Alaskan King was commissioned by

Natasha and Evelyn Farny and

was premiered in 2012 at the State University of New York at Fredonia.

The Farny sisters also played the piece at Bargemusic in Brooklyn, NY in 2012. 

The piece has also been played at Florida State University by Natasha Farny and Greg Sauer (October 13, 2013).

It was performed by the Buffalo Chamber Players November 6, 2013 at Buffalo Seminary.

Performed in Joao Pessoa, Brazil,

by Natasha Farny and Felipe Avellar de Aquino on November 21, 2013.

Performed in Rio de Janiero

by Natasha Farny and Hugo Pilger on November 25, 2013.

1. • for two cellos
   

1. • duration: 7.5 minutes

About the piece:

Alaskan King is a crab canon.  In the second half of the piece, each cellist plays the other cellist’s part from the first half backwards. Another way to say this is that the piece is a palindrome with the parts switched halfway through. 

Other famous crab canons are by Bach and by Machuat.  This is the second crab canon Mallonée has written.  Her other, Maryland Blue, was written for flutist Kylie Collins and violinist Erica Ball.