His first commissioned work, Adagio and Variations, written while still a student at Juilliard, was called 'a piece of genius' by the critic at its premiere by the Verdehr Trio, for whom it was composed.
An excerpt from Adagio and Variations on Crystal Records:
Other significant early works written while at Juilliard include chamber pieces such as A Musical Banquet. The work was a winner of the International Barlow Prize.
Mvt. 6, A Rock Song, from A Musical Banquet, on New World Records:
Also, Tanz Nachtanz, a clarinet quintet commissioned by the Chelsea Ensemble, and The Quartet Book, commissioned by The Shanghai Quartet.