Hodgson Wind Ensemble has served on the Board of the ICE (Inter- Program Notes national Contemporary Ensemble), the The Hodgson Board of Trustees of The American Society Augusta Read Thomas (Born 1964) for the Royal Academy of Music, and the Wind Ensemble Eastman School of Music’s National Coun- Magneticfireflies (2002) cil. Thomas is currently a member of the Advisory Committee of the Alice M. Dit- From 1997 through 2007, Augusta Read son Fund and the Conseil Musical de la Thomas was the longest-serving Mead Tuesday Foundation Prince Pierre de Monaco. Composer-in-Residence with the Chicago April 4 2017 • 8:00 p.m. Symphony Orchestra. This residency cul- Thomas describes Magneticfireflies as a minated in the premiere of Astral Canticle, piece that is “very rhapsodic, lyrical, rich, one of two finalists for the 2007 Pulit- and majestic, but also quite playful.” In the zer Prize in Music. During her residency, score, she writes, “One of the main inten- Thomas not only premiered nine com- tions of this music is the juxtaposition be- Cynthia Johnston Turner missioned orchestral works, but was also tween stark, bold, individual colors, such conductor central in establishing the thriving Music- as a loud solo trumpet, Mahler-style, with a guest conductorJaclyn L. Hartenberger NOW series, through which she commis- completely blended timbre, Debussy-style.” sioned and programmed the work of many – Program Note by Jonathan Poquette trumpetBrandon Craswell living composers. Matthew Sadowski Thomas studied composition with Oli- Peter van Zandt Lane (Born 1985) graduate conductor ver Knussen at Tanglewood (1986, 1987, 1989); Jacob Druckman at Yale Univer- Beacons (2017) sity (1988); Alan Stout and Bill Karlins at PROGRAM Northwestern University (1983-1987); and Peter Van Zandt Lane’s music has been at the Royal Academy of Music in Lon- praised by critics for its “depth, character, Thomas Magneticfireflies (2002) don (1989). She was a Junior Fellow in the and pleasing complexity” (Boston Musical Matthew Sadowski, Graduate Conductor Society of Fellows at Harvard University Intelligencer), and has been recognized for (1991-1994) and a Bunting Fellow at Rad- its “appeal to musicians and audiences, no matter their personal musical aesthetic” Lane Beacons ( 2017 ) cliffe College (1990-1991). She is Universi- ty Professor (one of six University Profes- (Asymmetry Music Magazine). He com- Daybeacon sors) at The University of Chicago. Thomas poses for chamber ensembles, band, and Relays Orbital Lights Polaris Honeycomb Instructions for Audience When prompted to, follow the instructions below: Titlebaum And It Happened . (2014) Brandon Craswell, Trumpet 1. If your data connection on your web-enabled device (smartphone, tablet, laptop, etc.) is strong, please disable Wi-Fi and use your data connection. (Note: this will only use about 5MB of mobile data). If your data connection is weak or seems inconsistent, Brookshire Honeycomb (2016) enable Wi-Fi and use an available Wi-Fi network. The use of a data connection is Jaclyn L. Hartenberger, Guest Conductor preferred if possible. 2. Enable volume on your device, then disable Auto-Lock. (1993) Nelson Passacaglia (Homage on B-A-C-H) 3. In your internet browser: (1) go to synkrotakt.com/live (2) in order: select your row, then seat number, and then device type from each drop down menu, then press “Submit” (3) when the new page loads, press “Ready.” After the concert, please visit synkrotakt.com/survey to help us improve this experience. HODGSON CONCERT HALL 4 Performance UGA April 2017 5 Hodgson Wind Ensemble orchestra, and he often integrates live elec- in the piece, to the professionals imi- ‘Polaris’ seeks to capture the radiance where he earned a B.M. in Saxophone Per- tronics into his concert music. Tapping into tating the students later in the piece. of the North Star in a dark sky, freely formance, and the Performer’s Certificate a visceral sense of rhythm and momentum, This decision to empower the young- pulling together moments from each in 1991. He also completed graduate stud- Lane’s works traverse the space between er players was very much rooted in of the first three movements. ies at Eastman, receiving his M.M. in Jazz the organic and the mechanical, combin- my own creative development at the and Contemporary Media/Writing Skills in ing an eclectic range of both classical and time: I was reconnecting with much Beacons was composed for Cyn- 1992, and did additional study in composi- vernacular influences with a polyamorous of the wind ensemble music that in- thia Johnston Turner (to whom the tion at the Oregon Bach Festival Composi- harmonic language. His recent full-length spired me to take up composition as a piece is dedicated) and the Hodgson tion Symposium, the Aspen Music School, ballet, HackPolitik, explores the unique top- teenager and trying to connect it with Wind Ensemble at the University of and the BMI Jazz Composers Workshop. ic of cyber-dissidence through live music, what I felt was becoming my own id- Georgia, for the College Band Direc- dance, and electronics. Bringing contempo- iosyncratic compositional voice. Af- tors National Association (CBDNA) The composer writes the following: rary music and dance into the cross-section ter the premiere in 2011, I had hoped 2017 National Conference in Kansas of art, technology, and politics, HackPolitik I might someday be able to use the City, Missouri, hosted by the UMKC The title And It Happened . is a was featured on BBC Radio, Boston Maga- material in a piece for wind ensemble, Conservatory. shortened version of the line “. and it happened to me,” the final line zine, and Forbes (among other press outlets but it sat unfinished on my desk for – Program Note by Jonathan Poquette that rarely touch contemporary music), and five years. When Cynthia Johnston of It Could Happen to You, a classic was hailed by critics as “angular, jarring, Turner asked for a new work, I decid- standard from the Great American Songbook. This song provides the and sophisticated . very compelling . ed it would be a perfect opportunity Mike Titlebaum (Born 1968) Ballet needs live music, and this one offered to expand the piece and connect it to harmonic framework on which the it at the highest level.” (Boston Musical Intel- the medium that inspired much of it. And It Happened . (2014) piece is based. ligencer). The New York premiere ofHack - The first three movements, ‘Daybea- It is divided into six sections, each Politik was The New York Times Critic’s Pick, con,’ ‘Relays,’ and ‘Orbital Lights,’ were During daytime hours, Mike Titlebaum di- rects the jazz studies program at the Ithaca of which is dedicated to a legend- praised as “refreshingly relevant.” each reimagined to take advantage ary trumpet soloist. ‘Louis’ is writ- of the range of sound offered by the College School of Music in the Finger Lakes Lane holds composition degrees from region of central New York State. He teaches ten to honor New Orleans-born larger ensemble. I composed ‘Polaris’ Louis Armstrong, who was world- Brandeis University and the University of to be an extra movement (not in the jazz saxophone, arranging, improvisation, Miami Frost School of Music, where he theory, and directs the hard-swinging Itha- renowned for his gravelly singing as original version) at the recommenda- well as his virtuosic trumpet play- studied composition with Melinda Wag- tion of several friends and mentors ca College Jazz Ensemble, a position he has ner, Eric Chasalow, David Rakowski, and held since 2008. ing. The soprano saxophone serves who said the piece was in dire need as a secondary soloist in this section, Lansing McLoskey. He teaches composi- of a finale. tion, electronic music, and counterpoint Prior to teaching at Ithaca College, Title- in honor of Sidney Bechet, another at the University of Georgia Hugh Hodg- While the piece is not narratively baum lived in the greater New York City New Orleans-based jazz musician son School of Music, where he is Assistant programmatic, each movement was area where he played at musical venues who ‘battled’ Louis Armstrong in Professor of Composition and Director of inspired by images I associate with such as the Blue Note, Smalls, Augies, Fez/ performances and recording sessions the Roger and Phyllis Dancz Center for different types of beacons. ‘Daybea- Time Café, and the legendary CBGB, as on several occasions. well as the pit orchestra of the Broadway New Music. con’ imagines choppy waters, as we The compositionIn a Mist, written hear the main theme submerged and musical Cats. His interest in educating mu- Regarding Beacons, the composer writes: sicians of all ages has brought Titlebaum to by Iowa-born cornetist Bix Beider- shifting. ‘Relays’ is associated with becke, inspired the second section relay beacons, passing rhythms and schools and universities across the country Beacons began as a re-working and ex- where he has done numerous lectures, clin- of the piece. Even though alcohol- phrase fragments in paths around the ism brought his life to an early end, pansion of a piece composed in 2011 ensemble. ‘Orbital Lights’ is inspired ics, and performances, as well as directed for Dinosaur Annex Music Ensemble honors jazz ensembles. He has been on the a tragic story that has been repeated by an imaginary lighthouse scenario: by many subsequent jazz musicians, (a contemporary chamber ensemble a beam of light, slowly revolving faculty of Florida A&M University in Tal- based in Boston), premiered as a lahassee and the Eastman School of Mu- thousands of later jazz musicians chord progression (led by the piano, were inspired by his cool, emotion- side-by-side performance between harp, and guitars), one-by-one il- sic, created the jazz track at the American professional players and advanced Festival for the Arts in Houston, and has ally detached approach to playing luminate faint, shimmering textures cornet.