Saudade

A composition for solo piano by Nailah Nombeko

Developed through the 2025 Summer Composing Mentorship

Mentored by Soheil Shirangi

Piano:Qin Lan Zhang

Published by Zang Records in August 2026

Saudade is a Portuguese word describing melancholic
longing—homesickness. The opening idea is repeated in
variation throughout, with new ideas being woven in, but
there’s always a “pulling back” to the opening theme. The
anchor never really moves and sometimes the idea
returns as more of a memory. No matter what new places
the music travels to there is always an intense longing to
return home.