Ethan Monberg Foothills of the Alps Soundbox Recording

This spring, I had the honor of participating in the Soundbox Composer Fellowship Program, created by violinist and new-music advocate Max Tan. This piece was created for and recorded at the Soundbox Composer Festival. Many thanks to Max for the opportunity and especially to the musicians for their beautiful rendition, played in the video. Musicians: Flute - Anna Urrey Clarinet in Bb - Sam Boutris Violin - Sophia Szokolay Viola - Jeremy Kienbaum Piano - Baron Fenwick I had the immense good fortune to be able to travel to Germany and Austria in August 2025. “Foothills of the Alps” was inspired by part of that trip, to Neuschwanstein Castle, where the sweeping Bavarian landscapes left a lasting impression. The piece evokes the sense of ascent: from the village nestled below to the shimmering heights of the castle’s turrets and beyond, into the luminous alpine sky, where stone meets cloud and echo meets air. A bold, declamatory opening breaks through the morning haze with sunlight striking rock. Then the music softens, flowing into valleys of suspended sound: pizzicato echoes of footsteps and sweeping piano lines like the hills. The flute and clarinet breathe cool alpine air, weaving melodies that drift and dissolve. “Foothills of the Alps” is a meditation on wonder, how landscape becomes sound and memory turns to air.