"Ukioy-e," a commissioned chamber music piece by Moravian College professor and composer-in-residence Dr. Larry Lipkis, debuts at 3 p.m. March 9, as part of the "Second Sunday Concert Series" at the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Lehigh Valley, 424 Center St., Bethlehem.

Satori, the Lehigh Valley chamber music group, performs "Ukioy-e." Satori features Nora Sluggs, flute; Deborah Davis, cello, and Martha Schrempel, piano.

"Satori is well-known in the area and they play excellently," says Lipkis. "I know all of the players well."

Lipkis, artistic director of the "Second Sunday" series, composed "Ukioy-e" specifically as chamber music.

"Chamber music is like a musical conversation," he says. "It's different than with a solo player. It's really nice to get into the intimacy of the conversation between the instruments."

"Ukioy-e" translates from the Japanese as "pictures from a floating world" and was inspired by Japanese woodcuts from the Edo period (1603 - 1867). The artwork displays scenes of the natural world, along with actors and tea houses.

"It's about the leisure life," explains Lipkis. "It's rather sensual. It's a nice life. I'm taking these images and running with them in my imagination and my music."

Lipkis details that the idea for the "Second Sunday" series came about when the church received a new piano. The concerts now feature the piano in some form.

Also on the March 9 program: Haydn's "Trio in D, Hoboken XV: 16"; Averitt's "American Folk Song Suite"; Gaubert's "Three Watercolors," and Clementi's "Trio, Op.22, No. 1."

A meet-and-greet reception follows the concert.

In addition to his work at the Unitarian Universalist Church and Moravian College, Lipkis is a long-time member of the Baltimore Consort, an internationally- recognized early music ensemble.

His compositions have been performed by the Allentown Symphony Orchestra and The Bach Choir of Bethlehem.

Outside of the Lehigh Valley, his works has been performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Houston Symphony.