‘Arboretum’ is a short meditation on the natural world. Using video and images I took in the entrance garden at the Arizona Inn in Tucson, I wanted to create a short, colorful, and entrancing foray into the world of plant life. The audio is a combination of processed instrumental sounds, recorded natural sounds, and synthesizers.
Colin I. Nossek (b. 1999) is a composer and clarinetist dedicated to the creation of new, imaginative works that are accessible to a wide audience. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Composition from the University of Arizona Fred Fox School of Music, where he studied with Dr. Kay He (composition) and Dr. Jackie Glazier (clarinet). Nossek’s music is inspired by the natural world, dreams, and interpersonal relationships. He enjoys blending genres and likes to describe his music as “if Radiohead were a bluegrass band that played on classical instruments.” Nossek has received commissions internationally for concert music as well as music for theater, including award-winning saxophonist Don-Paul Kahl, No Divide KC, the Winding Road Theater Ensemble, contrabassoonist Susan Nigro, and the zooDuo. His works for saxophone have been featured at NASA Region 2 and Region 4 conferences, and his work Automata, for Clarinet and Electronics, was featured at the 2021 TURNUP Festival.
As a performer, Nossek is a proponent of new music. A member of the LGBTQ+ Community, he believes in diversity and is always looking to perform new works by BIPOC, women, and LGBTQ+ composers. While studying at the University of Arizona, Nossek held the position of principal clarinet and principal bass clarinet in the UA Wind Ensemble and participated in the Arizona Symphony Orchestra, the Vulpes Wind Quintet, and the Avian Trio. Nossek was selected as the winner of the 2021 University of Arizona President’s Competition (Winds/Brass/Percussion division) for his performance of Scott McAllister’s Black Dog.
Select works by Nossek are published by T.U.X. People’s Music Publishing.