This sonata pays homage to Nikolai Kapustin (1937–2020), whose music fused classical form with jazz idiom in a voice both refined and exuberant. Inspired by that conception, the piece embraces an eclectic, postmodern language that blends structure with spontaneity, irony with clarity, and a fondness for strong, memorable melodies.

The first movement is cast in sonata form, though it carries its structure with a light touch. It is assertive, rhythmic, and infused with jazz harmonies and syncopated drive. The lines unfold with precision and flair, drawing energy from the tension between classical restraint and improvisatory spirit.

The second movement turns inward. It is a lyrical elegy, built from a single melodic cell taken from the first movement. Through a kind of developing variation, this cell gives rise to two interwoven themes arranged in a loose A–B–A′ form.

The final movement is a rondo in 7/8, brisk and slightly mischievous. At its centre lies a return of the first movement’s theme, now transformed in character: airy, mysterious, and devoid of all the original vigour. After a lively recapitulation of earlier episodes, the sonata closes with a dazzling coda that gathers the work’s recurring motifs into a final flourish of wit and momentum.

The first movement of the sonata was awarded a prize in the Ensemble for These Times 2024 Call for Scores. It received its première on 22 February 2025 at the Berkeley Piano Club (California), performed by Dr Dale Tsang, with a subsequent performance at the San Francisco Community Center.

Total duration: ca. 23′ 30″