Of his Chimera Waltzes (2016), John David Earnest writes, "My goal was to link together ideas from completely different sources, in the same way that the chimera of ancient mythology were hybrid creatures
Written in 1983 for Marilyn Mead, who won the International Artist's Competition in New York that year. She was granted a full recital in Carnegie Hall (Stern Auditorium) where it premiered to fine reviews.