The themes of loss and hope run throughout composer Dylan Findley’s latest work for piano trio. In fact, two specific losses led directly to Findley writing the piece. It began when the Greek ensemble Galán Trio was planning its North American “Kinesis Tour.” The ensemble had reached out to Findley about visiting the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, but when Findley’s university appointment there was not renewed—and, consequently, the trio’s tour date fell through—Findley helped them book not only an alternate date at a different university, but two more additional ones. “I helped them, and they said I'd be able to write for them,” Findley explained. It was “an exchange of goodwill” coming out of the disappointments for both Findley and the trio.

In the resulting piece, entitled Ánimo, Findley sought to capture the “spiritual energy or enthusiasm” that the Spanish word connotes—and it was inspired by a different loss. “Over the past few years, I've lost three out of my four grandparents,” said Findley. “I wanted to write something that made me think about them, but in a way that was light, though not necessarily light-hearted.” Indeed, from its opening, Ánimo sparkles with high, bright sounds from the violin, cello, and piano. Over its seven minutes, the piece is by turns playful, lyrical, and, occasionally, fragile.

True to his inspiration, throughout the piece Findley weaves in fragments of the hymn, “Families Can Be Together Forever.” For listeners who recognize them, these quotes add color and depth to the music’s meaning. Without becoming its focal point, they encourage listeners to interpret the music’s ephemeral moods as an expression of hope in the face of uncertainty.—Joseph Sowa (Ánimo will be performed by the Galán Trio across five Midwestern states November 1-9. For specific dates and venues, visit the composer’s website.)