Region VI Conference
Henderson State University
Department of Music
March 6-8, 2015 Society of Composers, Inc., Region VI Conference Henderson State University Department of Music March 6, 7 & 8, 2015
Dr. Glendell Jones, President Dr. Steve Adkison, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. John Hardee, Dean, Ellis College of Arts and Science
Henderson State University, Department of Music Ms. Jennifer Amox: Flute, Music Theory Dr. Richard Bailey: Trumpet Dr. Steven Becraft: Woodwind Chamber Ensembles, Clarinet, Saxophone Dr. James Buckner: Department Chair, Trumpet Dr. Shannon Clardy: Oboe Mr. Todd Cranson: Low Brass, Brass Choir Dr. Sarah Stankiewicz Dailey: Soprano Dr. Rick Dimond: Percussion, Jazz Ensemble, String Ensemble Dr. David Evans: Music History, Music Education Dr. Ryan Fox: Director of Choral Activities, Music Education Dr. Bill Higgins: Opera Workshop, Baritone Dr. Hee-Kyung Juhn: Director of Keyboard Studies Ms. Amy Laursen: Horn, Music Theory, Music Education Dr. Jamie Lipton: Low Brass, Brass Chamber Ensembles Dr. Kay McAfee: Organ Ms. Kyounghwa Molinari: Staff Accompanist Dr. Carrie Pawelski: Director of Bands Dr. Shaun Popp: Assistant Director of Bands, Coordinator of Music Education Dr. Phillip Schroeder: Coordinator of Music Theory, Composition Dr. Maralyn Sommer: Bassoon Mr. Algimantas Staskevicius: Violin, Viola Dr. Laura Storm: Soprano Dr. May Tsao-Lim: Piano Pedagogy, Class Piano
Society of Composers, Inc.
James Paul Sain, President Mike McFerron, Chairman Eric Honour, Region VI Co-Chair Craig Weston, Region VI Co-Chair Jamie Leigh Sampson, Marketing Coordinator David Drexler, Webmaster Gerald Warfield, General Manager Society of Composers, Inc. Region VI Conference
Friday, March 6
8:00 - Registration, RFA Lobby Registration and Refreshments available throughout the conference
9:00 - Presentation 1, Room 134: Ian Guthrie, Why Music Business Matters
10:00 - CONCERT 1, Harwood Recital Hall
11:00 - Panel Discussion: Composing and Performing Band and Vocal Literature for K-12 and College-Level Ensembles
12:00 - 2:00 - Break and Open Rehearsals
2:00 - CONCERT 2, Harwood Recital Hall
3:00 - Break and Open Rehearsals
4:00 - CONCERT 3, Harwood Recital Hall
5:00 - 7:00 - Break and Open Rehearsals
7:00 - Presentation 2, Room 134: Kirk O'Riordan, The Preludes Project
8:00 - CONCERT 4, Harwood Recital Hall
Saturday, March 7
8:00 - Composer and Student Meet-and-Greet Sponsored by Sigma Alpha Iota, RFA Lobby; Open Rehearsals
9:00 - Presentation 3, Room 134: Bryce Craig, The Uses and Effectiveness of Color in Music Notation
10:00 - CONCERT 5, Harwood Recital Hall
11:00- Presentation 4, Room 134: Frank Nawrot, The Necessary Skills for Undergraduate Composition Students
12:00 - 1:00 - Break and Open Rehearsals
2:00 - CONCERT 6, Harwood Recital Hall
3:00 - Break and Open Rehearsals
4:00 - CONCERT 7, Harwood Recital Hall
5:00 - 8:00 - Break and Open Rehearsals
8:00 - CONCERT 8, Harwood Recital Hall
Sunday, March 8
8:00 - 11:00: Open
11:00 - Presentation 5, Room 134: Gilad Cohen, The Shadow of Yesterday's Triumph: "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" and the Stage Theory of Grief
12:00-0pen
1:00 - CONCERT 9, Harwood Recital Hall
2:00 - 3:00: Open
3:00 - CONCERT 10, Arkansas Hall FRIDAY, MARCH 6
8:00 - Registration
Lobby of the Russell Fine Arts Building
Registration will be available through Sunday afternoon.
Refreshments and light foods will be available throughout the conference.
9:00- Presentation 1, Room 134
Ian Guthrie
Why Music Business Matters
This lecture addresses the integral role of music business in the careers of all music majors. Why do so many musicians have trouble finding work today? Why do so many graduates-even those from elite institutions like Juilliard and Curtis-eventually leave their musical careers? The harsh reality is that there are way too many excellent musicians who are unemployed or employed in a field other than music. With the United States as one of the world leaders in collegiate music education, what do these alumni lack? Many graduates leave top institutions without any exposure to the business side of music. Many of the most well-known composers did not attend prestige institutions or study under the most respected composers of their day. While no two great composers followed the same path, they all proactively promoted their music using whatever means they had available at the time. This lecture presents useful means to promote one's compositions, with proof from articles written by business counseling organizations and quotes from both past and present composers. 10:00 - CONCERT 1, Harwood Recital Hall
5:1 (2014) Joseph Bohigian For Five Players on One Marimba Andrew Steck, Bobby Humphries, Joshua Hill, Kristen McClure and Derick Lyle, marimba
A Dream Within a Dream (2014) Ian Guthrie Poems by Edgar Allan Poe Sarah Stankiewicz Dailey, mezzo-soprano May Tsao-Lim, piano
Dakota Summer (2014) Jonathan Strommen Campbell 1. Summer Sky 2. Fields 3. Country Church 4. Dakota Dance 5. Cemetery & Sky KeKe Collier, piccolo and Cflute; Claire Howard, Cflute Rafael Powell, alto flute; Adam Lewis, bass flute
Three Pieces for Flute Choir (2014) George Chave I. Hornpipe II. Carousel Ill. Fughetta
HSU FLUTE CHOIR KeKe Collier, piccolo Skye Austin, Rose Blakeney, Katy Clark, Cydney Cheatham, Claire Howard, Ashley Massey, and Matthew Womble, Cflute Dawn Coffman and Rafael Powell, alto flute Adam Lewis and Tyler Mayberry, bass flute Jennifer Amax, conductor
The Swing Garden Project (2012) Michael Pounds Fixed Audio
Quartetto (2014) *Premiere * Scott Brickman I. Prelude II. Variations Ill. Danzon IV. Finale Joshua Hill, Trey Porchay, Andrew Steck and Brian Fowler, percussion
Prestamente! (2013)- 7:00 Allen Molineux Bobby Humphries, John Buckner and Drew Parnell, percussion 11:00 - Panel Discussion, Harwood Recital Hall
Composing and Performing Band and Vocal Literature for K-12 and College-Level Ensembles
Carrie Pawelski, moderator, Henderson State University Derek Jenkins, University of Missouri-Kansas City Paul Dickinson, University of Central Arkansas Scott Brickman, University of Maine at Fort Kent George Chave, University of Texas, Arlington
12:00- 2:00- Open
2:00 - CONCERT 2, Harwood Recital Hall
Shimmering Sounds for 2 Pianos (2014) Jonathan Carmichael Orlando Riveros, piano 1 Hunter Mabry, piano 2
Inhibited Impetus (2009) Marshall Jones Jennifer Amox,flute
Sonata for Trombone and Piano (2013) *Premiere * Kenneth R. Benoit I. Allegretto II. Andante cantabile 111. Allegretto Tyler Kelly, trombone Kwounghwa Molinari, piano
From Trio for violin, clarinet and piano (2013) John McGinn II. Flowing Margaret Jones, violin David Evans, clarinet May Tsao-Lim, piano
Sleuthhound (2011) Benjamin Williams I. Moderato II. Leggiero e dolce Ill. Allegro animato May Tsao-Lim, piano 1 Hee-Kyung Juhn, piano 2
A Dance Not to Be Danced To (2012) Frank Nawrot 1. Allegrissimo 2. Pavane 3. Finale Rafael Powell, soprano saxophone Darius Griffith, alto saxophone Freshawn Womack, tenor saxophone Zac Walthall, baritone saxophone 3:00-0pen
4:00 - CONCERT 3, Harwood Recital Hall
Prelude and Fugue for Three Euphoniums (2007) John Akins
Jamie Lipton, Tim Avery, and Elizabeth Tapley, euphonium
while the weary blues echoed through (2013) *Premiere * Allen Molineux
Fourtizma Quartet Alan Burns, Ambiance Martinez, Elijah Sullivan, trombones Joseph Rapien, bass trombone
Le Nez de I' Esprit (2013) George Chave
Fourtizma Quartet Alan Burns, Ambiance Martinez, Elijah Sullivan, trombones Joseph Rapien, bass trombone
Poseidon (2008) Benjamin Williams I. Rumblings of the Deep
Jamie Lipton, euphonium Orlando Riveros, piano
Ovation for Brass (2014) *Premiere * Adam O'Dell
Lucas Sapaugh, trumpet 1 Meghan Morphis, trumpet 2 Jacob Dowdy, horn Tim Avery, euphonium Kenneth Harris, tuba
- Pause for Stage Change - Flash : A Fa nfa re for Brass and Pe rcussion (2003) Elaine M . Ross
Grand Imperial Promenade & Whimsy (2014) Greg Ba rtholomew
Concertino (2014) * Premiere * Scott Brickma n
Mercury Fanfare (2013) Bryce Craig Brass Choir and Percussion
- Pause for Stage Change -
From the Depths (2011) *Premiere * Richard Bailey Brass Band
Brass Choir Horn Euphonium Todd Cranson, conductor Amy Laursen Jamie Lipton Sarah Sapaugh David Goodwin Trumpet Alexandria Thomas Jim Buckner Jacob Dowdy Tuba Rafael Quiroz Aaron Schaefer Lucas Sapaugh Trombone Kenneth Harris M eghan Morphis Alan Burns Jacob Caballero Joseph Rapien Percussion Jake Henry TBA
*****
Brass Band Flugelhorn 2nd Trombone Jamie Lipton, conductor Meghan Morphis Ambiance Martinez Jake Henry Eb Cornet Solo Horn Brad Yount Sarah Sapaugh Bass Trombone Jacob Dowdy Alan Burns Solo Cornet Lucas Sapaugh 1st Horn Euphonium Jacob Caballero Chase Sanders Elizabeth Tapley Kaleigh Martin Tim Avery Mitchell Wright 2nd Horn Alonso Corral Eb Bass Larkin Bennett Repiano Cornet Kenneth Harris Josh James Stephen Alvarado 1st Baritone David Goodwin 2nd Cornet Bb Bass Micah Tidwell Aaron Schaefer 2nd Baritone Olivia Cathey Sam James Tyler Ba rnes Dorian Hawthorne Eric Richa rdson 3rd Cornet Percussion TBA Jonathan Rodriguez 1st Trombone Zack Duncan* Joseph Rapien Britney Hastings* Jessica Nunez 5:00-6:00 - Open
7:00 - Presentation 2, Room 134
Kirk O'Riordan, composer
Holly Roadfeldt, pianist
The Preludes Project
During the 2014-2015 season, pianist Holly Roadfeldt has embarked on a project in which she hopes to develop the repertoire of the "Prelude" genre. The well-known preludes of Bach, Chopin, Debussy, Rachmaninoff and others have for many years been a staple of the serious pianist's repertoire. These works have taught pianists expressive and technical lessons while at the same time providing listeners with some of the most enjoyed music in the piano's repertoire.
For composers, the Prelude genre provides similar rewards and challenges. On the one hand, individual preludes are small pieces--ships in bottles. But collectively, they ask the composer to think about issues of large-scale organization, cyclical motivic content, and the balance between unity and contrast over what amounts to a symphonic time period.
Pianist Holly Roadfeldt has begun the process of commissioning several emerging composers to create a new repertoire of preludes for solo piano. The first set of these, Kirk O'Riordan's Twenty Six Preludes for Solo Piano, was premiered in its entirety in November 2014 and subsequently recorded (paired with Chopin's 24 Preludes) for release by Parma Recordings in 2015. In this presentation, Roadfeldt will discuss the project and perform preludes from several of the composers with whom she has already collaborated. Composer Kirk O'Riordan will discuss his Twenty-Six Preludes, and the presentation will conclude with a performance of a collection of these works. 8:00 - CONCERT 4, Harwood Recital Hall
Avian Fields {2014) *Premiere * Phillip Schroeder Margaret Jones, violin
Small Suite for Piano (1990) William Toutant 1. Prelude 2. Intermezzo 3. Romance 4. Rondo Hee-Kyung Juhn, piano
Ausgang (2014) Stephen Hennessey Stephen Hennessey, guitar and stereo electronics
At Milsons Point (2012) Patrick Houlihan 1. Soliloquy 2. Panorama Justin lsenhopur, trombone Adam Hass, piano
Twenty-Six Preludes for Piano {2014) Kirk O'Riordan XIII. presto feroce, with intensity IV. molto legatissimo; brooding XXll. with longing XXlll. molto rubato; fluid expressive XVII. hypnotic, distant XXV. frenetic, with energy XXVI. gently, with sadness Holly Roadfeldt, piano
Quintet for Winds No. 1 {2012) Matthew Briggs I. Allegro II. Moderato Ill. Finale, Allegro
Jennifer Amax, flute Shannon Clardy, oboe Steve Becraft, clarinet Amy Laursen, horn Maralyn Sommer, bassoon SATURDAY, MARCH 7
8:00 - Composer, Performer, and Student Meet and Greet
Lobby of the Russell Fine Arts Building
Sponsored by Sigma Alpha Iota
9:00 - Presentation 3, Room 134
Bryce Craig
The Uses and Effectiveness of Color in Music Notation
The purpose of this presentation is to sort out compositional, performance, and educational uses of color as a music notation device and evaluate its effectiveness. In spite of a long and varied use of color in music, modern notation guidebooks overlook it as an option. Color was used in the early development of music notation as but one tool to symbolize musical sound on paper, declined in use after 1600 with developments and costs of music printing, and reemerged and expanded in the early twentieth century to include uses for educational, performance, as well as compositional purposes. Color has been used both to enhance standard notation and replace it in newly invented non-standard notation systems. In evaluating its use as a notational device, hierarchical rankings of color are found to be more objective and clear in indicating a composer's intentions. Purposes for color in standard notation exposed in the literature are to highlight, sort, and learn musical details for conducting, music reading, music theory, and instrumental techniques. Color usage in non-standard notation systems varies and includes attempts to notate emotion and visually display musical motion to an audience in a music performance. This presentation points out that color could potentially help solve shortcomings of standard notation, that more research is needed on colored notation in general, and that color can play a role in future music notation developments as it did in early music notation developments, if used in a consistent, clear, and standardized fashion. 10:00 - CONCERT 5, Harwood Recital Hall
Leisure (2012) Aaron Kline Text by William Henry Davies Tanner Oglesby, baritone
The Last Trumpet (2014) *Premiere * Sean R. Garde Amy Dunker, trumpet
Short Pieces for Piano (2013-14) Joseph Bohigian I. Drops II. Point IV. Ranch V. Smack Orlando Riveros, piano
Breathing 2 (2014) Michael Pounds Fixed Audio
Endurance (2014) *Premiere * Tim Gelhaus
Amy Dunker, C trumpet Sharon Jensen, piano
Preludes, Book I (2014) *Premiere of Preludes IV, V, and VI* Anthony Donofrio IV (Intermezzo) V (Fantasy) VI (Etude) II (Canon I) Holly Roadfeldt, piano
Leisure (2012) Aaron Kline Text by William Henry Davies Tanner Oglesby, baritone 11:00- Presentation 4, Room 134
Frank Nawrot
The Necessary Skills for Undergraduate Composition Students
This research is based on a review of literature concerning what composers of music need to know and be able to do in order to be successful in their field. Composition pedagogy is a relatively undisciplined facet of music education, especially at the college and university level. For composers, having a unique voice is generally regarded as the most important trait. Although the majority of contemporary composition pedagogues will not explicitly admit to a need for thorough development of compositional techniques, e.g. counterpoint and form, the evidence suggests that a composer with well-rounded technique will have a better chance of success than his or her peers who lack technical skill.
Included within this review is an overview of the technical skills that emerged most frequently or were argued for most convincingly within the literature. The aim of this review is to offer researchers and educators theories to test in order to further develop and refine music composition curricula at the college and university level.
12:00- Society of Composers, Inc. Business Meeting, Room 134
Members are encouraged to attend!
1:00-0pen 2:00 - CONCERT 6, Harwood Recital Hall
A Simple Prelude (2013-14) Martin Blessinger For Clarinet Quartet Hailey Jones, clarinet; John Platt, clarinet Hannah Breeden, clarinet; Desmond Edwards, bass clarinet
Surfaces {2013-14) George Chave Joseph Rapien, bass trombone
Short Subject (2004) David Vayo Jamie Lipton and Elizabeth Tapley, euphonium Todd Cranson and Aaron Schafer, tuba
T. Rex (1996) Mark Phillips For trombone and fixed media Eli Sullivan, trombone
- Pause for Stage Change -
Pulse (2008) Daniel M. Cavanagh
One Day (2008) Haley Woodrow
Jazz Ensemble Rick Dimond, conductor
Saxes Trombones Dustin Lagaly Eli Sullivan Hailey Jones Ambiance Martinez Darius Griffith Alan Burns Fre'Shawn Womack Joseph Rapien Rafael Powell Rhythm Trumpets Trey Porchay, drums Rafael Quiroz Jacob Dowdy, bass Mitchell Wright Drew Parnell, guitar Lucas Sapaugh Devin Anderson, piano Josh James Andrew Steck, percussion Tim Brashears, vibraphone 3:00-0pen
4:00 - CONCERT 7, Harwood Recital Hall
Clare Songs (2014} Jeremy Cuebas Text by John Clare 1. IAm 2. An Invite to Eternity 3. It is the Evening Hour 4. Say, Maiden 5. I Only Know I Am Jared Swope, baritone Shawn Vomund, clarinet Caleb Haymes, violin Jessica Hunt, cello
Pieces of August (2012} Trent Hanna Happiness Because Superstition Mountains Cloaked Finale Trent Hanna, piano
Shape Study: Music for Metamorphoses (2010} Mike McFerron Fixed Media
10/F-2 Music in 5 Groups, Solo Cello Realization (2014} *Premiere * Mark Prince Lee Paul Christopher, cello
Songs of Supplication (2012, 2014} David Davies Words by Ambrose of Milan (340-397} Translated by Louis F. Benson, 1910 I. 0 Splendor of God's Glory Bright II. Be Thou My Vision Catherine Klassen, soprano Joshua Miller, piano
Bombinate (2011} Jeffrey Loeffert For 3 Soprano Saxophones and Singing Bowl
Entropy (2014} *Premiere * For 2 Like Saxophones
Damian Cheek, Jeffrey Loeffert and Jonathan Nichol, saxophones 5:00-8:00 - Open
8:00 - CONCERT 8, Harwood Recital Hall
Compare and Contrast (2014) Ken Davies Jamie Lipton, euphonium Todd Cranston, tuba
Of Youth and Old Age (2012) *Premiere * Amy Dunker Text by William Butler Yeats I. Brown Penny II. 0 doo not Love Too Long Ill. When You are Old IV. The Old Men admiring Themselves in the Water Tim Gelhaus, baritone Adam O'Dell, piano
In Memoriam KGS (2014) Paul Dickinson Hunter Mabry, piano
2002: at summer's end (2002) Mark Phillips For Brass Quintet HSU Faculty Brass Quintet James Buckner, trumpet 1; Richard Bailey, trumpet 2; Amy Laursen, horn; Jamie Lipton, trombone; Todd Cranston, tuba
Five Blake Songs (2001) Michael Murray Texts by William Blake I. The Smile II. I heard an Angel singing Ill. The Fly IV. Holy Thursday V. The Little Vagabond Laura Storm, soprano Steven Becraft, clarinet
Parsley's Hammer (2014) *Premiere * Gilad Cohen Margaret Jones, violin Hee-Kyung Juhn, piano
Commissioned by the Society of Composers, Inc. and the American Society of Composers, Authors and publishers. SUNDAY, MARCH 8
8:00 - 10:00 - Open
11:00- Presentation 5, Room 134
Gilad Cohen
The Shadow of Yesterday's Triumph: "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" and the Stage Theory of Grief
1970s progressive rock is a genre known to stretch the durational limits of the typical rock song, resulting in diverse approaches for creating large-scale structure. The 1975 Pink Floyd song "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" was written in part as a requiem for the band's former leader Syd Barrett, who suffered a mental breakdown and lost his hold on reality. While the song is based on a small amount of cohesive thematic material appropriate to a standard-length song, this work is expanded to an unusual scope of 26 minutes. I argue that "Shine On" maintains interest and vitality over its duration through a musical structure that corresponds to five psychological stages of grief: numbness, yearning, anger, mourning, and acceptance. Portraying the bereavement process of a band that had admittedly never recovered from the traumatic loss in relation to Barrett, this emotional arc imbues the piece with a powerful, genuine framework. A short "yearning motif' acts as a catalyst throughout to trigger more substantial musical changes. Repeated material is altered during each appearance based on its position in this grief sequence. Multiple guitar solos lead the song into its emotional climax using a careful architectural design. The combination of original structure, rigorous motivic development, and inventive arrangement makes "Shine On" an exceptional composition within the genre of large-scale rock songs in particular and rock literature in general.
12:00-0pen 1:00 - CONCERT 9, Harwood Recital Hall
0 Filii et Filiae (2009) Paul Dickinson 1, 2, 3, 7 & 8
I Seek Rest for My Lonely Heart (2011) Mark Dal Porto
Ave Maria (2014) Luke Flynn
HSU Chamber Chorale Ryan Fox, conductor
Soprano Alto Tenor Bass Kendall Gibson Whitney Almond Michael Gehrke Josiah Burns Taylor Hampton Hope Cater Josh McCall David DeRueda Kristin Harmon Tiarra Danner Makenzie Lee Tanner Oglesby Kaitlyn Mahaffey Kathryn Hemund Jordan Murdock CamRyn Stillman Haley Patillo Lena Lazenby Kenny Taggard Lisa Ridgeway Daizha Lee Casey Williams Freddy Whiting
Suite for Alto Saxophone (2009) Neil Flory I. Modal Variations II. Hook and Groove Ill. Idle Time IV. Divided Focus V. Chromatic Variations Andy Wen, alto saxophone
Dickinson Songs (1993) Traci Mendel I. A Train Went Through a Burial Gate II. At least to pray is left Ill. Presentiment IV. Me! Come! My Dazzled Face Laura Storm, soprano Steven Becraft, clarinet
Six Preludes for Piano (2014) Daniel Perttu 1. Allegro giocoso 2. Con moto 3. Maestoso 4. Allegretto giocoso 5. Lento lugubre 6. Animato Holly Roadfeldt, piano 2:00- Open
3:00 - CONCERT 10, Arkansas Hall
Crossroads Fanfare (2014) Ted King-Smith
Wildfire for Symphonic Winds (2007) Elaine M. Ross
Redemptione Aeterna (2014) *Premiere * Stephen Lounsbrough
We Seven (2014) Derek M. Jenkins
Flight of the Monarchs (2014) Tyler Durham
First Suite in Eb Gustav Holst I - Chaconne II - Intermezzo Ill - March
HSU Wind Ensemble Carrie Pawelski, conductor
Flute Saxophone Claire Howard Dustin Lagaly Euphonium Rose Lambert - piccolo Harrison Moore Lizzie Tapley Keiundra Collier Darius Griffith David Goodwin Ashley Dowdle Freshawn Womack Tuba Oboe Trumpet Kenneth Harris Adam Lewis Rafael Quiroz Aaron Schaefer Shannon Clardy* Lucas Sapaugh Meghan Morphis String Bass Bassoon Jacob Caballero Paul Koehler Christian Davis Kaleigh Martin Tyler Mayberry Mitchell Wright Piano Micah Tidwell Hunter Mayberry Clarinet Olivia Cathey Orlando Riveros Darla Humes Hailey Jones Horn Percussion John Platt Sarah Sapaugh Bobby Humphries Hannah Breeden Alexandria Thomas Andrew Steck Rafael Powell Jacob Dowdy Joshua Hill Anthony Clark Chase Sanders Brian Fowler Emily Strand Marcus Trickey Kristen McClure Drew Parnell Bass Clarinet Trombone Kenneth Thompson Desmond Edwards Alan Burns Derick Lyle Elijah Sullivan Joseph Rapien Composer Biographies and Program Notes
John R. Akins (b. 1939), has a OMA in composition from the University of Texas, Austin, with BM and MM in theory/composition from Southern Methodist University. He has taught at Texas Lutheran College, at the University of Maine at Machias, and from 1977-2010 at Evangel University, Springfield, MO. He has received commissions from the Missouri Music Teachers Association, the Machias Bay (Maine) Community Concerts Association, the Springfield (MO) Symphony Orchestra, and tenor Ron Brendel. He is a member of SCI, SEAMUS, and CFAMC and has had numerous performances at their regional and national conferences.
Prelude and Fugue for Three Euphoniums was written for the senior euphonium recital of a student at Evangel University in 2007, who premiered it with two of her fellow students. It is the third in a projected series of short preludes and fugues for homogenous trios of various instruments (the first two being for trombones and trumpets). This marks the second performance of this work. ******** Richard Bailey is an Associate Professor of Music at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff where he serves as director of the University's degree program in Sound Recording Technology. An active trumpeter, he performs regularly with the Natural State Brass Band, the Pine Bluff Symphony Orchestra, the Capitol Brass Quintet, and most recently, the Henderson State University Faculty Quintet. Richard received his Ph.D. in Music Composition from the University at Buffalo where his principal studies were with David Felder and Charles Wuorinen. His compositions include concert pieces for large and small ensembles, electro-acoustic installations and interactive works, works for jazz combos, and commercial electronic music across a broad range of styles.
From the Depths is scored for a traditional British-style brass band. The intention at its inception was to write a piece that would be the first of a suite of works, while still functioning as a singular composition. The title, quite simply, reflects the fact that the generative ideas and much of the propulsion of the piece begins in the basses and lower instruments of the ensemble. ******** The music of award-winning American composer Greg Bartholomew is frequently performed throughout North America, Europe and Australia. Born in 1957 in St Paul, Minnesota, Bartholomew was awarded of the Cheryl A. Spector Prize twice (in 2012 for the First Suite from Razumov and in 2013 for Summer Suite), the Silver Platter Repertoire Award (for The Tree), and First Place in the 2006 Orpheus Music Composition Competition (for Beneath the Apple Tree). A two-time Finalist for the American Prize in Choral Composition, he was the 2012/2013 Composer in Residence for the Cascadian Chorale. For more information visit www.gregbartholomew.com.
Composed in 2014 for the Purchase Brass Ensemble, Grand Imperial Promenade & Whimsy evokes a stately procession interspersed with distractions and leading to a short, flashy burst of fireworks. ********
Kenneth R. Benoit holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Composition from Louisiana State University. His works have been performed in 22 states and in Austria, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Puerto Rico, Spain, and Switzerland. He has completed commissions from the Louisiana Sinfonietta, LSU New Music Ensemble, and Miami Beach Community Symphony Orchestra. He is an At-Large member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Composers, USA (NACUSA) . He is also a member of ASCAP, the College Music Society, and the Society of Composers, Inc.
The Sonata for Trombone and Piano is a work in three movements. The first movement is in sonata form. The opening theme is dominated by a dotted-eighth and sixteenth note rhythm accompanied by repeated chords. This is followed by the more lyrical second theme. The development uses the first theme in a contrapuntal manner. The re-capitulation and a codetta end this movement. The second movement is in ABA form which moves from major to minor and back to major. The third movement is an ABACA rondo. ******** Martin Blessinger is an Associate Professor of Music Theory and Composition at Texas Christian University. He holds a DM in music composition from Florida State University and undergraduate and master's degrees from SUNY Stony Brook. Prior to arriving at TCU, he worked as a Lecturer in Music Theory at the Ithaca College School of Music. His works have been performed around the country and abroad by distinguished soloists, collegiate ensembles, professional groups, and community organizations, as well as on conferences at the national and international level. His music is published by Reed Music and C. Alan Publications.
A Simple Prelude is a short work written for the wedding ceremony of my friends Darrin and Julie May Hicks. Originally scored for marimba quartet, this piece is presented here in an arrangement composed for the Fort Worth clarinet quartet. ******** Joseph Bohigian is a composer and performer living in Fresno, California. His works have been performed in Europe, Brazil, Armenia, and across the US, including performances at the Composer's Voice Concert Series in New York City, the Festival Internacional de Musica Contemporanea in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the University of Bremen in Bremen, Germany, and the Aram Khachaturian Museum Hall in Yerevan, Armenia. Bohigian is currently an honors student attending California State University Fresno, where he studies with Kenneth Froelich and Benjamin Boone. In addition to composing, Bohigian is an active percussionist and pianist, having performed in New York City, Yerevan, and across California.
The form of 5:1 was constructed using the golden ratio. The parts of the five players are often interlocking and interact with each other. As the piece reaches its climax, the players break through their register constraints and overlap the others' playing areas. Finally, the piece disintegrates until the underlying rhythmic motive expands and disappears.
Short Pieces for Piano is a set of piano solos, each centered around a single idea. ******** Scott Brickman (b. 1963, Oak Park, Illinois) holds music degrees from the University of Wisconsin and Brandeis University. Since 1997 he has taught at the University of Maine at Fort Kent, where he is currently Professor of Music and Education and Chair of the Arts and Sciences Division. His CDs Winter and Construction and Dear Darwin are available on the Ravello label. 96 Strings and Two Whistles, for flute/alto flute, viola, 'cello and piano will be premiered by Eight Strings and a Whistle and pianist Beth Levin at Spectrum in NYC on May 24, 2014.
Quartetto - Sometimes teachers are right. In the fall of 1994 I had the good fortune to be in residence at the Atlantic Center for the Arts, where I worked for a two-week period with Mario Davidovsky. He suggested I challenge myself by writing a piece for non-pitched percussion. Over the past twenty years, there were many unsuccessful attempts to realize this suggestion. "If at first you don't succeed, try doing what your teacher told you to do the first time". Sometimes teachers (!re right, and sometimes students listen. Happy 801h birthday Professor Davidovsky.
Concertina is a SY, min. piece in Sonata form. It focuses on highlighting the timbres of the instrumental groups (trumpets, horns, trombones, low brass, and percussion). The pitch material is derived from a 12-tone set whose first six pitches are a subset of the octatonic scale and alternates between disjunct (chordal) and conjunct (scalar) ideas. This piece began without and ensemble in mind, but as it progressed it seemed to "scream", "I want to be played by brass instruments". Luckily, the incarnation of this row starts with flats. ******** Matthew Briggs is a current graduate student at Texas Christian University pursuing a Masters in Music Composition; he received his Bachelor of Music Theory and Composition from the same institution. He will continue his studies at the doctoral level next Fall. Matthew has enjoyed performances of his works around the TCU campus and the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. His compositional style is constantly evolving as he matures and learns, although Medieval and Renaissance influences can be heard throughout much of his music. A native of Fort Worth, Texas, Matthew enjoys fishing and collecting old books in his spare time.
Quintet for Winds, No. 1: The first movement has three easily distinguishable sections. The first section, fairly light-hearted, opens with a sprightly theme that will later return. The second takes the form of a somber, reflective passacaglia, but the third is resurrected from the second with energy and life. The second movement consists of two sections, each beginning with a fog of imitation. In the first, the imitation gives way to nostalgic melodies; in the second, chaos. In contrast to the pronounced linear motion in the previous two, harmony and homophony dominate the third movement. A bed of sifting chromatic texture typically accompanies solo lines. ******** In 2007, Jon Strommen Campbell published his first composition with Augsburg Fortress, and has continued to publish with Concordia Publishing House, G.l.A., and Morningstar Music. In 2012 he won first prize in the Morningside College Composition contest and in 2013 he was awarded a Faith Partner's residency through the American Composer's Forum. In 2012, Jon began studying for a D.M.A. in choral conducting with Dr. Jo Ann Miller at North Dakota State University. Dakota Summer is his first composition for flute quartet and was commissioned by the Silver Winds of Moorhead, MN.
Dakota Summer is a program work organized into one continuous movement. The five sections paint impressions of scenery and mood across a Dakota landscape on a hot summer day. I imagined a camera first lost in the beauty of tall clouds, darting birds, and swirling insects. The attention then shifts to waving fields of corn and the busy combine harvesters. Next we visit a small country church where a Scandanavian hymn is being sung. The service segues to a rollicking barn dance. We then find ourselves in the silent church cemetery that lies beneath the same peaceful summer sky. ******** Jonathan Carmichael is currently a junior seeking to pursue a B.A. degree in Musical Composition at Texas Christian University and to further his skills and knowledge of music theory. He has studied with Mr. Trey Gunter, Dr. Martin Blessinger, and Dr. Till Meyn. Other than composing, he plays multiple instruments including piano, clarinet (including bass and contrabass), alto clarinet, singing (tenor), violin, viola and guitar. Carmichael began composing music when he was ten years old yet it was not until college that he decided to pursue music composition as one of life's goals.
Shimmering Sounds: Sound is produced in waves, and those waves are forever changing depending on a variety of different sonorities. Similarly, our planet's oceans have their very own set of waves that also consistently vary in size. One image that repeatedly pops into my head when listening to my work is the ocean's surface. I see the many ripples, light cascading of off them as they shimmer. I hear the slight distortion (but still soothing) sounds being generated from the pianos. ******** Dan Cavanagh is a composer and pianist who has garnered numerous awards in both areas. He is an honorary fellow of the National Academy of Music, and received a 2009 gold medal prize from that organization's International Music Prize for Excellence in Composition for his piece "From the Barrage Comes Clarity". He has received commissions from a wide range of jazz and classical groups across North America and Europe. He has released three critically acclaimed jazz CDs as a leader, including Pulse on OA2 Records. Cavanagh is an Associate Professor of Music at the University of Texas at Arlington. More at www.dancavanagh.com.
Pulse was commissioned by the Virginia Tech Jazz Studies Program under the direction of James Miley. It takes its name from the pulsing chords found at the beginning and end of the piece. The free melody in the introduction, scored in extreme ranges, sets up a slushy-rock feel. The melody, descending and snaky, threads its way through the soloist instrument, finally turning up in the saxophone section through a convoluted call and response section. The improvised solo section leads to a suspension of time reminiscent of the introduction, before a reprise of the head. The work ends where it started. ******** Awards for George Chave's compositions include first prize in the 1985 Oriana Trio International Composition Competition, grand prize in the 1993 Best Song in the Universe Contest, first prize in the 2011 International Longfellow Choral Composition Competition for solo song, first prize in the 2012 Vincent Silliman Choral Composition Competition for children's choir, and second place in the 2013 Texas Tech University Trombone Quartet Composition Competition. Chave's music has been performed throughout the United States and in Mexico, Canada, Europe, and Asia. Chave is an Associate Professor at UT Arlington where he has taught music theory and composition courses since 1992.
University of Texas at Arlington flute professor (Dr. Terri Sanchez) approached me last year to compose a work for flute choir. Three Pieces for Flute Ensemble is the result of that request. The first piece is, as the title suggests, inspired by a Sailor's Hornpipe. The second explores the idea of outdoor music, in this case a carousel. The canonic imitation among several of the flute lines is perhaps suggestive of music reflecting off distant surfaces. The final movement is a bit of a romp. It begins its life as a fugue, and takes a U-turn somewhere along the way. Thumbing through a book of quotes I stumbled upon Madame de Girardin. The quote, in its entirety, reads "L'instinct, c'est le nez de I' esprit" (Instinct is the nose of the mind). As one who relies rather heavily on the nose of the mind in creative endeavors I found this resonated well. Le Nez de L'esprit was the featured quartet on the 2014 Cortois Trombone Quartet Competition, and had the good fortune of being awarded second place in the 2013 Texas Tech University Trombone Ensemble Composition Contest. It has since received several performances in the United States and in Germany.
In November 2013 Texas Christian University trombone professor, David Begnoche emailed me with a request. He needed a new bass trombone piece to use on the 2014 Annual Trombone Summit in early April. With a few weeks between semesters approaching, this seemed quite doable. Surfaces contrasts rhythmic, angular lines with more lyric sections. The cognitive dissonance resulting from these different "surfaces" is worked out as the piece progresses.
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Gilad Cohen is an active composer, performer and theorist of concert music, rock and musical theatre. Gilad's music was performed at numerous venues in the US, Europe, Asia, and Israel and awarded him with prizes from competitions in China, Austria, Israel, Turkey, and the US. An Assistant Professor of Music at Ramapo College of New Jersey as well as a member of the Advanced Class of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop, Gilad will complete his Ph .D. in composition from Princeton University in the spring of 2015. He performs regularly around the US, playing piano, bass and guitar. www.giladcohen.com
Throughout "Parsley's Hammer," an assertive pulse keeps popping up: sometimes it suggests a bass of an electronic beat; sometimes it is a high, shrill sound that brings to mind sca ry shower scenes. My beloved puppy Pa rsley somehow managed to sleep through the majority of the composition process, although her bed was right under the pondering piano. In her dreams, she was probably carrying a giant hammer in her mouth, and, in a perfect groove, smashing my grand piano into small pieces of wood as payback. This piece is dedicated to her. ****** **
Bryce Craig earned a B.M. in Music Composition summa cum laude from Kansas State University an d is currently a Masters student in Music Composition and a Graduate Assistant at Central Michigan University. His current and former composition instructors include David Gillingham, Jay Batzner, and Craig Weston. He works as a free-lance composer, a private theory/composition instructor, and as the Staff Composer/Arranger for the non-profit Kansas City Youth Percussion Ensemble. His works have been performed nation-wide at events such as the National Conference on Percussion Pedagogy, The Michigan Intercollegiate Composition Concert, and the Society of Composers, Inc. Region IV conference.
Mercury Fanfare - Several years ago I was given a copy of Bullfinch's Mythology, a 19th century guide to ancient and medieval legends. The Greek and Roman myths particularly seized my imagination and I decided to base a piece on one of the ancient Roman gods. I settled on Mercury, also known as Hermes in Greek. He was the messenger of the gods and flew quickly from place to place with his winged sandals. Interestingly, his name is also the basis of the adjective mercurial, meaning one who is impatient, volatile, and unstable. ********
Jeremy Cuebas is a senior at Missouri State University studying Music Theory and Composition with an unofficial, but significant, conducting emphasis. He participated in the 2012 UMKC Composition Workshop, has enjoyed masterclasses on his Asylum Songs with both Hanna Kulenty and Michael Daugherty, and won second place in the 2014 Missouri State University 72-Hour Composition Challenge. Jeremy will present his senior composition recital in the fall of 2015.
In 1837 John Clare entered, of his own volition, into care at the High Beach Asylum. Already a prominent English poet, Clare continued writing and completed over two thousand poems before his death in the Northampton General Lunatic Asylum 26 years later. While committed, Clare's poems shifted in focus from nature to his own isolation, ultimately coming to the conclusion that all he knew for sure and all he could find consistent in life was the fact that he existed. The cycle begins and ends with this idea and explores Clare's relationships with his imagination in the three central movements.
******** Dr. Mark Dal Porto serves on the faculty at Eastern New Mexico University and can be seen as a frequent guest composer and conductor. A former student of Donald Grantham, Dal Porto received degrees from California State University, Sacramento (B.A. Piano Performance, M.A. Theory/Composition), and the University ofTexas at Austin (D.M.A. Composition). Dal Porte's most recent honor was being awarded first prize (from over 140 entries from around the world) in the CODA (College Orchestra Director's Association) 2013 International Composition Contest for his orchestral work Song of Eternity.
The text used for I Seek Rest for my Lonely Heart is from an anthology called The Chinese Flute - a collection of ancient Chinese poetry. The poem itself is a soliloquy describing one who seeks out the peace, beauty, and calm of nature to renew a distressed inner soul. The monophonic texture used at the beginning for male voices was intended to make it sound somewhat similar to a medieval chant melody. The texture then expands to two voices (for female voices) and then to four parts for all singers as it rises to an emotional climax at the end. ******** David Horace Davies is Assistant Professor of Music at Texas A&M University-Commerce. He holds degrees in composition and piano from the University of Miami and Houghton College. Davies' music has been performed in the U.S. and internationally in prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall and the Great Hall at Cooper Union in NYC, the Culture Jorge Borges in Buenos Aires, and the Conservatorio de Musica de Puerto Rico in San Juan. Davies works have received awards from the College Music Society and the International Arts Movement, and in 2014 he was a Semi-Finalist for the American Prize for Choral Composition.
This pair of short songs reflects my long-standing interest in the "recycling" of old hymn texts with newly composed music. The first is bright in tone and texture ... melodic cells and lydian pitch collections abound. "Be Thou My Vision" is somewhat darker and more contemplative in tone. The challenge with this text was the familiarity of its tune. Though I did my best to keep it from creeping in, I gave up in the final verse. Close listeners will note that harmonic and rhythmic characteristics of that stanza are built on the familiar tune, with a few melodic fragments included in the accompaniment. ******** Ken Davies (www.kendavies.net) holds an M.A. in trombone from Middle Tennessee State University at Murfreesboro and an M.M. in composition from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Since 2002, he has resided in south Mississippi where he teaches brass privately. His works include acoustic and electronic pieces that have been performed across America, in Canada and in UK. Honors include ASCAP awards, the Mississippi Performing Artist Fellowship in Composition for 2006-2007 and 2012-2013, commissioned composer (2013) for Mississippi Music Teachers' Association, and winner of the 2009 Eastern Trombone Workshop National Composition Competition.
The whimsical title - Compare and Contrast - refers to one of the education world's best known devices for test writing. However, this piece is not a test, but rather a tribute to professor and student. The piece was requested by my friend, colleague, composer and tubist Dr. Joe L. Alexander, professor at Louisiana Tech University. The work was first performed by Dr. Alexander his star euphonium student Cody Ford on April 13, 2014 at Louisiana Tech University at Ruston in a concert sponsored by the Mid-South Chapter of the National Association of Composers U.S.A (NASCUSA). ******** The music of Paul Dickinson is characterized by a dramatic contrast of musical ideas integrated into organic formal structures. Art, literature, and music of all eras influence his diverse musical output. Among his honors and awards are grants from the Fromm Music Foundation, the Arkansas Arts Council, the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service), a BMI Award, and numerous commissions. His music has been performed throughout North and South America, Asia and Europe and recorded on Capstone Records. Dickinson is an Associate Professor of Music Theory and Composition at the University of Central Arkansas.
In Memoriam KGS was written to honor a friend, Klaus-Gunter Sippel, who hosted me when I studied in Germany. Using a combination of German and American note names and solfege syllables I incorporated his name into the music. The Lutheran hymn "Mit Fried und Freud ich fa hr' dahin" is also quoted. It translates:
In Peace and Joy I Now Depart, At God's disposing. For full of comfort is my heart, Soft reposing. So the Lord hath promised me, And death is but a slumber.
In Memoriam KGS closes with the last lines of the requiem mass, "Requiescat in pace. Amen." 0 Fi/ii et Fi/iae is a grand motet based on the well-known Easter hymn by Jean Tisserand, O.F.M. (d. 1494). Including the opening and closing Alleluias, the key of each section is derived from the notes of the Alleluia itself. Each Alleluia verse response becomes more elaborate as the piece progresses. Although too long for most liturgical uses, all twelve verses are set in a modular way so that different verses may be sung on different feast days. ********
Anthony Donofrio completed his Ph.D. in Music Composition from the University of Iowa in 2011. From 2011-2014, he taught music theory, composition, and American music at Kent State University. He currently teaches composition, coordinates the music theory area, and directs the UNK New Music Series and Festival at the University of Nebraska Kearney. Preludes, Book I was commissioned by Holly Roadfeldt and completed in 2014.
Prelude IV (Intermezzo) was completed after moving to Nebraska and served as an escape from the stress of a major life change. Prelude V (Fantasy) grew out of an idea intended for solo vibraphone. The prelude consists of small compositions assembled together in a freehand style. Prelude VI (Etude) was a study to see what I could do with a small amount of time. Prelude II (Canon I) is the result of a long interest in contemporary approaches to canon, specifically the canons of Gyorgy Ligeti and Hans Abrahamsen. ********
Amy Dunker received her Bachelor's degree in music education from Morningside College, a Master's degree in trumpet performance from the University of South Dakota, a Master's degree in composition from Butler University and a Doctorate in composition from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music. Her works have been performed throughout the United States, Czech-Republic, Italy, the Ukraine, France, India, Colombia, China, Thailand, Japan, Mexico, Ireland, Germany, Great Britain, and Puerto Rico. Amy Studied composition with James Mobberley, Chen Yi, and Michael Schelle. Amy studied trumpet with Keith Benjamin, Marvin Perry Ill, David Greenhoe, Marshall Scott and Vincent DiMartino. Amy Dunker is a Professor of Music at Clarke University. ********
Tyler Durham is a Missouri State University senior pursuing degrees in music composition and audio recording. In 2013, he received Best Score at the Los Angeles Web Fest, a nomination for Best Original Music from the International Academy of Web Television, and a Bronze Telly Award for his work on Epilogue: The Series. Tyler also placed as a semi-finalist in the International CINE Film Scoring Competition in 2013. Tyler's symphony, The New Frontier, was a winner in the Young composer's Challenge, a national contest sponsored by the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, and was performed live by the orchestra in 2011.
Every August, millions of North American monarch butterflies embark on an extraordinary migration from Canada to Mexico. Starting as a tiny caterpillar and blossoming into a beautiful butterfly, these delicate creatures fly thousands of miles in a feat of endurance and navigation unlike anything else in nature. Although millions of individual fluttering butterflies can be distinguished, together these delicate creatures morph into a single, magnificent, flowing entity. Flight of the Monarchs takes the listener on the astonishing journey of the monarch butterflies from birth to flight, concluding with the species' spectacular southern sojourn. ********
Neil Flory's music has been performed across the United States as well as in Canada, Mexico, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Over the years he has composed a variety of works in both the acoustic and electro-acoustic mediums, and has fulfilled numerous commissions for various performers. His music appears on recordings from the Summit and Emeritus labels, and is currently published by Jomar Press and Cimarron Music Press. Flory is Music Coordinator at Jamestown Community College, in Jamestown, New York. Previously, he was a member of the music faculties of Central Washington University, Del Mar College, and Luther College.
The outer movements of the Suite for Alto Saxophone are both sets of variations, the former based on an 8-note scale, the latter freely chromatic. The second movement draws inspiration from popular styles; its opening four-note statement constitutes a "hook" which is developed throughout. The third movement's melody was discovered during an afternoon of relaxation and daydreaming, and reflects this quiet mood. The fourth movement is based on two contrasting ideas, both of which are developed in various ways. Suite for Alto Saxophone was commissioned by virtuoso saxophonist Andy Wen. ******** Luke Flynn (b. 1988) has had his composition performed throughout the world, including commissions and performances by professional symphony orchestras and ensembles in countries such as Japan, Ukraine, China, France, South Korea, and throughout the U.S. He's also won or has placed as a finalist in a multitude of national and international composition contests. Flynn currently is a graduate assistant at Butler University, where he studies with Michael Schelle, holds a bachelor's degree from Clarke University, where he studied with Amy Dunker, and was the first U.S. student to ever study at the University of Kagoshima, Japan, with Tadashi Kubo.
Written for my mother, I composed my Ave Maria as a way to recognize and honor motherhood. Various aspects of the composition, such as form and harmonic structure, allude to the relationship between a mother and child, while also personifying the inherent nature of motherhood. ********
Saxophonist, composer, and arranger Sean R. Garde began his study of saxophone at age 12. At age 16 he began the study of piano and composition, writing several virtuosic works for solo piano during the ensuing years. In 2010 he began his collegiate studies of saxophone at the University of Wisconsin- Platteville, with saxophonist Allen Cordingley. In 2013 Sean ·met and began working with composition professor Dr. Amy Dunker. As an advocate of new music, Sean has given the world ·premiere of pieces by composers including Zacharias Paul Buchner, Adam O'Dell, Tim Gelhaus, Chris Arroyo, and Amy Dunker in order to expand the classical saxophone repertoire.
The Last Trumpet is a musical representation of the last of the seven trumpets foretold in the book of Revelations. The use of sympathetic vibrations from the open piano create a sense of dissonance otherwise impossible by a solo trumpet. The echo has a further allusion to the echo through time that John's prophecy has had. ********
Tim Gelhaus (b. 1993) is an award-winning student composer at Clarke University in Dubuque, IA working towards a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music. Under the tutelage of Dr. Amy Dunker, his works have been performed across the United States, the U.K., and Japan. Among performances at various SCI conferences, Tim's pieces have been performed at high school honors workshops, international band conferences, and collegiate Christmas concerts. He has participated in collaborations with Arizona State University, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, the International University of Kagoshima, and the University of Central Lancashire.
Endurance is a trumpet fanfare that reflects on how people and things withstand the test of time. ********
Ian Guthrie (b. 1992) is quickly emerging as one of America's upcoming young composers. He began composing when he was nine and has received composition awards from the Washington State Music Teacher's Association (WSMTA), the Webster Young Composers Competition, and ASCAP. Many of his works have been performed publicly around the Pacific Northwest .fr.om groups such as fEARnoMUSIC, Portland's Metropolitan Youth Symphony, the Northwest Symphony Orchestra, the Moore Philharmonic Orchestra, March Music Moderne, and the 2014 Pierrot Lunaire Project. He is currently attending Texas Christian University for his master's with a teaching assistantship and studies composition under Dr. Martin Blessinger.
As in most of his poems and short stories, Edgar Allan Poe's A Dream Within a Dream evolves from a fantasy to a nightmare. The first verse depicts a melancholy parting of two companions, while the second depicts a figure (perhaps one of the companions years later) alone on the beach, observing grains of sand eek from her hands into the waves. She despairingly cries, "Is all that we see or seem but a dream within a dream?" The song, therefore, attempts to capture this emotional syntax, beginning light and calm before it grows into a grotesque, dissonant work. ********
Trent Hanna has been awarded for his achievements as a composer and performer. His original works have been commissioned and performed throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. He studied composition with Fisher Tull, Phillip Schroeder, Dan Welcher, and Pulitzer Prize winner Kevin Puts. He is currently the Coordinator of Theory and Composition at Snow College in Utah. His music can be heard on the CDs Sojournal, chroma:new music for piano and Christmas Like This. His newest CD, Facing the Sun, was just released this February 2015, and contains 26 tracks of original music written by Trent in August 2012. During the summer of 2012 I was feeling frustrated with the music composition I was not doing, and decided to compose a piece each day in the month of August. I dared myself publicly (on Facebook) and surprisingly succeeded. Happiness Be.cause (08/02/12) was composed on the second day, when I was still happy with the decision I had made. Superstition Mountains (08/28/12) is dedicated to my brother, and mom tells me is one of the first things he said as a baby. Cloaked (08/16/12) is dedicated to my wife and Finale (08/31/12) is shockingly the piece I wrote on the last day of August.
******** Stephen Hennessey earned his B.A. in Music from The University of Mary Washington in 2014. There, he established and led the UMW Composers' Ensemble during its inaugural year, studied classical guitar performance with Bruce Middle, earned the Patricia P. Norwood Scholarship for excellence in musicological research, and studied composition with Mark Snyder. He currently resides in Central Virginia, where he is working on a commission for the White Oak Ensemble, writes various other pieces of unusual instrumentation, and is doing preliminary songwriting for his post-black metal project.
Ausgang is a sentimental work structured around the development of a simple melody through episodic processing. Source material for the electronic component is generated entirely through the live performance, and is realized within Ableton Live, using both standard devices and some community produced Max4Live patches. ** ** **** Patrick Houlihan is a native of New Orleans and holds degrees from the University of Mississippi and Florida State University. He has taught music theory, composition, and electronic music at Mississippi Valley State University and Ouachita Baptist University, where he presently serves as chair of the Department of Music Theory/Composition.
Mi/sons Point is on Sydney Harbour, directly across from the Sydney Opera House. With its spectacular views of the Harbour Bridge, opera house, and CBD, it's a favorite location for photographers. It is also home to Luna Park, an amusement park cg.1ite unlike those that I'm accustomed to in the U.S. This piece draws upon my memories of the contrasting emotions from an evening at Milsons Point. The work is in two movements: a calm, mysterious opening and a fast second movement that gets rather frantic at times. It was premiered in 2012 by Justin Isenhour, trombone, and Eneida Larti, piano. ******** Derek Jenkins's music has been performed through the U.S, Europe, and Canada. In 2012, Jenkins was selected as a winner of the National Band Association's Young Composer Mentor Project. He has recently been commissioned by the Mid America Freedom Band and wind ensembles at the University of Tennessee at Martin, University of Missouri-Kansas City, and Bethel College. In his spare time, Jenkins is an amateur scuba diver and daydreams of becoming an astronaut. More information can be found at: www.derekmjenkins.com.
We Seven is the title of a book written by the first American astronauts where they chronicled the events from their selection into Project Mercury up through the first two orbital flights. The primary material for the work comes from two sources: the use of musical cryptograms to encode the astronauts' names into pitches and Puccini's opera, Madame Butterfly. John Glenn stated that he would listen to the opera to unwind from a long day of training. This work commemorates Project Mercury on the SOth anniversary of its conclusion and was commissioned by Joseph Parisi and the UMKC Wind Ensemble. ******** Marshall Jones earned his Bachelor of Music Education from the College of Wooster in 2000 and his Master of Music degree from the University of South Florida in 2010 and is currently pursuing a D.M. at Florida State University. Marshall has served churches in SC, NC, FL, and GA as an organist, pianist, choir, and handbell director. Marshall's works have been performed by members of the USF Percussion Ensemble, the Eppes Quartet and the Greater Cleveland Flute Society. His compositions have been featured at the Oregon Bach Festival Composers Symposium, Soundcrawl :Nashville, and as part of the New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival.
The title of Inhibited Impetus comes from the sense of two musical ideas at work: one that is full of energy and threatens to break free and other that curbs it, even distracts that idea for a moment until finally the first idea breaks free. ******** Igor Karaca is a Bosnian composer and pianist of classical and jazz music. Karaca studied music at Sarajevo University and the Sarajevo Academy of Music. Karaca studied composition at the Ohio State University where he received his OMA in 2005. Since coming to Ohio State University, he has been the recipient of the Ruth Friscoe award for composition and was the 2001 Composer-in Residence with the Ohio State University Symphony Orchestra. Igor Karaca is also the first recipient of the Marilyn and Donald Harris Scholarship in Music Composition. He currently teaches on the faculty at Oklahoma State University. ******** Ted King-Smith is a composer, educator, performer, and arranger currently based in Kansas City, Missouri. Described as "off beat, jazzy, and ... convincing," Ted strives to synthesize aural, visual, kinesthetic, and/or conceptual influences into engaging musical works that emphasize variety and virtuosity. Recent awards for his music include 3rd place in the 2014 American Prize and the 2012 Washington-Idaho Symphony Young Artist Award. He holds degrees from the Hartt School of Music, Washington State University, and currently attends the University of Missouri - Kansas City. To find out more about him, visit his website at www.tedkingsmith.com
Crossroads Fanfare is inspired by the actual crossroads of downtown Kansas City, Missouri; which at its height was one of the main transportation centers in the United States. Flourishing woodwinds, driving low brass, screaming horns, and a variety of musical ideas whiz in and out throughout the piece, emulating traffic moving through an intersection in one direction and another. Crossroads Fanfare was written for Steven Davis and the University of Missouri - Kansas City Wind Symphony in Summer 2014. ******** Aaron Kline is a master's of music student at Central Michigan University where he studies composition with David Gillingham and is a theory and research graduate assistant. He earned his Bachelors of Music in composition with departmental honors from Texas Christian University in 2013. His literature review on composition pedagogy was accepted for presentation at the Michigan Music Conference. His recent projects include Telephone - Open instrumentation; Rock Fugue #1: Flight - Soprano Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Electric Guitar and Drumset; and Optimum - Marching Band. You can listen to his music at soundcloud.com/aaron-kline
Leisure is a setting of William Henry Davies' Poem by the same name. The melodic material is derived from how I would speak the poem. ******** Composer Mark Prince Lee resides in the Nashville, Tennessee area where he conducts, performs, and teaches at Columbia State College. Lee received his B.M. in composition from Florida State University, and his M.M. in composition from Memphis State University. Post graduate study includes two summers at the Darmstadt Ferienkurse followed by three years of participation in the composition seminars of Karlheinz Stockhausen in Kurten Germany. Lee also holds an M.A. and a Ph.D. in German Studies from Vanderbilt University. There his research focused primarily upon the corollary between listener cognition in music and reader response theory in reception aesthetics. His music draws upon both areas in exploring the relationship between pitch and time.
10/F-2: Music in 5 Groups is an open score composition written for any instrument or instrumental combination. Consisting of 12 fixed pitches divided into 5 groups, the piece is a systematic exploration of pitch/time relationships. The individual groups are connected by pitch juxtapositions and real-time correlations as follows: 1/111-11/IV/V. ******** Jeffrey Loeffert is the Assistant Professor of Saxophone and Theory at Oklahoma State University. During the summer months, Loeffert teaches at the Cortona Sessions for New Music in Italy. Loeffert graduated Summa Cum Laude from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Music double major in Saxophone Performance and Jazz Studies. A Frank Huntington Beebe Scholar, Loeffert studied in Paris at the CRR Cergy-Pontoise and the CRR Boulogne-Billancourt. Loeffert completed graduate studies at Michigan State University as the recipient of a University Distinguished Fellowship. He received a MM and a OMA Saxophone Performance as well as a MM in Music Theory. Bombinate is scored for three soprano saxophones and singing bowl. The word "bombinate" is a literary device that means to make a humming or buzzing noise. The work is largely centered around D, which is manipulated by the saxophonists through mircotonal fluctuations, tone distortions, and articulative techniques. The "buzzing" noise comes from the constant sounding of a center pitch, which is at times very faint and at other times only inferred. Though the work is a meditation, it also showcases the wide range of emotions from frenetic energy to anger when we close our eyes and reflect on our surroundings.
Entropy is scored for three soprano saxophones with an optional electronic backing track. The word "entropy" refers to a process of degradation or an inclination towards disorder. A minimalist inspired composition, Entropy is a high-energy work that centers around B-flat. The work features overlapping polyrhythms and rapid technique, which eventually disintegrates into indeterminable pitches. ********
Stephen Lounsbrough is a graduate of Faith Baptist Bible College from which he holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sacred Music. In 2012, he began formal studies in composition under William Dougherty and is currently pursuing a Master of Music Composition at Central Michigan University under David Gillingham. Lounsbrough has received a number of honors for his works. In 2012, "Oh, the Depth of the Riches," was selected as scholar division winner in the Des Moines Vocal Arts Ensemble Composition Contest and premiered by the ensemble. Recent honors include being awarded runner-up in the Duluth Symphony Orchestra Composers' Competition (Red Sky) and winning the ACDA CMU Chapter Choral Composition Competition ("REMINISCE").
Redemptione Aeterna is a fantasia on a previous tune by the composer. It's five sections, "Alienation", "Propitiation", "Cleansing", "Faith", and "Reconciliation" tell the story of redemption. Featuring antiphonal horns and trombone and punctuated by three so lo sections, the piece runs the gamut of sounds from full band to chamber text ure. \ "-.-- - ********
Mike McFerron is professor of music and composer-in-residence at Lewis University, and he is founder and co-director of Electronic Music Midwest (http://www.emmfestival.org). His music can be heard on numerous commercial CDs as well as on his website at http://www.bigcomposer.com.
Shape Study: Music for Metamorphoses for fixed media was written at the end of 2008 for the Lewis University Theater Department production of Mary Zimmerman's Metamorphoses. An adaptation of Ovid's eponymous narrative poem, this production of Zimmeraman's play was directed by Dr. Kevin Trudeau . Although the composition is, on one hand, intended to serve as a prelude to the production of this play, it is also hoped that the work stands by itself as an independent electroacoustic composition. This composition focuses on distances between traditional foreground, middle ground, and background musical layers, thereby clouding these dimensions. Yet at the same time, this work strives to present a clear and logical dramatic shape by assembling spectral, dynamic, and spatial elements. ********
John McGinn, Associate Professor of Music at Austin College in Sherman, TX, received his doctorate in composition from Stanford University in 1999. His mentors include Jonathan Harvey, Leon Kirchner, Ivan Tcherepnin, and John Adams. His works have won several honors and been performed throughout the US and in Europe. As an arranger, McGinn has created piano reductions of several large-scale works for Boosey & Hawkes, including John Adams' Nixon in China and Gnarly Buttons. As a pianist, he has appeared on more than a dozen commercial recordings including a critically acclaimed solo album, The 20th Century Piano (AmCam) .
The three-movement Trio from which this movement is taken was penned at the request of Austin College colleagues Ricky Duhaime (clarinet) and Cathy Richardson (violin) for a 2013 faculty trio recital with myself at the piano. The two outer movements are I. Meccanico (a spirited clockwork of 8th- and 16th-note gestures) and Ill. Scherzo (which I took as an open ended invitation for vibrant playfulness of gesture and phrasing). By comparison,\ this middle movement, II. Flowing, offers gently arching melodic lines, expressive flutters, shimmering piano textures, and (yes) perhaps even a touch of Hollywood esque romantic sweep. Enjoy! ******** Traci Mendel, D. M., is currently on faculty at Troy University in Troy, Alabama, where she teaches composition, music theory and aural skills. Traci's compositions have been heard in the U.S. and abroad in recitals, concerts, festivals, and at conferences. Recently her duet for flute and voice, Monet: Haystacks at Giverny, 1891, was premiered on the Vax Novus - 15-minutes-of-Fame Concert in New York, her mono-drama Learned Behaviors was awarded a Boston Metro Opera 2014 Composition Competition Merit Award, and her song cycle Strings Attached was a finalist in the Keene State College Call for Scores.
Four Poems of Emily Dickinson was written in response to my undergraduate composition teacher, Dr. Frank M. Carroll, Sr.'s death. They are dedicated to him. ******** Allen Molineux (b.1950) holds three degrees in music composition, has four professional recordings of his works, including one recently by Weston Sprott, second trombonist of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, and currently has fifteen published works. For 35 years, he taught at colleges and universities in North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida. He is now retired from full time teaching, which has given him more time to compose. His brass sextet "Seven Shorties" was awarded the 2014 Grand Prize for the Humboldt State University Brass Chamber Music Workshop Composition Contest.
I had always wanted to write a percussion ensemble piece for exclusively non-pitched instruments and so this work is the fruition of that desire. During its creation, I recalled during my undergraduate days at DePauw University, hearing the great American composer, Howard Hanson, in person, stating his opinion that works for only non-pitched sounds was not actual music. Clearly I don't hold his view on this issue or else I would not have written "Prestamente!" The word "prestamente" is an old Italian one that means "hurriedly" or "rapidly". Not so surprisingly, the same exact spelling of the word in Spanish means essentially the same thing. So the title tells you exactly what this work is all about; namely, over six minutes of non stop action from the three percussionists.
Over the many years of directing jazz groups, I've pointed out to the members of those ensembles and their audiences as well that the "blues" can be found in a wide variety of forms and styles. With this work, I can say that here is yet another form and style that uses it. The source for inspiration is the poem "The Weary Blues" by Hugh Langston concerning a blues piano player. Three lines in particular that sparked my desire to write this piece are "while the weary blues echoed though his head", "droning a drowsy syncopate tune," and "he did a lazy sway to the tune o' those weary blues". ******** The music of composer Michael Murray has been described as "well crafted," "expertly and adroitly handled," and consisting of "pleasing washes of sounds and tone colors." His compositions have been performed and recorded across the United States and Europe, featured in venues in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Poland, the Czech Republic, and over 20 different states. Ile has written music for film, theater productions, dance, and visual arts installations. His music has been recorded for Navona Records and is published by Ars Nova Press. He currently lives in Springfield, Missouri, where he teaches composition and music theory at Missouri State University.
Five Blake Songs was written in 2001 for the Missouri Chamber Players. English writer and painter William Blake (1757-1827) possessed an extraordinary ability to convey a wide range of emotions and attitudes to his subject matter. These settings explore a part of that range, from the cynicism and despair of "The Smile" and "Holy Thursday" to the playfulness and irreverence of "The Fly" and "The Little Vagabond." A new recording of the Blake Songs, performed by Ann Moss and John Ferraro, is included on the forthcoming Navona Records release Percipience (April, 2015), featuring four song cycles by Michael Murray. ******** Frank Nawrot (b. 1989) is a composer and guitarist from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Currently, Nawrot is a graduate assistant at Central Michigan University where he studies composition with David Gillingham and Jay Batzner. He is currently an adjunct faculty member at Delta College. He earned his BA at Grand Valley State University while studying composition with Bill Ryan. Nawrot's central goals are to be a responsible artist by bringing attention to issues he feels pertain to the betterment of society and discovering new means of expression. His research and musical interests are composition pedagogy, minimalism, and rock 'n' roll.
Though A Dance Not To Be Danced To generally does not involve dancing, audience members have been known to lose control of their primal need to move when a rhythm catches their ear. ********
Adam D. O'Dell (b.1992) is a composer, pianist, and teacher based out of Dubuque, Iowa studying composition with Dr. Amy Dunker, and piano with Nancy Lease and Dr. Sharon Jensen at Clarke University. Notable commissions include the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra, the Abbellimenti string quartet, and the newEar Contemporary Chamber Ensemble. He has won awards from the Kennedy Center and Make Music Inc. His works have been performed at the Iowa Bandmaster's Association conference, the PARMA Music Festival, off-Broadway, and in Brazil and the United Kingdom. He is a member of ASCAP and SCI, and is a licensed PARMA artist.
Ovation for Brass (2014) is an eclectic work for brass quintet. The major motive is an original chant melody, and the piece includes elements of Renaissance polyphony, Neo-Romanticism, and Rock and Roll. ********
Kirk O'Riordan's (b. 1968) music has been referred to as "unapologetically beautiful" and is often praised for its uniquely "visual" qualities that depict a wide range of striking moods. His CD, Strange Flowers, was praised by Audiophile Audition as "one of the most impressive and beautiful collections of chamber music I have heard in awhile .... This is all just so lovely and invokes exactly the emotions that good music should be able to induce in all of us." In 2009 Dr. O'Riordan joined the faculty of Lafayette College where he serves as Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Bands, teaching courses in music theory, and composition.
Unlike the preludes by composers like Bach, Chopin, and Debussy, mine are not organized by key. Instead, they are organized by "threads:" ideas that are developed over the course of the set. Because I was not using key as a resource, I was not constrained by the number 24. Mine is a cycle of preludes that is in some ways more closely related to a Schubertian song cycle than to the Preludes of Chopin or Debussy. That is not to say, though, that there is not a conceptual connection with the Preludes of those masters--there are subtle references to each of those composers in the score. ********
Daniel Perttu's music has been performed in Europe, Asia, South America, and. throughout the United States. Performances of his music have occurred in various festivals, venues, Society of Composers conferences, and College Music Society conferences. Perttu's music has been released on the Navona records label. Critics have recognized the "modal strains [in his music] that recall the works of ... Ralph Vaughan Williams and Ernest Bloch." Besides his CD releases, Perttu's music has been published by Editions Musica Ferrum (Athens, Greece), BRS Music (Indianapolis) and Dorn Publications (Boston). He currently works as a professor at Westminster College.
Each of the Six Preludes for Piano was written to exploit a single, abstract musical concept. The outer preludes feature melodic material accompanied by perpetual motion figuration. The second one develops a denser texture as a way to accompany melodic material. For contrast, the third prelude features slower harmonic writing with clusters and chromatically altered added-note chords. The fourth takes the concept of the third prelude and activates it. The musical material in the fifth prelude consists only of a simple, slow melody with obsessive eighth-note motion as an accompanying texture, but features stark melodic and harmonic contrast. ********
Ohio University Distinguished Professor Mark Phillips won the 1988 Barlow International Competition for Orchestral Music, leading to collaborations with conductor Leonard Slatkin. Following a national competition, Pi Kappa Lambda commissioned him to compose a work for their 2006 national conference in San Antonio. His music has received hundreds of performances throughout the world -including dozens of orchestra performances by groups such as the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and the Cleveland Orchestra - and has been recorded by Richard Stoltzman and the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, the Lark Quartet, and several solo artists.
T. Rex [rex is Latin for "king" - but does the ambiguous initial T stand for "tyrannosaurus" or "trombone?") is in four connected movements contrasting in dynamics, rhythms, and tempo. All sounds on the accompanying soundtrack are derived from trombone sounds sent to me by several trombonist collaborators ... or from noises I made with my own very old bass trombone. I feel compelled to add, as a disclaimer, that NO trombones where injured or damaged in the making of T. Rex! 2002 ... at summer's end for brass quintet is in three movements. As the title suggests, this work was composed at the end of summer in 2002 - as a diversion from my efforts on a large, complex theatrical work. Unsurprisingly, the quintet is simple, direct, and concise. The middle movement, composed during the days leading up to the first anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, is not an attempt to deal directly with those events or their immediate aftermath, but merely an expression of the dark and somber mood of reflection that engulfed me (and countless others, I'm sure) as that anniversary approached. ******** Michael Pounds began his career as a mechanical engineer, but returned to the academic world to study music composition with a· focus on computer music and music technology. His awards include the ASCAP/SEAMUS Student Commission Award, a Residence Prize at the Bourges International Electroacoustic Music Competition, a Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarship for studies in England, and residencies at the MacDowell Colony and I-Park. He co-hosted the 2014 National Conference of the Society of Composers, Inc. Michael teaches composition, acoustics, music perception, recording and computer music at Ball State University.
"The Swing Garden Project" is a composition created from sounds recorded when I was in residence at I-Park in Connecticut. Another artist there created a landscape design project called "The Swing Garden." While she was realizing her design, I recorded many of the sounds associated with the work. These sounds are the only source materials used in my piece. I was particularly interested in the transformation of the materials used in the project. This inspired my transformation of sounds for the piece, and the structure of the piece clearly shows the transformational development of those sounds. The piece was created during a second residency at I-Park.
"Breathing 2: Re/Inspiration" has its origins in a piece composed many years ago entitled "Breathing." I had wanted to revisit the idea for a long time. This new work uses some of the original source recordings of toys and whistles, combined with breath sounds made by my wife that I recorded nearly 10 years earlier, and just a few small portions of the original piece. The composition is inspired by various aspects of breath: breath as necessary for the functioning of the body, breath as related to life force/energy, breath as meditation, breath as rhythm, and breath as self-expression. ******** Dr. Elaine M. Ross joined the music theory faculty at Ohio University in the Fall of 2013. Prior to this appointment, Dr. Ross served as the chair of music theory at the Colburn Conservatory in Los Angeles, CA and as the coordinator of music ~~eory/composition at _Central Washington University where she administered all aspects of the theory curriculum for 350 majors, maintained a composition studio of 10-12 students. Dr. Ross is published by Southern Music Company, Sisra Press, and Triplo Press. A complete catalogue of Dr. Ross' works can be found at www.elainemross.com.
Flash!: A Fanfare for Brass and Percussion(2004} is a three minute work in modified ternary form. It explores changing nieters, quartal and qulntal sonorities, syncopation, and ostinato development. The B section presents a lyrical, disjunct theme in the horns, yet the rhythmic drive persists underneath. The work presents non-stop energy requiring clean articulations and rhythmic integrity. Tessiturae and technique are very accessible for advanced high school ensembles. Wi/dfire(2007}depicts the image of a fire raging out of control, ignited by a single spark represented by hitting the low stings -1 of the piano. The lyrical middle section represents a meadow of new growth after the fire has long since subsided, but then the fire ignites again and takes an unexpected turn. The work is in modified ternary form with an extended introduction, followed by an energetic A section, lyrical B section, transitioning back to A with a fast coda in 6/8 representing the fire raging J unpredictably. Rhythmic and melodic ostinati represent the fire's relentless path across the endless plains. ********
Phillip Schroeder's music for soloists, chamber ensembles, live electronics, orchestra, and choir, has been described by critics as "wonderfully evocative," and "rich in subtle detail, full of elegant nuance." He has appeared as a guest composer and performer throughout the United States and Europe. His music appears on the lnnova, Cold Blue Music, Albany, Ravello/Capstone, Boston Records, and Vienna Modern Masters labels. Schroeder teaches at Henderson State University. Significant influences include Taoism and mystical traditions, nature, cooking, and the love and patience of friends.
Avian Fields is a work written singularly for Margaret Jones - violinist, nurse, and my wife. There are few situations that reveal her inner 5-year old more than birds and the world in which they live. There was no attempt to imitate the music of birds; Avian Fields only alludes to the cycles and processes of the 'avian.' There are eight short pieces, additionally the source for fragments, extracted and paired In developed and opening segments, with silence always as the backdrop. ******** William Toutant was born in Worcester, MA and received his Ph.D. in music theory and composition from Michigan State University. He joined the music faculty of California State University, Northridge in 1975. During the next 38 years he not only taught in the Department of Music, but he also served in a variety of administrative positions and hosted the weekly radio program, "The KCSN Opera House." He became Professor Emeritus in May 2013. His music is available on North/South, Capstone, Centaur, and Navona records. He lives in Los Angeles.
I wrote Small Suite for Piano in 1990. Several years earlier I had "defected" from the music faculty into administration and had not composed anything since my defection. This piece was meant to prove to my colleagues and myself that I had not abandoned composition. It is available on the CD "New American Romantics' performed by Max Lifchitz and released by North/South Recordings. ******** David Vayo teaches composition, improvisation and contemporary music at Illinois Wesleyan University, where he is the Fern Rosetta Sherff Professor. He studied at The University of Michigan and Indiana University. Vayo has received awards from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, ASCAP, and the Koussevitzky Music Foundations. Over four hundred performances of his compositions have taken place, including at the International Trombone Festival, the Grand Teton Music Festival, the International Trumpet Guild conference, and three World Music Days of the International Society for Contemporary Music. Vayo is also active as a keyboard player performing contemporary music, jazz and free improvisations. ******** Benjamin Williams is a composer in central Mississippi and an Assistant Professor of Music Theory and Composition at Mississippi College. Raised in Northeast Ohio, Williams earned degrees in Music Composition from The University of Akron (B.M and M.M.) and The Ohio State University (D.M.A.). Williams also performs chamber music locally with the Mockingbird Trio and with the jazz ensemble Brick Street Trio. He is married to violinist Emily Williams, co-author of the The Beginning Violinist.
Having moved across the country could have been much more challenging had it not been for the generous faculty I joined at Mississippi College, including another new faculty member, pianist Michael Rushing. Michael asked me about writing a four hand piano piece that he would perform with a former colleague, Anna. I think of four-hand music as 'fun' and looked forward to combining that with their search for literature of 'substance.' While Sleuthhound is in a traditional three movements, the harmonies, rhythms and melodies were influenced by a culture of pop tunes that the three of us shared growing up.
The beginnings of Poseidon for euphonium took root in the spring of 2008 when I received a message from an old friend from my years at the University of Akron: Travis Scott. Although we hadn't kept in regular contact for a couple of years, it was a pleasure to learn that he was looking for a new piece for euphonium. The result was an exploration in blending jazz and classical styles with a particular focus on rhythmic excitement. ******** Haley Woodrow is a composer, trumpet player and educator. From 2006-2013, she served as an orchestra director and arranger at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington. She received her B.A. from UT Arlington and is currently enrolled at TCU for Music Composition while serving as the Graduate Assistant for the Jazz Department. Haley's featured solos and/or compositions can be heard on numerous projects including from her home studio. She has been commissioned to write concert band, jazz band, gospel horns, brass and other chamber ensemble pieces for many schools, churches, organizations and recording projects.
One Day was written during a time in my life where every day felt like a marathon. My attempt was to express what one of these days felt like. The beginning and ending sections are supposed to resemble the sun rising and setting, and the unpredictable hits in various sections are supposed to resemble the events of daily life. Dan Cavanagh helped extensively with this piece, as did studying scores of Maria Schneider's. Guest and Faculty Performer Biographies
Composer/Performer Biographies listed under Composer Biographies and Program Notes
Jennifer Amox is Lecturer of Music at Henderson State University, where she teaches flute, music theory, music literature and humanities and directs the flute choir. She is currently pursuing a DMA in flute performance with a music theory minor at the University of Memphis, where she studies with Elise Blatchford. Previous teachers include Bruce Erskine, Diane Boyd -Schultz and Sydney Carlson. She resides with her budding pianist daughter, Madeleine, mandolin-pickin' aviator husband, Steven, and amusical cat, Eustace Benton Rutherford, in Bryant, Arkansas. ********
Dr. Steven Becraft currently serves as Professor of Clarinet and Saxophone at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. He is a member of the Pine Bluff Symphony, the Storm Trio (Soprano, Clarinet, and Piano), and in 2011 performed Copland's Appalachian Spring with the Martha Graham Dance Company in Conway, Arkansas. Additionally, as a member of the David Maslanka Commissioning Consortium, Becraft gave one of the world premieres of the composer's new work, Eternal Garden, in 2009. He holds degrees from Florida State University (D.M.), the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (M.M.), and the University of Nevada, Reno (B.M.). ********
Jim Buckner (BM, Iowa State University; MM, University of Michigan; DMus, Northwestern University) is chair and professor of trumpet at Henderson State University. He previously taught at Illinois State University, Quincy University, Western Carolina University, Truman State University, and West High School in Waterloo, Iowa. Buckner is the principal trumpeter with the South Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and the Arkansas Brass. He performed at the 1995 Moscow International Trumpet Festival and has been a featured soloist with school, college, and community bands and orchestras throughout the South and Midwest. He is the Contest Controller for the North American Brass Band Association. ********
Damian Cheek is currently in his first year of study in a Master's of Music Performance at Oklahoma State University. Prior to his time at OSU, he received a B.M. in Music Education from Tennessee Tech University. Damian is an advocate of chamber music and has received awards from the state and district levels of chamber competitions as well as performing as a quarter finalist at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. Damian's previous instructors include Dr. Jeffrey Loeffert, Phil Barham, and Evan Cobb. ********
Paul Christopher is Associate Professor of Music Theory and Low Strings at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. In the summers he performs as Assistant Principal Cello with the Peter Britt Festival Orchestra in Jacksonville, Oregon. Mr. Christopher's articles have been published in the Jacques Offenbach Society Newsletter, Strings, American String Teacher and Bass World. He is currently recording the cello duos of Jacques Offenbach with five CDs available at www.cdbaby.com ******** Shannon Clardy is an Associate Professor of Physics and Adjunct Professor of Oboe at Henderson State University where she has taught since 2005. Dr. Clardy has been principal oboist of the Little Rock Wind Symphony since 2004 and regularly performs in chamber ensembles. Outside of her musical activities, Clardy is an active researcher in astrophysics, aerodynamics, and physics outreach with projects ranging from the construction of a wind tunnel to building and launching rockets. Additionally, Dr. Clardy has a number of students assisting her in research in binary star data collection and modeling, aerodynamics and laminar flow, and instrumental acoustics. ********
Todd Cranson is Instructor of Tuba at Henderson State University where he also directs the Tuba Euphonium Choir, teaches Survey of Non-Western Music, assists with the Showband of Arkansas, and plays tuba with the faculty brass quintet. Cranson has been on faculty at the University of Illinois Springfield, served as Executive Director and Tuba Mentor of the Hot Springs Music Festival, and taught high school for five years at Archbishop Shaw High School in Marrero, LA. He is a DMA Candidate in Tuba Performance at the University of Illinois and expects to graduate in August 2015. ******** Sarah Stankiewicz Dailey earned DMA and MM degrees from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and a BM from the Oberlin Conservatory. While at IU, she worked with IU Professor of Composition Don Freund, singing his "Backyard Songs" in recital and with composer Richard Hundley in conjunction with a Living Composers Forum, sponsored by IU's chapter of Student NATS. Along with her training in classical music, she holds Level 3 certification in Somatic Voicework© - The LoVetri Method, a system of vocal technique for training singers in contemporary commercial music (CCM) styles. She maintains a private voice studio in Little Rock.
******** Dr. Rick Dimond is currently Professor of Music at Henderson State University, Principal Timpanist with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, and Arkansas Governor's School faculty. Rick studied oboe, piano, and percussion during his youth. He earned Bachelor's, Master's, Doctoral degrees and a Performer's Certificate from Indiana University. Rick has performed as marimba, vibraphone, and timpani soloist with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, and has performed the Russell Peck Timpani Concerto with the Fort Smith Symphony, and the Symphony of Southeast Texas. Dimond served as Artist Faculty for the Asian Youth Orchestra, in 2000 and 2001. ********
D:tvid H. Evans was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. He attended Northeast Missouri State University (now Truman State University) where he received the Bachelor of Music in Education (BME) degree in 1971. He then became a clarinetist in the United States Miiitary Academy Band at West Point. While there, he studied at the Manhattan School of Music with Alex Williams, Charles Russo, and Peter Simenauer. He completed the MM degree at Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville and the DMus degree in clarinet from Indiana University. He has performed with the Omaha and Charlotte Symphonies and has presented recitals and clinics throughout the United States. ********
Dr. Ryan H. Fox is the Director of Choral Activities at Henderson State University where he conducts ensembles and teaches courses in choral conducting and music education. Ryan has also been on the faculty of Southwest Minnesota State University and Clarksville High School. He is the President-Elect for Arkansas ACDA and is active as a clinician and adjudicator. Ryan holds the Doctor of Musical Arts in choral conducting from The University of Kansas, as well as the Master of Music in choral conducting and the Bachelor of Music in education from the University of Central Arkansas. ********
Pianist Adam Haas is on the music faculty at Ouachita Baptist University where he teaches applied piano, group piano and worship music. He completed his DMA in piano performance at the University of Colorado where he was a graduate teaching assistant for three years. Dr. Haas has performed with the New York Concerti Sinfonietta, the Loveland Orchestra and the Colorado State University Orchestra, and as an active lecturer he has presented at numerous national and state conferences. He currently lives in Arkadelphia, Arkansas with his wife Danielle and their three boys Felix, Lewis and Theo. ********
~leb Haymes is a senior at Missouri State University studying Violin Performance. He will present his senior recital in the fall of 2015. ********
Jessica Hunt studies Cello Performance at Missouri State University. She performs in the endowed White String Quartet and is principal cellist of the University Symphony. ********
Justin Isenhour performs in a wide variety of genres including classical, jazz and commercial music. He holds the position of second trombone in the Arkansas Symphony and previously performed with the Charlotte Symphony, Augusta Symphony, The Blumenthal Theater, Greeley Philharmonic, and the South Carolina Philharmonic. He was awarded a Doctorate in Musical Arts from the University of South Carolina in 2012 and is Level II Creative Motion instructor. As a pedagogue, Dr. Isenhour works with students of all ages, but spends the bulk of his time with his collegiate low brass studio at Ouachita Baptist University. He also teaches Music Theory courses at Ouachita. ******** Sharon Jensen holds music degrees from Calvin College, University of Texas and University of Michigan. As the recipient of a Rotary Fellowship, she studied at the Hochschulefur Musik in Vienna, Austria where she received the Artist's Diploma. She has performed recitals and with orchestras throughout the Midwest, including the Quad Cities Mozart Festival orchestra. In 2007, she made her solo debut with the Dubuque Symphony. In March 2010, Dr. Jensen made her debut at Carnegie's Weill Recital Hall and has performed there for four consecutive years with flautist Peg Cornils Luke. She has also been heard on NPR's Live from Landmark Center, Live from the Chazen and Chicago's Dame Myra Hess Series. ******** Margaret Jones has enjoyed a diverse career as a concert violinist. After graduating from Butler University in 1984, she becarne a founding member of the Indiana polls Chamber Orchestra, later playing with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. She performed for five years with Mikhail Baryshnikov (White Oak Dance Project). Ms. Jones has worked on Broadway, with the American Ballet Theatre, and the Opera Orchestra of New York, and has toured with The Lion King, Andy Williams, and Perry Como. She became a registered nurse in 2012, and now resides in Arkansas with her husband, composer Phillip Schroeder, and is an ICU nurse. ******** Pianist Hee-Kyung Juhn is the Director of Keyboard Studies at Henderson State University. Her previous appointment was at the University of California in Santa Barbara. She has also been on summer staff at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, Great Mountains International Music Festival in Korea, and the Martina Arroyo Foundation, Inc. in New York City. She has degrees from Juilliard School and Indiana University, and has participated in music festivals such as Tanglewood, Aspen, and Yale Piano Summer Institute. Her recording of Bach's Goldberg Variations is available at www.amazon.com. ******** Catherine Klassen is a senior Vocal Performance major at Texas A&M University Commerce. This past month, she was First of the Ladies of the Queen of the Night in Mozart's the Magic Flute. Last year, she was the Dew Fairy in TAMUC's production of Humperdink's Hansel and Gretel. Catherine was also the mezzo soloist in the San Gabriel Chorale's performance of Vivaldi's Gloria, and one of the soprano soloists in the Southwestern University Chorale's performance of Bach's Magnificat. After completing her undergraduate studies, she would like to pursue a Master's Degree in Performance. ******** Amy Laursen is a lecturer at Henderson State University teaching applied horn, music theory and music education courses. She is a IJMA canclidatc at the University of North Texas. While UNT she performed with numerous ensembles, was a teaching fellow, and was heavily Involved in the Music and Medicine program, recently publishing an article in the Medical Problems of Performing Artists Journal. Ms. Laursen earned her B.M.E degree from the University of Wyoming and M.M. In horn Performance from UNT. She currently performs with the HSU Faculty Brass and Woodwind Quintet, Natural State Brass Band, substitute horn with Arkansas Symphony, and Orchestra of New Spain. ******** Dr. Jamie Lipton is the Assistant Professor of Low Brass at Henderson State University. She has performed throughout the United States, Europe, and Japan, and has won several international euphonium solo competitions. She has also been on faculty at many of the leading American brass workshops. Dr. Lipton holds degrees from Northwestern University and the University of North Texas, and her major professors include Rex Martin, Dr. Brian Bowman, and the late Dr. Vern Kagarice. Dr. Lipton is a Willson performing artist. ********
Joshua Miller is currently pursuing his Master's in Piano Pedagogy at Texas A&M University-Commerce. He has a BM in Music Performance from TAMU-C and regularly accompanies for voice and band students at the high school and collegiate levels. In addition to his accompanying responsibilities, he teaches class piano, leads worship for Commerce Community Chu rch and maintains a home studio of around 10 private piano students. ******** KyoungHwa Molinari is a collaborative pianist. She graduated from the University of Arizona with a Master of Music degree and a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance (Accompanying). She has extensive professional performance experience successfully collaborating with choirs, vocalists and instrumentalists. She is currently working as Instructor of Music and Accompanist at Henderson State University. ******** Jonathan Nichol is the Assistant Professor of Saxophone at the University of Oklahoma. He holds both a DMA degree and MM degree from Michigan State University, and a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Central Michigan University. Nichol was a semi-finalist in the 2009 International Concert Artist Guild Competition and a finalist in the 2012 International Concert Artist Guild Competition with h2 quartet. Nichol is a member of the acclaimed h2 quartet, recipients of the prestigious Gold Medal at the 2007 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and the First Prize Award at the inaugural North American Saxophone Alliance Quartet Competition. ******** Dr. Carrie Pawelski, Director of Bands at Henderson State University, directs the Wind Ensemble, Chamber Winds, Concert Band, teaches classes in conducting, is co-director of The Showband of Arkansas and provides administrative leadership to all aspects of the Henderson Band program. Dr. Pawelski completed her doctorate in conducting at Arizona State University, her masters in conducting at Fredonia State University and her undergraduate degrees in music education and trombone performance at the Eastman School of Music. Originally from Buffalo, New York, Dr. Pawelski taught public school for many years in South Milwaukee, Wisconsin where she was also the K-12 music curriculum supervisor. ******** Holly Roadfeldt is a versatile pianist whose concerts regularly mix newly composed music with established masterpieces. Equally adept at both languages, Holly's mission is to inspire and advocate for piano music of the highest caliber. Between 2014 and 2016, Holly will be premiering preludes by 12 composers at numerous universities and music festivals. She will be recording Chopin's Op. 28 Preludes and the 26 Preludes by Kirk O'Riordan in the summer of 2015, which will be released by Parma Records. In 2013, her performance on Kirk O'Riordan's Strange Flowers CD was described as "beautifully played" by Donald Rosenberg for Gramophone. ******** Maralyn Sommer holds a BM in Music Education from Boise State University, an MM in Bassoon Performance from the University of Colorado, and a DMA in Bassoon Performance from the University of Arizona. She recently retired after 24 years at Henderson State University, having served as Music Department Chair, Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences, Dean of Arts and Sciences, and Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. She is currently adjunct instructor of bassoon at Henderson and bassoonist in the faculty woodwind quintet. She lives in Little Rock with her two Silky terriers, Emma and Ellie. ******** A versatile singer, soprano Laura Storm is an active performer of stage, concert and chamber repertoire. Performance highlights include the title role in Puccini's Suor Angelica at the Amalfi Coast Music Festival in Salerno, Italy as well as leading roles in Die Fledermaus, Falstaff, and The Turn of the Screw. She has appeared in concerts with the Symphonies of Trujillo (Peru) Tallahassee, and Pine Bluff. Dr. Storm is a founding member of the Storm Trio, an ensemble specializing in music for soprano, clarinet, and piano, which has performed throughout the United States. Currently Dr. Storm is Professor of Voice at Henderson State University. ******** Jared Swope is a senior BME-Vocal/BM-Vocal Performance major at Missouri State University. In April, Jared will sing with the Tallis Scholars through a Carnegie Hall Fellowship. Shawn Vomund is a senior BME-lnstrumental major at Missouri State University. He is the music director of the Iota Rho Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. ******** May Tsao-Lim coordinates group piano curriculum, teaches piano pedagogy and applied piano at Henderson State University. She also maintains a private studio in which many of her students were state winners. Besides teaching, Dr. Tsao-Lim has presented pedagogy workshops at different state conferences and MTNA national conventions. As a pianist, she often collaborates with musicians from Arkansas Symphony Orchestra; the most recent performance was Brahms' Trio Op.40 at the ASO River Rhapsodies chamber series. Currently, Dr. Tsao-Lim serves as the President of Arkansas State MTA. She holds a DMA in Piano Pedagogy and Performance from the University of Oklahoma. ******** Andy Wen is Associate Professor of Music at the University of Arkansas Little Rock. He is a founding member of the Arkansas Saxophone Quartet and has performed in twenty-three states, Belgium, Canada, China, France, Japan, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan and Thailand. Wen has premiered numerous solo and chamber compositions including those by David Baker, Robert Boury, Sy Brandon, Neil Flory, Karen Griebling, John Harbison, Christian Lauba, L. A. Logrande, and Kevin McKinney; most of these works were written for him. He has released two CD's through Emeritus Recordings : Apparitions and Apparitions 2. Wen is a Conn-Selmer Clinician and plays Selmer (Paris) saxophones exclusively. E . CELLENCE SP I R I T • TRAD I T I ON