Ridge-Runner, for Bb trumpet and percussion, is an uninterrupted suite in five sections. The term “ridge-runner” is American slang referring loosely to a number of characters—the southern farmer, the mountaineer, the moonshiner—people of wit, perseverance, and self-reliance, people who don’t mind dealing with the elements. It struck me that solo trumpet performers are akin to ridge-runners in their spirit, energy and daring. So I set about composing this piece by basing its personality in abstract vernacular music—banjo picking, ballad, jazz, harmonica—and treating it as a serious concert piece. My aim is to bring the experience of ridge-running into the concert hall.

— Libby Larsen