Pieces of Winter Sky

Pieces of Winter Sky is a composition for chamber ensemble by the American composer Aaron Jay Kernis. The work was commissioned by the consortium Music Accord for the ensemble eighth blackbird. The piece was a runner-up for 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Music, losing to Caroline Shaw's Partita for 8 Voices.

Composition

Pieces of Winter Sky has a duration of roughly 22 minutes and is composed in a single movement. Kernis described the composition in the score program notes, remarking:

Instrumentation

The work is scored for a small ensemble comprising flute, clarinet, percussion, piano, violin, and cello.