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THE COLORADO COLLEGE MUSIC DEPARTMENT presents The Sphere Ensemble featuring Benjamin Cantú, guitar WORKS BY DUSAN BOGDANOVIC (b. 1955) Byzantine Theme and Variations (2002) I. Theme II. Variation 1 III. Variation 3 Marcin Arendt and Brett Omara, violins Dan Fellows, viola Marcelo Sanches, cello Benjamin Cantú, guitar Ricercar (2001) Marcin Arendt, violin Benjamin Cantú, guitar Rainforest Canticles I. Morning II. Forest Goblins II. Coquits IV. In the Fog V. Dance of the Forst VI. Moon over Ohias Marcelo Sanches, cello Benjamin Cantú, guitar Concerto for guitar and strings (1979) I. Adagio Espressivo II. Rubato-Largo Tranquillo III. Allegro Molto Benjamin Cantú, guitar Please turn off all electronic devices during the concert PROGRAM NOTES Byzantine Theme and Variations Originally written and performed by Bogdanovic, Tadic and Nauseef in 1992 in Tokyo, this piece lived through several incarnations comprising guitar duo and percussion, guitar and oud duo, as well as guitar with string quartet, recomposed in 2002. Byzantine Theme and Variations is conceived as an eclectic work that includes written-out improvisations, more typical for jazz and ethnic music than contemporary classical style. In the last version for guitar and string quartet, the odd-metric profile, melismatic lines in modal context and effects used in the instrumentation, such as Bartok pizzicato, static harmonics and fiddle-style double stops are all strongly influenced by folk idiom. Although primarily based on Balkan ethnic music, this piece is also much influenced by idioms from various Mediterranean regions including Near and Middle East. Ricercar The freedom of the ricercar, stemming from its improvisatory nature, and the constraint, stemming from motivic work, always seemed to me like an ideal combination of elements on which to build compositional forms. This particular ricercar is a short, orphan-like work written for clarinet (or violin) and guitar. Both instruments follow their respective developments independently in a pastoral setting, not unlike that of the Rumanian Doina. Rainforest Canticles Noho ana ke akuai i ka nahelehele (the gods dwell in the forests) is an expression of the indigenous population’s belief in the power and beauty of nature as experienced in the native rainforests of Hawaii. I have written Rainforest Canticles in 2007 inspired by the same milieu. While the movements Morning, Forest Goblins, and Dance of the Forest bring forth the general feeling of the nature, In the Fog conjures the mysterious atmosphere of the volcano goddess Pele, the sixth movement refers to a famous native tree called ohia, and the third onomatopoetically emulates chorusing of the small, but loud-voiced local frog called coquit. The form of the piece is quite improvisatory and relies on motivic transformation in the context of polyrhythms and (poly-) modal language. The piece was commissioned by Ignjatovic-Bugarski cello- guitar duo and published by Doberman Editions in Canada. Concerto for Guitar and Strings Written after Sonata no.1, Concerto for guitar and strings (1979) represents sort of a transplantation of the piece from solo instrument to the orchestral setting. Apart from Bartók’s influences, there is in this music some reverberation of the Second Viennese school (the opening theme, built on a 12-tone row, represents one the main building blocks of the entire piece). That said, the music is also strongly influenced by Balkan folk material, especially in the last movement. After the initial dramatic introduction, the piece settles into Sonata form with clearly outlined exposition, development and recapitulation sections. The first movement finale is brought back to the initial chord setting in the strings, which is also used as the harmonic underpinning for the second movement. Moody and expressionist in its style, the second movement is brought to its peak by the development of the guitar cadenza, which leads into a dramatic orchestral climax. The last movement combines materials from the previous two in a somewhat irregularly constructed Sonata form, which leads to the final dénouement in accelerating orchestral stretto. The Concerto was premiered by Maria Livia São Marcos in Grenoble in 1979, and subsequently recorded by Dimitri Illarionov in 2003 for the Editions Doberman, with Vladislav Bulakhov as the conductor. ABOUT THE COMPOSER Dusan Bogdanovic A richly gifted composer, improviser and guitarist, Dusan Bogdanovic has explored musical languages that are reflected in his style today- a unique synthesis of classical, jazz and ethnic music. As a soloist and in collaboration with other artists, Bogdanovic has toured extensively throughout Europe, Asia and the United States. His performing and recording activities include work with chamber groups of diverse stylistic orientations including The Falla Guitar Trio and jazz collaborations with James Newton, Milcho Leviev, Charlie Haden, Miroslav Tadic, Mark Nauseef, Anthony Cox and others. He has over fifty published compositions ranging from guitar and piano solo works to chamber and orchestral ensembles (Berben, GSP, Doberman-Yppan et al.), as well as close to twenty recordings ranging from Bach Trio Sonatas to contemporary works (Intuition, GSP, Doberman-Yppan, M.A. Recordings et al.) Bogdanovic was born in Yugoslavia in 1955. He completed his studies of composition and orchestration at the Geneva Conservatory with P. Wissmer and A. Ginastera and in guitar performance with M.L.São Marcos. Early in his career, he received the only First Prize at the Geneva Competition and gave a highly acclaimed debut recital in Carnegie Hall in 1977. After having taught at the Belgrade Academy and San Francisco Conservatory (1990-2007), he is presently engaged by the Geneva Conservatory. His theoretical work for guitar, at Berben Editions, includes Polyrhythmic and Polymetric Studies, as well as a bilingual publication covering three- voice counterpoint and improvisation in the Renaissance style. His latest book Ex Ovo, a collection of essays for composers and improvisers published by Doberman-Yppan, is soon to be followed by Harmony for Guitar, which is in preparation by the same publisher. ABOUT THE PERFORMERS Benjamin Cantú, guitar Ben Cantú received his Bachelor of Music degree from Oberlin Conservatory of Music and his Master of Music degree from the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music. Ben has worked with many ensembles including the Playground Ensemble, Ars Nova Singers, Pro Musica Colorado Chamber Orchestra and the Pueblo Symphony Orchestra. In 2004, Mr. Cantú had the honor of participating in a performance of George Crumb’s Night of the Four Moons at the Bowdoin International Music Festival. In regards to the performance, Mr. Crumb later stated: “I had the great good fortune to hear my Night of the Four Moons at the Bowdoin Summer Music Festival in Maine. It is rare that one’s music is prepared with such sensitivity and insight, combined with such superb technical skill.” Currently Ben is finishing a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder in Classical Guitar performance. Ben has served as an adjunct lecturer at Colorado State University in Pueblo from 2003-2009. His students have been accepted to the Juilliard School of Music, The Peabody Institute and the New England Conservatory; as well as receiving top prizes in several national and regional competitions including the First Prize in the Senior Guitar Division of the 2009 National ASTA Solo Competition. Brett Omara, violin Brett Omara has established herself as a violinist, loop music creator and educator well versed in many genres of music. A native of Santa Fe, NM, Brett rapidly made a name for herself in both the classical and pop music scenes playing at venues such as Carnegie Hall and Madison Square Garden. She was a violinist for rapper/producer Kanye West performing at Saturday Night Live, MTV, Madison Square Garden and the historic LIVE8. Currently living in Denver CO, Brett is Assistant Concertmaster of the Colorado Springs Philharmonic and performs regularly with the Boulder Philharmonic, Central City Opera, Opera Colorado, Greeley Phil, Cheyenne Symphony, Colorado Ballet and Sphere Ensemble. Marcin Arendt, violin Dr. Marcin Arendt is an active chamber musician, soloist, & teacher. Marcin is a member of IRIS Orchestra, TN, the Sphere Ensemble, CO, and is a featured violinist with Feast, CO as well as the Western Slopes Concert Series, CO. He teaches at the University of Colorado at Denver, CO, & is on the violin faculty at the Interlochen Arts Camp, MI. He is the Director of Music at Risen Savior Lutheran Church, CO, and Director of Live Music at DJMaestro, CO. Marcin has performed solo & chamber concerts throughout the US and internationally, and has won numerous awards for his performances. Dr. Arendt earned Bachelor’s degrees in both Philosophy and Music from Stetson University, FL, a Masters of Music at the University of Colorado at Boulder, CO, a Post-Graduate certificate from the Stanislaw Moniuszko Academy of Music in Gdansk, Poland, & a Doctorate of Musical Arts at the University of Colorado at Boulder, CO. Marcelo Sanches, cello Dr. Marcelo Sanches, cello – B.M., Oberlin Conservatory; M.M., D.M.A., University of Colorado at Boulder. Hailing from São Paulo, Brazil, Dr. Sanches is Principal cellist for the Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra, assistant principal for the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra, and an active chamber musician and teacher in Boulder, Colorado. Teachers include Peter Rejto, Judith Glyde and András Fejér. Also a composer and researcher, he has won the Fiske Award for his work on Ginastera and Palindromes, and Strings magazine published his article on how to compose cello études. Dan Fellows, viola Dan Fellows began his orchestral career at the age of 14 as a member of the Signature Symphony. Since then, he has served in the orchestras of Tulsa and Cheyenne, and served in title positions with the Bartlesville Symphony Orchestra, Arkansas, and Greeley Philharmonics. Dan is pursuing a Bachelor of Music at the University of Colorado at Boulder studying with Erika Eckert and Geraldine Walther.

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