DEPARTMENTOF MUSIC

VCU Symphonic Wind Ensemble conducted by Terry Austin

Brass of the Potomac conducted by Stephen Bulla

Mid-Atlantic Wind Symphony conducted by Aaron Noe

with featured soloists

Joseph Alessi, trombone Rex Richardson, trumpet

Tuesday, November 29, 2016 | 7:30 p.m. Sonia Vlahcevic Concert Hall Virginia Commonwealth University W.E. Singleton Center for the Performing Arts 922 Park Avenue I Richmond, VA

arts.vcu.edu/music

vcu Ivcuarts Program Upcoming VCU Music Events

Concerto N°. 3 for Trumpet & Brass Band. .Anthony Plog VCU GUITAR ENSEMBLE Sunday, Dec. 4, 2016, 3 p.m. 1. Rowing Recital Hall, James W. Black Music Center 2. Dreamy Free admission 3. Deluge 4. Gravestones CHORAL ARTS SOCIETY & THE WOMEN'S CHOIR Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016, 7:30 p.m. 5. Rider Sonia Vlahcevic Concert Hall, W.E. Singleton Center for the Performing Arts Tickets: $10 general admission, free for VCU students with ID Brass of the Potomac with Rex Richardson, trumpet VCU SYMPHONY & THE COMMONWEALTH SINGERS Thursday, Dec. 8, 2016, 8 p.m. River Quest Stephen Bulla SoniaVlahcevic Concert Hall, W.E. Singleton Center for the Performing Arts Tickets: $10 general admission, free for VCU students with ID

Brass of the Potomac with Joseph Alessi, trombone ANNUAL HOLIDAY GALA Friday, Dec. 9,2016, 7 p.m. Sonia Vlahcevic Concert Hall, W.E. Singleton Center for the Performing Arts Three World Winds Allen Vizzutti Tickets: $10 (All proceeds benefit The Doorways)

1. Scirocco: 'A blistering wind from the Sahara Desert' 2. Chinook: 'A moist, warm wind from the Pacific Ocean' For tickets and information, visit 3. Cyclone! The Coiled Snake! ARTS.VCU.EDU/MUSIC/EVENTS

Mid-Atlantic Wind Symphony with Rex Richardson

Double Back David Sampson 1. J = 56 2. J = 66 3. J = 90

WORLD PREMIERE

VCU Symphonic Wind Ensemble with Rex Richardson and Joseph Alessi Department of Music | School of the Arts| Virginia Commonwealth University 922 ParkAvenue, Room 132| P.O. Box 842004 | Richmond, VA 23284-2004 (804) 828-1166 | [email protected] | arts.vcu.edu/music DAVID SAMPSON, compn^r David Sampson (b. 1951, Charlottesville, Va.) has emerged as one of the truly unique Brass of the Potomac voices of his generation. He was Composer-in-Residence with the Colonial Symphony Stephen Bulla, conductor Orchestra from 1998 through 2007. He is a recipient a 2014 New Jersey State Council on the Arts Individual Artist Fellowship. Euphonium His major works include "The War Prayer" for soloists, chorus and orchestra commissioned S_o_p_rajio_Cornet Flugelhorn bythe National Endowment fortheArts andpremiered by Princeton Pro Musica; "Hommage Michael Delaune John Powlison Christopher Buckley JFK" commissioned by the National Symphony Orchestra; "Monument" commissioned Brandon Jones by the Barlow Foundation for the Akron and Memphis Symphony Orchestras; "Turns" for Tenor Horn cello and orchestra commissioned by the Bergen Foundation and cellist Paul Tobias and S_oJ£_£P-rn£i premiered with the NewJersey SymphonyOrchestra; "Triptych" for trumpet and orchestra Kevin Maloney Randi Bulla Eb Bass commissioned by the International Trumpet Guild and premiered by Raymond Mase at Dave Haglund Jeb Hague Willie Clark the Aspen Music Festival and with the American Composers Orchestra at Carnegie Hall; Joe Connors David Workman Kate Wohlman "Dectet" commissioned by the Chicago Chamber Musicians; "Elements" commissioned by the Elements Quartet; "Strata" commissioned by the NEA and the American Brass Jacob Dalager Quintet; "Jersey Rain" commissioned by the NEA and the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation Baritone Bb Bass and premiered by Harmonium and Masterworks Choruses and the Colonial Symphony. Repiano Cornet Dan Geldert Jess Lightner Other works include "Breathing Lessons" for saxophone quartet commissioned by Beth Ford Barry Bocaner Tom Holtz Chamber Music America for the Amherst Saxophone Quartet, "Three Portraits" for tuba and orchestra commissioned by Scott Mendoker; "Short Stories" commissioned Second Cornet Trombone Percussion by Chamber Music America and the Pew Charitable Trusts; "Four Winds" commissioned Glenn Sewell by the Chelsea Chamber Ensemble; "Moving Parts" written for the Randolph Wind Nick Nichols Christine Purdue Ensemble, David Aulenbach, conductor; and "Simple Lives" commissioned by the Charlotte Olson Katie Thigpen Steve Skripnik Colonial Symphony. Zenas Kim-Banther John Rugolo Recordings include "Monument," "Triptych," "Hommage JFK," "Three Portraits," Third Cornet "Simple Lives" (Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra; Alan Baiter, conductor; Christopher Dennard Bass Trombone Raymond Mase, trumpet; Scott Mendoker, tuba; (Summit Records DCD237); "Short Paul Klontz Daniel Pendley Stories" (Dorian Wind Quintet, Summit Records); "Morning Music" and "Distant Voices" (American Brass Quintet, Summit Records); "Reflections on a Dance" (Summit Brass, Summit Records); "The Mysteries Remain" and "Solo" (Raymond Mase, Summit Records); and "Chants and Flourishes" (American Brass Quintet). "Moving Parts" for wind ensemble was recorded by both the North Texas Wind Ensemble, Eugene Corporan, Mid-Atlantic Wind Symphony conductor and the Rutgers Wind Ensemble, William Berz, conductor. His "Serenade" Aaron Noe, conductor for flugelhorn and string orchestra was recorded by the Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra with Raymond Mase as soloist and Paul Polivnickconducting; and his "Dectet" was recorded by the Wihan Quartet, Afflatus Wind Quintet and pianist Richard Ormrod with Paul Polivnick conducting. The album "Dectet" (Troy 780) was released on Albany Flute Bass Clarinet Trombone Records. "Chesapeake" (DCD 639), released on Summit Records in September 2014 Sue Muchler Diana Campbell Brian Jacobs includes works written for the American Brass Quintet as a group and as members of Abby Weyant Jon Fitzmaurice various chamber ensembles. The most recent release on Summit Records is "Notes From Faraway Places" (DCD 681), a collection of works written between 1980 and 2015. Surima Duckworth Saxophones Earl Sam John Barker DavidSampson has received major grants from the NEA, American Academy of Arts and 0_b_cie John Huggins Euphonium Letters, Barlow Endowment, New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Jerome Foundation, Nathan Gredler Cary Trust, and the Dodge Foundation, among others. He holds degrees from the Michael Morley Brach Cobb Curtis Institute of Music, Hunter College, Manhattan School of Music, and the Ecoles Christa Noe Brian Donnelly d'Art Americaines, where his teachers included Karel Husa, Henri Dutilleux and John Tuba Corigliano in composition; and Gerard Schwarz, Gilbert Johnson, Robert Nagel, and Trumpet Gary Carper Raymond Mase in trumpet. His music is published by Editions BIM, Cantate Press and Bassoon Redrunner Music. He has served on the Board of the Composers Guild of New Jersey Jarrett Rodriguez David Mersiovsky and the Advisory Board of the Bergen Foundation. Currently he is a member of the music Karen O'Donoghue Michael Huffman Percussion department at Randolph Middle and High Schools in Randolph, N.J. Michael Berkeley Jim Steime Clarinet Gilson Fearnow Teresa Cerritelli Horn in F Andrew Diehr Breanna Gromicko Ryan Scott Nick Bullard Alicia Prevost Katie Settle Rachel Sargeant Travis Erickson combo featuring straight ahead jazz standards as well as orginals; and his latest project: Aaron Noe & the Big Funky Band, a 12-piece funk/fusion group featuring modern and Symphonic Wind Ensemble classic funk, R&B and modern music. He has also performed as a solo artist and has performed with such artists and groups as James Moody, Eric Marienthal, The Jimmy Dr. Terry Austin, conductor Dorsey Orchestra, and The Okayssions. In addition to performing, Aaron Noe has served as an educator for over 18years. His Flute Horn service to the education field included teaching high school band, music theory, jazz Anamarie Diaz Noah Fotis performance & improvisation as well as teaching trumpet and brass pedagogy at the Kelly Sickal, piccolo Alexandra Mattson University of Mary Washington. He continues to serve the education community through clinics, guest appearances, and educational lecture performances. Noe holds a B.S. in Kiera Croswell Jasmine Corcelius Music Education from Greensboro College and an M.M. from Virginia Commonwealth Iman Williams Thomas Ossi University. Cassandra Cardarelli Oboe Kayla Modlin REX RICHARDSON, trumpet Amanda Hanlon Sam Roche Trombone Hailed in classical circlesas "among the very best trumpet soloists in the world today," Jason Garland (International Trumpet Guild) and in jazz as "a standout soloist with the power, range and flexibility to rival Freddie Hubbard and Woody Shaw," (DownBeat Magazine) Yamaha Bassoon Ben Culver Performing Artist Rex Richardson was named the 2008 Brass Herald Personality of the Anthony Cavanaugh Byron Maldonado Year. Isaac Bowser, contrabassoon Michael Dickinson, bass A veteran of the acclaimed chamber ensemble Rhythm & Brass, jazz legend Joe Olivia Taylor Henderson's Quintet and Sextet, William Russo's Chicago Jazz Ensemble, and the Brass Euphonium Band of Battle Creek, known as the world's "Rolls Royce of Brass Bands" (Brass Band Clarinet Brian Harold World), he stays busy as a headline artist at international brass and jazz festivals and Kevin Breiner as a soloist with orchestras, concert bands, brass bands and jazz ensembles on five Aaron McNair continents. These ensembles have ranged from the Phoenix Symphony to the U.S. Army Emory Freeman Field Band, and from England'sFodens BrassBandto the U.S. AirForce'sAirmen of Note Jeromy Myers Tuba Jazz Ensemble. Jason Kincy Ian Jeffrey Born in the Napa Valley area and adopted into a military family, Richardson spent a Lewis Vaden Jami Hagood musical childhood in various far-flung areas of the U.S., including Hawaii,Alaska, New York Simone Monroe Theodore Learnard City, and Boston before settling outside Washington, D.C. It was here that he plunged Aleeyah Frye headlong into the trumpet world, studying with Dennis Edelbrock and Chris Gekker. While still a teenager, he was regularly engaged forsome ofthe most challengingworksin Aaron Halloway String Bass the repertoire, including Bach's Cantatas and the 2nd Brandenburg Concerto. After high Jacob Sanford Kyffin Salter school he continued his studies in Chicago with VincentCichowicz, becoming a fixture on the music scene through performances with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and virtually Bass Clarinet Percussion all ofthe city'stop jazzmusicians. Having joined Rhythm &Brass and signed with Yamaha in 1995, Richardson moved to New YorkCity in 1997,where he immediately began touring Christopher Myers Dr. Justin Alexander withJoe Henderson and began pursuit of his classical solo career inearnest. Andrew Diehr Saxophone Nick Bullard Richardson has collaborated with countless legendary artists and ensembles, including Brian Blade, Benny Carter, Boston Brass, Ray Charles, Mike Clarke, Dave Douglas, Kurt Thomas Stogoski, alto Justin Willbanks Elling, Carl Fontana, Aretha Franklin, Wycliffe Gordon, Stefon Harris, Conrad Herwig, Jacob Bennett, alto Dylan Stone Dave Holland, Dave Liebman, Keith Lockhart, James Morrison, Jimmy Owens, Jim Pugh, Matthew Glasgow, tenor Jaleel Jackson Chris Potter, KurtRosenwinkel, Arturo Sandoval, Bobby Shew,AllenVizzutti, Bill Watrous, Daniel Adams, baritone James Adams and SteveWilson. Jazz trumpet star Dave Douglas has called Rex "A national treasure." (Style Weekly magazine) Trumpet Richardson has taught at Virginia Commonwealth University since 2002. He served as Yamaha Artist-in-Residence for the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, Jonathan Forbes England for spring of 2012 and thereafter served the RNCM as International Tutor in Scot Mitchell Trumpet until 2015. Zack Forbes Mason Klein In 2009 he was presented with the VCU School of the Arts highest honor, the Award of Excellence, and he has been awarded the 2011 Theresa Pollack Prize for Excellence Robert Williamson in the Arts. The Pollack Prize selectors wrote: "Richardson stands at the vanguard of Eric Liverman jazz, classical and contemporary American music. As his star has risen internationally, he's maintained a clear commitment to education through his position at VCU. He is an extraordinary musician." University Schoolof the Arts DistinguishedAchievementAwardof Excellence. Austin sfounded and conducts the Greater Richmond Youth Wind Ensemble, an ensemble of the finest high school musicians in the Richmond metropolitan area, and Rex Rirfrardson commissions A new concerti through VCU research grant the Commonwealth Winds, an ensemble comprised of Richmond area teachers and from International Trumpet Guild with attribution to professional performers. Tay|0r Barnett, jazz improvisation &musicianship studies instructor, VCU

Austin earned a Bachelor of Music Education from Indiana University, a Master of Arts International soloist, Yamaha Performing Artist, and Virginia Commonwealth University in Music Education from the University of Hawaii, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Music professor Rex Richardson has made a significant contribution to the solo trumpet Education from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He livesin Richmond with his wife, repertoire by commissioning four new trumpet concertos by acclaimed composers Tracia and twin sons Joshua and Seth. Anthony Plog. David Sampson, Andy Scott, andAllen Vizzutti.

STEPHEN BULLA, conductor. Brass of the Potomac These commissions were made possible by a $50,000 grant from the Virginia Commonwealth University Presidential Research Quest Fund. While this represents the Stephen Bulla began his musical instruction at age six, growing up in a musical household first time in VCU historythat this grant has been awarded to a purelyartistic endeavor, where his father played tuba and his mother played piano. He eventually graduated Richardson's proposal was a natural extension of Quest for Distinction, the strategic Magna Cum Laude from Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he studied trombone mission of the university, which outlines VCU's commitment to "research that expands with Phil Wilson and Composition/Arranging with Herb Pomeroy. the boundaries of newknowledgeand creativeexpression." University PresidentMichael Rao's explains his enthusiastic support ofthis project, writing: "I've had the pleasure of In 1980 he won an audition for the position of Staff Arranger to "The President's Own" listening to Rex's performances and amso happy that he'sa member ofthe VCU family. UnitedStates MarineBand and Chamber Orchestra inWashington DC.Forthe next thirty Hisclassicaltraining combined with flawless jazz improvisation is what makes hima true years he would provide musical scores for myriad White House events, beginning with the 21st-century artist." Reagan era until 2010. "This grant from VCU has provided the global trumpet community with an amazing Working alongside film score legend John Williams, he has transcribed music from opportunity," said Richardson. "I am so thankful that the committee viewed this project "Star Wars," "Catch Me If You Can" and "Close Encounters" for performances by the as worthwhile." He explains his choice of collaborators by stating: "These composers Marine Band with the composer conducting. He has also scored music for the Discovery could not be more different in terms of their writing style and backgrounds, but they're Channel ("Wings of the Luftwaffe" and "Century of Flight") and PBStelevision series "In all tremendous artists that I consider good friends. I am elated and honored to be the Performance At The White House." Here artists including Sarah Vaughan, The Manhattan 'liaison' between them and the trumpet world." Transfer, Mel Torme, Doc Severinsen, Nell Carter, Shirley Jones, LarryGatlin and Jordan Sparks performed his arrangements. Thefirstofthese piecesto premiere wasAnthony Plog's ConcertoNo. 3 forTrumpet and Brass Band, which is scored for C or B-flat trumpet and flugelhorn. Plog said his artistic His commissioned concert works are performed and recorded internationally. The goalforthe piecewas"to write a work that would showcase the talentsof Rex Richardson Dutch, British, Swissand Brass Band Championship organizations have all when combined with brass band, towrite apiece that would bedifferent from my first and commissioned test pieces from his pen. According to a recent ASCAP survey his music second concerti, and to strivefor a piece tnat was substantial rather than just a virtuoso has been used on the following television programs: CSI Miami, Cold Case, Jag, Joan showcase." Each of the concerto's five movements—"Rowing," "Dreamy," "Deluge," of Arcadia, Without A Trace, Guiding Light, Ren and Stimpy, 48 Hours, 60 Minutes and "Gravestones," and "Rider"—draw their title from paintingsby Wassily Kandinsky from Survivor. hisset of Improvisation paintings, which also provided the inspiration forthe form and content of the work.Thispiece was commissioned by a 23-member consortium. One of many career highlights to date was a commission from the Library of Congress to complete and orchestrate the last known manuscript march of John PhilipSousa. That Richardson premiered the Plog Concerto at the 2016 National Trumpet Competition in music with a recording is available free from the Library's web site. Columbus, Ga., with the Brass Band of Central Florida, conducted by Chad Snoopman. Additional performances tookplacenearWashington, D.C. with the Brass ofthe Potomac, For fifteen years he conducted the National Capital Band (Washington DC), producing conducted bySteve Bulla, andwith the Lexington Brass Band, underthe batonofVincent several CDs and touring , New Zealand, Russia, and Scandinavia while directing DiMartino. this ensemble. He presently serves as artistic director and principal conductor for New England Brass Band and Brass Of The Potomac. Both of these ensembles are non-profit David Sampson's Double Back for Solo Trumpet and Trombone with Wind Ensemble, organizations providing music for community events, arts programs and educational scored forCorB-flat trumpet, was composed forRex Richardson andJoe Alessi, principal outreach in local public schools. trombone of the NewYork Philharmonic, and was commissioned as part of a consortium. Sampson and Alessi have been colleagues andfriends since theirdaysas students at the Stephen Bulla is a member of ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors, and CurtisInstituteof Music, while the composer's relationship withRichardson ismore recent. Publishers) and has received that organization's Performance Award annually since 1984. Sampson remembers hismeeting with Richardson as an auspicious occasion: "I met with He travels often as a guest conductor for All-State band events around the country. Rex over coffee and some great food. We exchanged CDs, shared some stories, and expressed a desireto work together some day. The recordings that Rex shared with me included a mixture ofcontemporary works alongwith an amazing arrayofjazz selections. AARON NOE. conductor. Mid-Atlantic Wind Symphony Itwasthen that Ihopedforan opportunity to be ableto write for Rex." Aaron Noe is the Conductor &Artist Directorof the Mid-Atlantic Wind Symphony. The The third movement of the resulting double concertowas first performed at the 2015 Mid-Atlantic Wind Symphony (MAWS) is an invitational wind orchestra comprised of Midwest Clinic with Jim Pugh as the trombone soloist and the U.S. Army Field Band, professional musiciansfrom the mid-atlantic region volunteering their time to promote Terry Austin conducting. Asecond performance ofthe third movement was given at the wind band literature. MAWS is dedicated to the promotion of the finest classical band 2016 American Bandmasters Association convention by Austin and the Field Band, this musicthrough the performance of compositions by modern composers whilerespecting time featuring Alessi and Chris Martin, newly appointed principal trumpet ofthe New the rich heritageofthe American Wind Ensemble as established byJohn Philip Sousaand York Philharmonic. Aworld premiere ofthefull, 25-minute long concerto isscheduled for his contemporaries. November29at VCU withRichardson and Alessi and the VCU Symphonic Wind Ensemble, again directed by Terry Austin. Another performance isalready in the works forSpring Asa trumpet player, Noehasperformed throughout the Mid-Atlantic Region insomeof 2017 withthe Ridgewood Concert Band in NewJersey, Chris Wilhjelm conducting, with the top venues and festvals. He has appeared leading his own groups The Aaron Noe Martin and Alessi as soloists. Jazz Orchestra, a classic Big Band playing swing and jazz; The Aaron Noe Jazz 4, a jazz BIOGRAPHIES JOSEPH ALESSI. trombone

World-renowned trumpeter and composer AllenVizzuttiwrote Three World Winds for Joseph Alessi was appointed Principal Trombone of the New YorkPhilharmonic in the Trumpet and Wind Ensemble, scoredfor B-flattrumpet,flugelhorn, and piccolo trumpet. springof 1985.Hebegan musicalstudiesinhisnativeCaliforniawithhisfather,Joseph Vizzutti utilized the traditional concerto format—three movements in fast, slow, fast Alessi, Sr. As a high school student in San Rafael, California, and was a soloist with the arrangement—and inhiswordshe "endeavored to create substantial musical content for San Francisco Symphony before continuing his musical training at Philadelphia's Curtis the accompaniment while avoiding unnecessary technical difficulty. This compositional Institute of Music. Prior to joining the Philharmonic, Mr. Alessi was second trombone technique enhances the programmingpossibilitieswithmyriadensembles, fromschools of The Philadelphia Orchestra for four seasons, and principal trombone of L'Orchestre to professionals." symphoniquede Montreal forone season. Inaddition,he has performed as guest principal trombonist with the London Symphony Orchestra in Carnegie Hall led by Pierre Boulez. Vizzutti further writes that, "in the first movement, Scirocco: 'A blistering wind from the Sahara Desert', the music builds gradually from quiet stirrings to larger gusts of musical Mr. Alessi is an active soloist, recitalist, and chamber music performer. In April 1990 he motifs. Much of the melodic and harmonic content in the first movement is derived made his solo debut with the New York Philharmonic, performing Cresto's Fantasy for from the finger patterns possible on the 4-valve piccolo trumpet rather than traditional Trombone,and in 1992premiered Christopher Rouse's PulitzerPrize-winningTrombone chords and scales. It's fun to play the resulting sheets of sound! The second movement, Concerto with the Philharmonic, which commissioned the work for its 150th anniversary Chinook: 'A moist, warm wind from the Pacific Ocean', presents a setting in which the celebration. His most recent appearance with the Philharmonic as soloist was in world soloist carefully caresses melodic phrases on flugelhorn as well as soars mightily over the premiere performances of Melinda Wagner's Trombone Concerto in Februaryof 2007. ensemble playing trumpet. Movement three is titled Cyclone! The Coiled Snake! Swirling, spinning trumpet lines put the trumpet soloist to the test. Extreme chromaticism, Alessi has been a guest soloist with the LincolnSymphony, National Repertory Orchestra, technical prowess, sailing high phrases and a tornado-like cadenza characterize the final Colorado SymphonyOrchestra, Syracuse SymphonyOrchestra, VirginiaSymphony, movement." Alabama Symphony Orchestra, Santa Barbara Symphony, South Dakota Symphony, New Philharmonic, Seoul Philharmonic, Orchestra of Teatro Massimo Bellini in Catania, The world premiere of Vizzutti's work took place on September 17, 2016 with Tokyo ,Mannheim National Theater Orchestra, National Symphony of Taiwan, Puerto Rico Symphonic Winds at the National Olympics Memorial Youth Center in Tokyo, Japan. Symphony, Hague Philharmonic, Helsinki Philharmonic, and the Hartford Symphony. Subsequent performances included the U.S. premiere with the Mid-Atlantic Wind Mr.Alessi hasalso participated in numerous festivals, includingthe Festivale Musicadi Symphony, conducted by Aaron Noe on September 25 in Fredericksburg, Va., and the Camera in Protogruaro, Italy; Cabrillo Music Festival; Swiss Brass Week; and Lieksa Brass European premiere with Unio Musical de Catarroja in Spain on October 23, conducted Week in Finland. by Miguel Navarro. An orchestration of this piece for trumpet and brass band premiered on November 13 with Salt River Brass Band in Mesa, Ariz. The brass band version will be Alessi is currently on the faculty of The Juilliard School; his students now occupy posts adapted and conducted by tuba virtuoso Patrick Sheridan. withmanymajorsymphonyorchestras inthe U.S.and internationally. Asa clinician forthe Edwards Instrument Co., he has also given master classes throughout the world and has The final work is Concerto for Trumpet and Wind Ensemble or Brass Band by English toured Europeextensively as a master teacher and recitalist. He has performed as soloist composer Andy Scott, scored for B-flat trumpet. Scott plans to compose his concerto with several leading concert bands, including the U.S. Military Academy Band at West as one continuous movement in contrasting sections, and described his concept for the Point, U.S.ArmyBand (Pershing's Own),and the U.S. Marine Band (President's Own). piece: "The phrase '21st-century Musician' keeps coming in to my head. This theme has two particular implications: the fact that Rex is extremely versatile musically, as a classically-trained jazz improviserwho understand grooves and vernacular styles; and also TERRY AUSTIN, conductor. VCU Symphonic Wind Ensemble the fact that he travels the world working and meeting new people, something that has only become practical fairly recently. It reminds me of Duke Ellington's Suite, Terry Austin is Director of Bands and Professor of Music at Virginia Commonwealth a reflective of American musicians touring in particular countries, or David Fanshawe's University where he oversees all aspects of the band program and teaches courses in African Sanctus, which was quite exploratory at the time." conducting, and music education. Under his leadership, the Virginia Commonwealth UniversitySymphonicWind Ensemble has earned a reputation formusicalexcellence and Scott's Concerto for Trumpet and Wind Ensemble or Brass Band will be recorded in has been invited to perform at many professional conferences including the American October of this year by Richardsonwith the Maidstone Wind Symphony in Kent, England, Bandmasters Association, MENC, the College Band Directors National Association, and with Jonathan Crowhurst conducting. The world premiere performance is scheduled for the Virginia Music Educators Association. January 28, 2017 at the Royal Northern College of Music Brass Fest, with Fodens Brass Band. A subsequent performance will occur on February 25, 2017 with the Maidstone He is an active guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator and is published in numerous Wind Symphony. journals and is the general editor of The Journal of Band Research, A Repertoire Anthology (1964-1989)published by GIA. He is one of the regular guest conductors of Rex Richardson has already contributed to the solo trumpet repertoire with his original the Musashino Academia Musicae Wind Ensemble in Tokyo. In 2016 he was appointed compositions, as well as commissioned works by Peter Meechan, Doug Richards, James as Guest Professor of the Center of General Education of Guangdong University of Stephenson, Dana Wilson, and others. These four new concertos, all commissioned and Technology in Guangzhou, China. performed within a year or so, represent a visionary effort by Richardsonto facilitate and promote new vehicles of expression forthe trumpet as a solo instrument. Austin was the 78th President of the American Bandmasters Associationand is the current Chairman of the Board of Directors. He is the chairman of the National Band Association/ The use ofwindensemble or brass band accompaniment—orboth, as inthe caseofthe WilliamD. RevelliMemorial BandComposition Contest, chairmanof the Bandworld/John Vizzuttiand Scottworks—andthe relative playabilityof the soloparts (relative,that isto PhilipSousaFoundationLegionofHonor,a memberofthe BoardofDirectorsoftheJohn the extreme virtuosity that is reauired for some of the other concertos that Richardson PhilipSousaFoundation,anda past boardmemberoftheNationalBandAssociation,and has commissioned), make these tour new compositions excellent options for ensembles the Southern Division of MENC: The National Association for Music Education. He is a and trumpeters who are lookingfor new solo repertoire. Richardson hopes that as a result member of the College Band Directors National Association, PiKappa Lambda, Phi Beta of this collaborative effort "all four of these works willeventually become part of our Mu, and an honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi. He is a past-president of the Virginia standard repertoire, thereby shaping what is possible for—and perhaps expected of Music Educators Association. the 21st-century trumpeter." Dr. Austin is included in Who's Who InAmerica, Who's Who in Fine Arts Higher Education, and Who'sWhoAmongAmerica'sTeachers.Heisa multiplerecipientofthe National Band Association's Citation of Excellence and in 2005 he received the Virginia Commonwealth