Gould Award, and a first place winner in the MTAC Composers Today competition. He was one of the Nancy and Barry Sanders’ Composer Fellows with the Los Angeles Philharmonic from 2018-2021. Vass has written music for ensembles such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Sandbox Percussion, Seraphour, and Nu Deco Ensemble, and he has independently released a catalog of music including a full-length debut solo piano album (8 Sketches for Piano, 2021). His music has also been featured on publications such as The Violin Channel, VoyageLA, and others. Vass is currently studying composition with Christopher Trapani at the USC Thornton School of Music.

You can follow Aidan on Instagram, YouTube, and Spotify.