The composer writes about Ecstatic Descent: “Every note of the piano is altered (“prepared”) with bolts, screws, strips of rubber, cardboard, and paper- transforming the instrument into a miniature percussion orchestra… On this singular instrument I perform cascades of rapid-fire textures that start at the very top of the keyboard and wend their way down, bubbling and glinting as they descend.” Originally from San Diego and now residing in Brisbane, Australia, Erik Griswold composes for musicians, artists, dancers, and poets. He has collaborated with such well-known musicians as Steven Schick, Margaret Leng Tan, the Zephyr String Quartet, and many others. His music has been performed at Carnegie Hall, the Sydney Opera House, the Chengdu Arts Centre, the Melbourne Festival, the OzAsia Festival, and many other venues around the world.