Digital PDF score (instant download)
Duration ± 8 min . Difficulty grade 6.
IPHIS is a cycle of five short pieces for solo contrabassoon, tracing an inner journey through loss and transformation. Inspired by the emotional phases described by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, the music moves from denial (I) to anger (II), through negotiation (III), into grief and depression (IV), and finally toward acceptance (V).
Each movement unfolds as a distinct state of being, yet together they form a continuous arc - a quiet process of letting go, where acceptance does not erase what was, but learns to carry it differently.
With a duration of approximately eight minutes and a difficulty level suited for advanced performers, Iphis offers both expressive depth and interpretative freedom. Awarded the Prijs voor Muziek 2017 West-Vlaanderen, the work invites the performer to give voice to the fragile and often unspoken layers of human experience.