▁composer ' s ▁brother , ▁who ▁suffered ▁from ▁a ▁deb il it ating ▁stroke ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁first ▁performed ▁in ▁Pitts burgh ▁on ▁May ▁ 1 3 , ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁by ▁the ▁Pitts burgh ▁Sym phony ▁Orchestra ▁under ▁the ▁conduct or ▁Man fred ▁H one ck . ▁ ▁Com position ▁St roke ▁has ▁a ▁duration ▁of ▁roughly ▁ 1 7 ▁minutes ▁and ▁is ▁composed ▁in ▁one ▁continuous ▁movement . ▁ ▁Tower ▁dedicated ▁the ▁piece ▁to ▁her ▁younger ▁brother ▁George , ▁who ▁suffered ▁from ▁a ▁stroke ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 6 0 ▁that ▁left ▁his ▁body ▁par al yz ed ▁on ▁his ▁entire ▁left ▁side . ▁ ▁She ▁wrote ▁in ▁the ▁score ▁program ▁notes : ▁Tower ▁concluded , ▁" St roke ▁is ▁a ▁piece ▁concerned ▁with ▁many ▁emot ions , ▁one ▁that ▁hopefully ▁offers ▁a ▁quiet ▁" ho pe " ▁at ▁the ▁end . ▁With ▁a ▁stroke , ▁it ▁is ▁hard ▁to ▁tell ▁which ▁way ▁it ▁will ▁go ." ▁ ▁Inst rument ation ▁The ▁work ▁is ▁scored ▁for ▁an ▁or chestra ▁compr ising ▁three fl utes ▁( d ou bling ▁pic colo ), ▁two ▁ob o es , ▁three ▁clar in ets , ▁two ▁b asso ons , ▁four ▁horn s , ▁three ▁tr ump ets , ▁three ▁trom b ones ▁( d ou bling ▁bass ▁trom bone ), ▁t uba , ▁timp ani , ▁three ▁per cussion ists , ▁piano , ▁and ▁strings . ▁