Mary Elizabeth Neal Performed March 30, 2008 - Craig Hultgren Combustion is the complex sequence of exothermic chemical reactions between a fuel and an oxidant, accompanied by the production of heat or both heat and light in the form of a glow or flames.

Combustion for solo cello is structured in five short movements, based on four types of combustion: 

• Incomplete, in which oxygen levels are not adequate enough for the fuel to react completely with the oxygen, producing numerous byproducts.  Incomplete combustion is the most commonly occurring form of combustion in nature.
• Slow, which occurs at low temperatures.  Respiration is a form of slow combustion.
• Rapid, in which large amounts of heat and light energy are released, often resulting in fire.  This the type of combustion used in internal combustion engines, and
• Turbulent, which consists of turbulent flows.  Turbulent combustion is used for industrial applications because the turbulence aids in mixing processes between the fuel and oxidizer. 

Each movement is inspired by the given type of combustion but is not intended to imitate that particular sound.  Combustion is the winner of the 2008 MTNA Composition Competition in the Young Artist Division.