In April 2022, Hale's reed quintet Impasto was premiered by Sarah Pinto, Jesse Bruer, Andrew MacRossie, Ellé Crowhurst, and Isaac Bartol at the University of Michigan.
Impasto is inspired by the painting technique in which layers of oil paint are thickly laid onto the canvas resulting in a three-dimensional texture. In the Modernist era, impasto became associated with an expression of deep emotion and the subconscious mind. This reed quintet is an exploration of this bold and daring artform, conveying both the literal layers of texture on the canvas and the way impasto paintings exude confidence and dynamism.
