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572529 bk Strange Humors US 23/9/10 14:18 Page 5 Maureen Hurd Rutgers Wind Ensemble WIND BAND CLASSICS The opportunity to record Michael Daugherty’s Brooklyn Bridge has given Photo: Larry Levanti The Rutgers Wind Ensemble Maureen Hurd a unique chance to come full circle. While a resident of New York presents concerts at the highest City, her great-great-grandfather, Robert Lipton, an Irish immigrant, attended the artistic level, performing both opening of the Brooklyn Bridge in 1883, not long after landing in New York from masterworks of the wind Ireland at the age of seventeen. Lipton later continued his journey westward, repertoire and new works, STRANGE HUMORS putting down roots in and becoming mayor of a bucolic town in Iowa where Hurd including pieces composed was born and raised. Now a Brooklyn resident herself, Hurd has performed as expressly for the group. In 2005, soloist, chamber musician and orchestral clarinetist throughout Europe, Asia and the group performed at the Mackey • Daugherty • Syler North America. She has appeared at Carnegie’s Zankel Hall and with the CBNDA National Conference Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and in performances of contemporary chamber held at New York University and music at New York’s Merkin Hall and with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln also presented a concert at Maureen Hurd, Clarinet • Todd Quinlan, Timpani Center in Alice Tully Hall. She has been a frequent featured performer at Carnegie Hall later that spring. International Clarinet Association ClarinetFests® and she has appeared in concert The Ensemble played in Town Rutgers Wind Ensemble • William Berz in Japan, South Korea, France, England, Canada and Mexico. She has also Hall in 2000 and Symphony Photo: Danika Knop recorded for the MSR Classics and Marquis Classics labels, most recently a CD Space in 2009, both in New York including première recordings of clarinet works by Evan Hause, William Bolcom, Alan Shulman and Morton City. It has performed at regional CBDNA and MENC conferences and has presented 17 performances at New Gould. Hurd earned all of her graduate degrees including the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Yale School of Jersey Music Education Association conventions since 1993. The Ensemble has recorded 21 compact discs, which Music where she studied with David Shifrin and Charles Neidich and worked with materials in the Benny Goodman have collectively earned 33 Grammy Entry Listings. Its first disc on the Naxos label featured the music of Karel Papers of the Irving S. Gilmore Music Library. Hurd earned the Bachelor of Music degree at Iowa State University. Husa, H. Owen Reed, and William Schuman (8.572230). In the words of Classical New Jersey critic William Allin Having joined the faculty of the Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University in 2002, she frequently Storrer, the Rutgers Wind Ensemble is “the Rolls Royce of wind ensembles.” performs recitals and gives master-classes, lectures and clinics at clarinet festivals, universities and conferences throughout the United States and abroad. She is a Conn-Selmer Artist. William Berz Todd Quinlan William Berz is Professor of Music at the Mason Gross School of the Arts of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. He has given the premières of many Todd Quinlan currently lives in Houston, Texas where he is a free-lance performer new works for winds, and has won the praise of many distinguished composers, and teaches private percussion lessons. He was appointed Director of Operations including Charles Wuorinen, Karel Husa, Norman Dello Joio, David Del Tredici, for the Eastern Music Festival where he has spent the past five summers as a Roger Nixon, Walter Hartley, Martin Ellerby, Adam Gorb, Jonathan Newman, percussionist for the Eastern Philharmonic Orchestra, the orchestra-in-residence at Steven Bryant, Eric Whitacre, Kenneth Lampl, John Mackey, Daniel Ott, Mark the festival. His Bachelor of Music Performance, Magna Cum Laude, is from Zuckerman, Eric Moe, Michael Daugherty, Frank Ticheli, and H. Owen Reed. He Boston University. He was a graduate student at the Mason Gross School of the served as Music Director and Conductor of the New Brunswick Chamber Arts at Rutgers when this recording of Raise the Roof was produced. Quinlan’s Orchestra from 1988 until 1994 and of the New Jersey State Youth Orchestra from private teachers include Timothy Genis, Chris Deviney, Alan Abel, She-e Wu, and 1984 to 1987. From 1984 until 1989 he was Assistant Conductor of The Jupiter Markus Rhoten. Symphony and Naumburg Orchestra, both of New York City. In addition to his work as a conductor, he is active as a researcher and writer. He has published many articles and presented sessions in music education and conducting. 8.572529 5 6 8.572529 572529 bk Strange Humors US 23/9/10 14:18 Page 2 Strange Humors: John Mackey (b. 1973): Strange Humors • Michael Daugherty (b. 1954): Michigan Governor’s Award (2004). In 2005, The University of Michigan Symphony Band with American Music Center in New York, and the 1993 of the heavens. He finds it pointless and in Raise the Roof • Brooklyn Bridge • James Syler (b. 1961): The Hound of Heaven Daugherty received the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra Michael Wayne, solo clarinetist, gave the première of Arnald Gabriel Composition Award. He has been on the section III he decides to turn to the little Composer’s Award, and in 2007, the Delaware Brooklyn Bridge on 25th February, 2005 at the national adjunct faculty at the University of Texas at San children. He believes he can find happiness John Mackey (b. 1973): Strange Humors the son of a dance-band drummer and the oldest of five Symphony Orchestra selected Daugherty as the winner CBDNA conference held in New York. (The Rutgers Antonio since 2001. From 1998-2001 he was on the here, but just as the children begin to respond brothers, all professional musicians. He studied music of the A. I. duPont Award. Also in 2007, Daugherty was Wind Ensemble also performed at the conference.) faculty at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, they are suddenly taken away by death. He is The original version of Strange Humors dates from composition at the University of North Texas (1972-76), named “Outstanding Classical Composer” at the Detroit Daugherty has provided the following note: Florida and from 1995-1998 at Flagler College in St. now a desperate soul who, in section IV, in one 1998 and was for string quartet and djembe. Mackey the Manhattan School of Music (1976-78) and computer Music Awards and received the American Bandmasters Augustine, Florida. last attempt turns to nature for repose. But wrote it while pursuing his graduate degree at The music at Boulez’s IRCAM in Paris (1979-80). He Association Ostwald Award for his composition Raise As I have lingered and walked across the The Hound of Heaven is a programmatic work nature, as beautiful as it is, is unable to fill the Juilliard School. It was soon adapted for use by the received his doctorate from Yale University in 1986 the Roof for Timpani and Symphonic Band. His music is Brooklyn Bridge over the years, the stunning based on a poem of the same name by British poet void in his heart and again he hears the footfall Parsons Dance Company, with choreography by Robert where his teachers included Jacob Druckman, Earle published by Peermusic Classical and since 2003 by vistas of the New York skyline have inspired me Francis Thompson. The allegorical title describes God of his pursuer. There is nothing left now. He has Battle. In a review of this performance, The New York Brown, Roger Reynolds, and Bernard Rands. During Boosey and Hawkes. to compose a panoramic clarinet concerto. Like as the loving hound who is in pursuit of the lost hare, the tried everything and in section V he is smitten Times found the piece to be “a sultry score.” It this time, he also collaborated with jazz arranger Gil Raise the Roof was composed in 2003 for timpani the four cables of webs of wire and steel that individual soul. The work is in six sections: “I Fled to his knees. In a dream he sees his past life represents a merging of musical cultures. According to Evans in New York, and pursued further studies with and orchestra, on commission by the Detroit Symphony hold the Brooklyn Bridge together, my ode to Him, Down the Nights,” “The Gold Gateways of the wasted on foolish pursuits, none of which has Mackey, the work attempts to merge pseudo-African composer György Ligeti in Hamburg, Germany (1982- Orchestra. Daugherty adapted the work for band in 2007. this cultural icon is divided into four Stars,” “Within the Little Children’s Eyes,” Nature’s – given him love and happiness. The chase is hand-drumming and pseudo-middle eastern folk-music. 84). After teaching music composition from 1986-1990 That version received its premier by the University of movements. Each movement of the clarinet Share with Me,” “And Smitten Me to My Knee,” and “I over. In section VI the loving Hound of Heaven Mackey was commissioned to transcribe it for band by at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Daugherty joined Michigan Symphony Band on 30th March, 2007 at the concerto is a musical view from the Brooklyn am He Whom Thou Seekest!” An antiphonal trumpet stands over him and the gloom which he the American Bandmasters Association, and this version the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & National Conference of CBDNA held in Ann Arbor. Bridge: I. East (Brooklyn and Brooklyn speaks between each section and serves as the musical thought would follow this surrender is only the was given its première in March 2006 by the Baylor Dance in Ann Arbor, Michigan where, since 1991, he Daugherty writes that the piece was inspired by the Heights); II.