Whistling Hens (Jennifer Piazza-Pick, soprano and Natalie Groom, Clarinet) gave the world premiere of Haiku Journey  during the 2026 National Association of Teachers of Singing Conference in San Antonio Texas. 

Haiku Journey for Soprano and Clarinet in B-flat draws its text from the haiku collection of the same title by poet Kimberly Blaeser. The work traces the seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter, and offers brief, evocative glimpses of their colors, moods, and transformations. These haikus capture moments ranging from animals interacting with the natural world to more reflective inward journeys that accompany seasonal change and life’s poignant passages.

The piece is organized in four sections following Blaeser’s original ordering:

I. Spring
II. Summer
III. Fall
IV. Winter

Short clarinet interludes follow the Spring, Summer, and Fall sections, extending the narrative voice while providing transitional space between seasons. Throughout the work, the unique timbres of the voice and clarinet intertwine to create vivid, intimate musical portraits—fleeting impressions, like moments observed just before they pass.

Haiku Journey was commissioned by Whistling Hens (Jennifer Piazza-Pick, soprano, and Natalie Groom, clarinet) and is inspired by their joyful collaboration as a duo and their shared commitment to creating meaningful concert experiences through imaginative programming.