Into the Maelstrom was written for composer/trumpeter Reynaldo Ochoa in 1997, and premiered by him that year on a Houston Composers’ Alliance concert in September. Dr. Ochoa recorded fragments of material written by the composer, which were then assembled, edited, and layered into the ProTools environment. Each layer was then heavily processed and staggered in relation to other layers, creating the effect of a swirling mass of liquid sound, sucking the listener into the trumpet’s abyss. It is one of a series by the composer of electroacoustic environments, which series includes Syrenes and La Cimitere (electroacoustic sounds), Cello Fishing at Antibes (solo ‘cello and electroacoustic sounds), and The Fountains (solo trumpet and electroacoustic sounds, also written for Reynaldo Ochoa).