The Lighthouses (2019) was written for the 12th Sendlinder Orgelnacht in the Himmelfahrtskirche in Munich-Sendling, Germany. It is dedicated to Klaus Geitner. The theme for the concerts was “Aus aller Welt” (“From around the world”), and each concert and repertoire related in different ways to that theme.

I took my inspiration from one of my favorite things that can be found through the world: lighthouses. From ancient times until the present, lighthouses have been built on the coasts of bodies of water to serve as aids in navigation. Lighthouses of every sort can be found throughout the entire world, and each tends to have it own distinct character and history.

This piece uses the idea of lighthouses in both a literal and metaphorical way: thinking about them as a symbol for a kind of comfort, security, and stability amidst turbulent circumstances. A beacon that says “here I am” even amid intense storms.

The work is unified musically by several musical ideas that are developed throughout, especially a theme of repeated chords that symbolizes the lighthouse’s periodic beacon.