From Jacob Wallace at Baylor University:

Gustav Holst’s First Suite in E-flat for Military Band occupies a legendary position in the wind band repertory and can be seen, in retrospect, as one of the earliest examples of the modern wind band instrumentation still frequently performed today. Its influence is so significant that several composers have made quotation or allusion to it as a source of inspiration to their own works.

Holst began his work with Chaconne, a traditional Baroque form that sets a series of variations over a ground bass theme. That eight-measure theme is stated at the outset in tubas and euphoniums and, in all, fifteen variations are presented in quick succession. The three pitches that begin the work -- E-flat, F, and B-flat, ascending -- serve as the generating cell for the entire work, as the primary theme of each movement begins in exactly the same manner. Holst also duplicated the intervallic content of these three pitches, but descended, for several melodic statements (a compositional trick not dissimilar to the inversion process employed by the later serialist movement, which included such composers as Schoenberg and Webern). These inverted melodies contrast the optimism and bright energy of the rest of the work, typically introducing a sense of melancholy or shocking surprise. The second half of the Chaconne, for instance, presents a somber inversion of the ground bass that eventually emerges from its gloom into the exuberant final variations.

The “alluring” (The New York Times), “arresting” (Gramophone), “irresistible” (San Francisco Chronicle), and “exhilarating” (Chicago Tribune) music of Vietnamese-American composer Viet Cuong (b. 1990) has been commissioned and performed on six continents by musicians and ensembles such as the New York Philharmonic, Eighth Blackbird, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Sō Percussion, Alarm Will Sound, Atlanta Symphony, Sandbox Percussion, Albany Symphony, PRISM Quartet, and Dallas Winds, among many others. Cuong’s music has been featured in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, National Gallery of Art, and Library of Congress, and his works for wind ensemble have amassed several hundreds of performances worldwide, including at Midwest, WASBE, and CBDNA conferences.

In his music Cuong enjoys exploring the unexpected and whimsical, and he is often drawn to projects where he can make peculiar combinations and sounds feel enchanting or oddly satisfying. His notable works thus include concerti for tuba and dueling oboes, percussion quartets utilizing wine glasses and sandpaper, and pieces for double reed sextet, cello octet, and solo snare drum. This eclecticism extends to the variety of musical groups he writes for, and he has worked closely with ensembles ranging from middle school bands to Grammy-winning orchestras and chamber ensembles. His wind ensemble works are widely performed, having been programmed by the world’s preeminent wind bands such as the Dallas Winds and military bands including the United States Navy Band, “President’s Own” Marine Band, “Pershing’s Own” Army Band, Army Field Band, Coast Guard Band, and Air Force Band. These works have also been performed by the top wind ensembles at academic institutions such as the University of Texas at Austin, University of Michigan, University of North Texas, Louisiana State University, University of Miami, and Michigan State University. Passionate about bringing all these different facets of the contemporary music community together, his recent works include Vital Sines, a concerto for Eighth Blackbird and the United States Navy Band, and Re(new)al, a concerto for percussion quartet with a variety of ensemble accompaniments.

Cuong is the Pacific Symphony’s current Composer-in-Residence, and from 2020-23 was the California Symphony’s Young American Composer-in-Residence. He has held artist residencies at Copland House, Yaddo, Ucross, the Atlantic Center for the Arts, and at Dumbarton Oaks, where he served as the 2020 Early-Career Musician-in-Residence. His music has been awarded the Barlow Prize, William D. Revelli Prize, Frederick Fennell Prize, Walter Beeler Memorial Prize, Barlow Endowment Commission, ASCAP Morton Gould Composers Award, Theodore Presser Foundation Award, Suzanne and Lee Ettelson Composers Award, Cortona Prize, New York Youth Symphony First Music Commission, and Boston GuitarFest Composition Prize.

Cuong serves as Assistant Professor of Music Composition and Theory the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he teaches composition, orchestration, and music theory. He holds degrees in music composition from Princeton University (MFA/PhD), the Curtis Institute of Music (Artist Diploma), and the Peabody Conservatory (BM/MM). His mentors include Jennifer Higdon, David Serkin Ludwig, Donnacha Dennehy, Steve Mackey, Dan Trueman, Dmitri Tymoczko, Kevin Puts, and Oscar Bettison. During his studies, he held the Daniel W. Dietrich II Composition Fellowship at Curtis, Naumburg and Roger Sessions Fellowships at Princeton, and Evergreen House Foundation scholarship at Peabody, where he was also awarded the Peabody Alumni Award (the Valedictorian honor) and Gustav Klemm Award. A scholarship student at the Aspen, Bowdoin, and Lake Champlain music festivals, Cuong has been a fellow at the Orchestra of St. Luke’s DeGaetano Institute, Minnesota Orchestra Composers Institute, Mizzou International Composers Festival, Eighth Blackbird Creative Lab, Cabrillo Festival’s Young Composer Workshop, Cortona Sessions, and Copland House’s CULTIVATE workshop.

From the composer:

A 2010 article published in Nature Physics details an experiment in which scientists were able to successfully melt a diamond and, for the first time, measure the temperature and pressure necessary to do so. When diamonds are heated to very high temperatures, they don’t melt; they simply turn into graphite, which then melts (and the thought of liquid graphite isn’t nearly as appealing or beautiful as liquid diamond.) Therefore, the addition of extremely high pressure—40 million times the pressure we feel on Earth at sea level—is crucial to melt a diamond. The extreme temperature and pressure used in this experiment are found Neptune and Uranus, and scientists therefore believe that seas of liquid diamond are possible on these two planets. Oceans of diamond may also account for these planets’ peculiar magnetic and geographic poles, which do not line up like they do here on Earth. Lastly, as the scientists were melting the diamonds, they saw floating shards of solid diamond forming in the pools—just like icebergs in our oceans. Imagine: distant planets with oceans of liquid diamond filled with bergs of sparkling solid diamonds drifting in the tide...

These theories are obviously all conjecture, but this alluring imagery provided heaps of inspiration for Diamond Tide, which utilizes the “melting” sounds of metallic water percussion and trombone glissandi throughout.

The work is in two movements, which can be performed separately.

Heartfelt thanks to Cheryl Floyd, Richard Floyd, the TMEA Region 18 bands, and John Mackey for making this piece possible.

From the U.S. Marine’s President’s Own, and Paul E. Bierly’s “The Works of John Philip Sousa”: with the possible exception of “The Star Spangled Banner,” no musical composition has done more to arouse the patriotic spirit of America than this, John Philip Sousa’s most beloved composition. ... Symbolic of flag-waving in general, it has been used with considerable effectiveness to generate patriotic feeling ever since its introduction in Philadelphia on May 14, 1897, when the staid Public Ledger reported: “It is stirring enough to rouse the American eagle from his crag, and set him to shriek exultantly while he hurls his arrows at the aurora borealis.”

Aside from this flowery review, the march’s reception was only slightly above average for a new Sousa march. It grew gradually in public acceptance, and with the advent of the Spanish-American War the nation suddenly needed such patriotic music. Capitalizing on this situation, Sousa used it with maximum effect to climax his moving pageant, The Trooping of the Colors.

“The Stars and Stripes Forever” had found its place in history. There was a vigorous response wherever it was performed, and audiences began to rise as though it were the national anthem. This became traditional at Sousa Band concerts. It was his practice to have the cornets, trumpets, trombones, and piccolos line up at the front of the stage for the final trio, and this added to the excitement. Many bands still perform the piece this way.

With the passing years the march has endeared itself to the American people. The sight of Sousa conducting his own great band in this, his most glorious composition, always triggered an emotional response. The piece was expected–and sometimes openly demanded–at every concert of the Sousa Band. Usually it was played unannounced as an encore. Many former Sousa Band members have stated that they could not recall a concert in which it was not played, and that they too were inspired by looking into the misty eyes of those in the audience. That the players never tired of it is surely a measure of its greatness.

Sousa was very emotional in speaking of his own patriotism. When asked why he composed this march, he would insist that its strains were divinely inspired. In a Sousa Band program at Willow Grove we find this account:

Someone asked, “Who influenced you to compose ‘Stars and Stripes Forever,’” and before the question was hardly asked, Sousa replied, “God–and I say this in all reverence! I was in Europe and I got a cablegram that my manager was dead. I was in Italy and I wished to get home as soon as possible. I rushed to Genoa, then to Paris and to England and sailed for America. On board the steamer as I walked miles up and down the deck, back and forth, a mental band was playing ‘Stars and Stripes Forever.’ Day after day as I walked it persisted in crashing into my very soul. I wrote it on Christmas Day, 1896.”

The march was not put to paper on board the ship. Presumably it was penned in Sousa’s hotel suite in New York soon after docking.

The composition was actually born of homesickness, as Sousa freely told interviewers, and some of the melodic lines were conceived while he was still in Europe. In one such interview he stated:

In a kind of dreamy way I used to think over old days at Washington when I was leader of the Marine Band...when we played at all public official functions, and I could see the Stars and Stripes flying from the flagstaff in the grounds of the White House just as plainly as if I were back there again.

Then I began to think of all the countries I had visited, of the foreign people I had met, of the vast difference between America and American people and other countries and other peoples, and that flag of ours became glorified...and to my imagination it seemed to be the biggest, grandest, flag in the world, and I could not get back under it quick enough.

It was in this impatient, fretful state of mind that the inspiration to compose ‘The Stars and Stripes Forever’ came to me, and to my imagination it was a genuine inspiration, irresistible, complete, definite, and I could not rest until I had finished the composition. Then I experienced a wonderful sense of relief and relaxation. I was satisfied, delighted, with my work after it was done. The feeling of impatience passed away, and I was content to rest peacefully until the ship had docked and I was once more under the folds of the grand old flag of our country.

The interviewer then added this telling postlude: “’Amen! to those sentiments,’ I said. And as I looked at John Philip Sousa there were tears in his eyes.”

Sousa explained to the press that the three themes of the final trio were meant to typify the three sections of the United States. The broad melody, or main theme, represents the North. The South is represented by the famous piccolo obbligato, and the West by the bold countermelody of the trombones.

By almost any musical standard, “The Stars and Stripes Forever” is a masterpiece, even without its patriotic significance. But by virtue of that patriotic significance it is by far the most popular march ever written, and its popularity is by no means limited to the United States. Abroad, it has always symbolized America. It has been recorded more often than practically any other composition ever written. Sales of the sheet music alone netted Sousa over $400,000 in his lifetime; radio broadcasts, sheet music, and phonograph records brought his heirs tidy sums for many years. After the copyright expired in 1953, over fifty new arrangements appeared in the United States alone. Looking back at the march’s astonishing success, it is difficult to believe that the publisher had shown little faith in it and that he had even suggested to Sousa that “Forever” be stricken from the title.

Sousa did not claim that his march title was original. He could have come by it in one of two ways. First, the favorite toast of bandmaster Patrick S. Gilmore’s was “Here’s to the stars and stripes forever!” Also, one of Sousa’s publishers had earlier printed a piece with the same title.

Sousa wrote words for the march, evidently for use in The Trooping of the Colors, his pageant of 1898. These are printed below. One phrase (“Death to the enemy!”) was curiously omitted, however–one which he said came to him repeatedly while he was pacing the decks of the Teutonic.

Let martial note in triumph float

And liberty extend its mighty hand;

A flag appears ‘mid thunderous cheers, The banner of the Western land.

The emblem of the brave and true.

Its folds protect no tyrant crew;

The red and white and starry blue

Is freedom’s shield and hope.

Other nations may deem their flags the best

And cheer them with fervid elation

But the flag of the North, and South and West

Is the flag of flags, the flag of Freedom’s nation.

Hurrah for the flag of the free!

May it wave as our standard forever,

The gem of the land and the sea,

The banner of the right.

Let despots remember the day

When our fathers with mighty endeavor

Proclaimed as they marched to the fray

That by their might and by their right it waves forever.

(Second time)

Let eagle shriek from lofty peak

The never-ending watchword of our land; Let summer breeze waft through the trees The echo of the chorus grand.

Sing out for liberty and light,

Sing out for freedom and the right.

Sing out for Union and its might,

O patriotic sons.

Other nations may deem their flags the best (Etc.)

Hurrah for the flag of the free! (Etc.)

Benjamin Dean Taylor is a composer of contemporary concert music. His energetic, adventurous music provides a

uniquely refreshing sonic experience for performers and audiences alike. Trained as a trumpet player and pianist, he

performs with and writes music for a variety of chamber ensembles, orchestras, jazz combos and big bands, wind

bands, and choirs. Taylor is one of the few living composers today making his primary income from commissions and

self-publishing his music. In addition to these core activities, he enjoys a diversified career including leading seminars

for music educators, providing clinics for ensembles, performing with his Dixieland Jazz Band, teaching private lessons,

leading community bucket drumming groups, and performing at local retirement communities with his kids as the

“Taylor Family Band.” Passionate about inspiring the rising generation of composers, he is the founder and executive

director of Music Creators Academy and serves as the Program Director for the Indiana University Jacobs Composition

Academy.

Taylor has received professional commissions from individuals and ensembles all over the world including the Calidore

String Quartet, Omaha Symphony, Solaire Saxophone Quartet, New World Youth Symphony, as well as over 200 wind

band directors of players at all educational levels. He received his doctorate degree from Indiana University and

currently resides in Bloomington, Indiana with his wife and seven children. When not composing, Taylor can be found

wrestling with his kids, running ultramarathons, hiking, backpacking, cooking, and doing insane burpee routines.

Explore his music at benjamintaylormusic.com

This work is a regional premiere as part of Garrett High School’s participation in a commissioning consortium.

No program notes have been provided for this performance.

Arthur Frackenpohl began his career in 1949 as an instructor of music and coordinator of keyboard courses, then later in 1957 he completed his doctorate at McGill University in Montreal. Arthur was born on April 23, 1924 in Irvington, New Jersey. Arthur is known for his compositions for band and orchestra, and for his popular school ensembles. Another thing is that he wrote and arranged a wide variety of chamber ensembles, specifically brass and winds.

T-Bone Blues is a Trombone solo with a 12-bar blues progression. There will be glisses tied to some triplets as well as a piano accompaniment in the background. There are quite a few repeats in the music towards the end. Through the entire piece is slurs. This piece is based on jazz and its context.

Since T-Bone Blues is based off of jazz it’s going to want to feel groovy. The piece is legato which is soft. The rhythm is a key part in this piece especially when there’s a piano accompaniment in the background. The piano part plays a little bit of the same things as me, but not entirely the same. T-Bone Blues is such a nice piece of music, and I hope you like it as much as I do.

Concerto in E Flat Major for Alto Saxophone was written by Alexander Glazunov in 1934. Glazunov was a Russian composer, conductor, and music teacher born in 1865. A child prodigy, he began composing at just eleven years old. Throughout his life, he was extremely successful and composed several ballets, symphonies, and concertos; among his most famous works were The Seasons and Raymonda. Written just two years before his death, this concerto is now a part of the standard saxophone repertoire. It is, in whole, a 15-minute-long piece meant to be played alongside an orchestra. You’ll hear the prevailing melody repeated in several different rhythms, intense runs up and down the horn, and trading parts between soloist and accompanist. With singing, lyrical sections and intricate technical passages, this concerto offers the best of both worlds.

"Russian Dance" was written by C. Kopprasch, although some early publications mistakenly attributed the etudes to him. Georg Kopprasch, a German composer and horn player, is well-known for his second set of sixty horn studies. Born into a musical family, he played in the Prussian Regiment band and later joined the Royal Theater in Berlin as the second horn player. Afterward, he went back to Dessau, where he played in the court orchestra for the rest of his career. Kopprasch's most famous works are his opus 6 etudes for low horn, which are still widely used and published. These exercises have been adapted for different brass instruments too.

No program notes were provided for this performance.

No program notes were provided for this performance.

James Hook was an English composer and organist. Hook was born June 3, 1746 in Norwich, England. Hook influenced England as a young child displaying an impressive musical talent. He played the harpsichord by the age four, later performing concertos at age six. To earn money, he taught, composed, transcribed music, and tuned keyboard instruments. Later, Hook was appointed as an organist and composer to the Marylebone Gardens in 1768. In addition to this, James Hook was invited to perform concertos in theaters and comics operas. He wrote over 2000 songs exploring different musical styles of his day and exploited the style galant. James composed stage works, large vocal works, chamber music, and keyboard sonatas. The most significant out of these are The Lady of the Manor, The Fair Peruvian, The Soldiers Return, Tekeli, and The Fortress.

When the parts were written separately, they were found in the British Museum, filled in errors and inconsistencies, extra measures, omitted measures, and numerous ambiguities of phrasing and dynamics. It is believed that the most of these faults were corrected in the publication of this piece. After it was revised, it became the practical piece for the present-day educational pieces. Various other articulation and dynamic indications in the trio allowed a challenge for learners.

Hook used dynamic and articulation marks sparingly. In the first movement you can hear moving joyfully lines between the three parts at a fast pace. The different phrases are separated by contrasting dynamics and articulations. In contrast to the first movement, the second movement is slower. You can hear the blend of different notes together as one graceful note. The subdivision between the different parts blends the eighth notes and sixteenth notes very well.

Born on August 17, 1935 in Red Wing, Minnesota, Mitchell Peters would go on to become one of the most successful percussionists of all time. He started out playing the drums, but soon expanded his horizons to all other areas of percussion. He played in both the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and the L.A Philharmonic, 2 of the biggest orchestras in the country. Mitchell has also published various works which are staples in percussion. These works include Yellow After the Rain for marimba and his multiple Snare Drum study books. Mitchell sadly passed away on

October 28, 2017. After his death, he was inducted into the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame, an accomplishment done by very few. The context of this piece of music lies in its name: “Primal Mood.” As soon as the solo starts, it bears resemblances to George of the Jungle’s drumming. The piece follows an ABA form, with two distinct sections. Each part sounds like jungle drumming, bringing home the “primal” theme. This solo follows a simplistic form, making it easier to follow for listeners.

No program notes were provided for this performance.

Carl Stamitz was baptized in Palatinate, Germany on May 8, 1745. No one knows when he was actually born. Stamitz came into the musical world at a young age because of his father, Johann Stamitz. Johann was the founder of the Mannheim school in Germany that Carl played violin and viola for. Stamitz traveled around Europe performing and composing until his death on November 9, 1801. Although Stamitz wrote around 50 symphonies, he is best known for his concertos, particularly those for clarinet and viola. His Viola Concerto in D Major is famous as it was the first piece to specify left hand pizzicato for strings.

This piece is in a series of 11 clarinet concertos that Stamitz wrote. They are often regarded as the first time that the soloistic capabilities of the clarinet were showcased in a classical concerto. It was likely originally written to be played by Johann Joseph Beer, a clarinet player whom Stamitz often worked with while he was in Paris.

This version of the concerto begins with a short piano introduction and immediately moves into a fun clarinet melody. When played with an orchestra, the intro is much longer. The opening section juxtaposes both articulated and slurred passages in the first section, which makes it more engaging to listen to. After a short piano break, the piece moves into a more lyrical section where the piano and the clarinet often have certain passages together, rather than just complementing one another. After that, the beginning melody is brought back, followed by a long string of runs at various dynamic levels. The piece then finishes with a beautiful cadenza.

Francois Couperin was a French composer was born November 10, 1668, in Paris, France. He wrote songs such as psalms, motets, Lamentation, and La Bouffonne. In his life he composed a lot of music he played on a piano and a harpsichord . La Bouffonne is a quick dance that would be used for party’s and on special occasions. The should sound like a light and fluffy song that makes you happy.

Jacques Delécluse was born on September 15, 1933. He was a French percussionist and composer born in Béthune.. He played both timpani and piano in the Orchestre de Paris and taught at the Conservatoire de Paris. Delécluse's father, Ulysses Delécluse, was a French clarinetist and pedagogue. Jacques studied Piano at the Conservatoire de Paris, eventually taking up studies in percussion as well. In 1950, he won First Prize in piano and Second Prize in percussion, going on to win First Prize in percussion the following year. Delécluse was known as the "Master of the Percussion Étude" for his 12 Etudes for Snare Drum released in 1964. These études have become commonplace in the orchestral percussion repertoire.

The importance of these etudes comes in their unique style. Most snare drum solos are written to feature lots of rudiments, and maybe some grooves as well. Delécluse études, however, are written with a more melodic idea in mind. There are lots of dynamic shifts and a good use of repetition. When listening to a Delécluse étude, it most definitely sounds different to a rudimental/rhythmic snare drum solo. There is a heavy emphasis on clean technique and dynamic contrast.

No program notes were provided for this performance.

Ray Flores is a music educator, percussionist and composer. He composes for multiple different groups, such as orchestras, percussion ensembles, and marching band. He is the Head Director at Briscoe Middle School in Northside ISD in San Antonio, TX. He has also been named Educator of the Year for his campus twice in the last 12 years. Some of his other significant works include ISPY, Prism, and Beyond the Mist.

This piece is heavily driven by rhythm. You will notice a small focus on melody and a greater emphasis on groove. The song isn’t in your typical 4/4 time, either. It’s in 5/8, which is a time signature with many different opportunities. Some parts can be felt in a 3 over 2 pattern, and some can be felt in a 2 over 3 pattern. The main focus of the group is to keep a steady groove going, heavily carried by the marimba part. When listening to this piece, expect a lot of repetition and trading of parts.

Born on May 28, 1848, in Aarhus, Denmark, Ludvig Schytte was a prominent Danish composer and pianist who left a lasting impact on the Romantic era of classical music. His musical journey began at the Royal Danish Academy of Music, where he not only honed his skills but later went on to become a teacher. Throughout his career, Schytte composed a wide range of piano pieces, chamber music, and works for orchestra, drawing inspiration from the likes of Chopin and Schumann. His compositions were renowned for their lyrical and expressive qualities, characteristic of the Romantic period. On November 10, 1909, Ludvig Schytte passed away, leaving behind a legacy of technically demanding yet melodically rich piano works (For example: Piano Concerto No. 1 in C minor Op. 28, Impromptus Op. 59, Études Op. 35) that continue to delight audiences to this day.

Ludvig Schytte composed a delightful chamber music piece titled "A Day in Venice." It perfectly captures the feeling and ambiance of a day spent in Venice, Italy. The piece of art brings imagery to mind the visuals, sounds, and feelings you would encounter when wandering through the city. Schytte's expert craftsmanship of melody, harmony, and rhythm transports listeners to a deeper representation of the city's allure and magnificence through his music. Schytte's "A Day in Venice" stands out as a significant addition to the chamber music genre, demonstrating his ability to vividly depict a story through music.

All things considered, "A Day in Venice" is truly a unique and colorful composition that masterfully captures the city's atmosphere with its wide range of emotions and melodic descriptions, taking listeners on a captivating journey through the city's visual and aural experiences.

Ludwig Van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist who was born December 17, 1770 and died March 26, 1827. Beethoven is well known for his works of art, music. His music was, and still is a stepping stone for many musicians. He is thought of as the greatest composer who ever lived; this is shown through his famous pieces: Ode to Joy, Für Elise, and Symphony No. 5.

Polonaise is a moving piece that is always going somewhere. You can always expect a light groove throughout the piece. There is plenty of dynamic contrast that matches with the accompaniment along with parts with only the piano speaking through.

Born on February 14, 1778 in Barcelona, Spain is a Spanish classical guitarist and composer known as Fernando Sor. However, not only did he compose music for only guitar but for voice, piano and orchestra. Sor was born into a family of carer soldiers. He even followed in the footsteps fighting in the war in Spain from 1808-1814. A lot of what he’s been through influenced what the style of his music was like during that time. Going into the piece it’s originally played on guitar and is a light free flowing piece.

On the guitar it’s very flowing but on the trumpet it has more detached parts. There are parts that flow and some that don’t but it all fits together to make a wonderful and fun to listen to song.

No program notes were provided for this performance.

No program notes were provided for this performance.

Four Pictures From New York was composed by Roberto Molinelli. Molinelli is an Italian composer, orchestra conductor, pianist, and violist. He was born in Ancona, Italy in 1963. He graduated with honors and won many international prizes. Molinelli is the president viola in the Orchestra da Camera di Bologna and Orchestra Filarmonica Marchigiana. He founded the Ensemble Opera Petite. Mollinelli’s most popular piece is Four Pictures From New York. His work is not well known, however he has composed many other pieces. These include Amederemix, and Milonga Para Astor, Tribute to Frank Zappa, and lots more.

Four Pictures From New York is composed of four different pieces of music. The second movement, Tango Club, will be played tonight. Tango Club was dedicated to the Grand Master of Tango, Astor Piazzolla, a New Yorker. Piazzolla composed the famous Tango Etudes. Tango Club is written in the style of Argentinian Tango. The music represents the many Metropolitan clubs where New Yorkers would dance to American-Latin music.

As the music is heard, it starts off strong with a prominent tango idea. This idea carries through the first section of the music throughout a strong melody. After this section, the pianist sets the mood through a different perspective than what the piece started with. This section is very romantic, exploring expressive phrases and beautiful tone. The music will then take the audience back to this prominent tango idea once more and end very strongly. Tango Club is full of many difficult techniques and rhythms that the performer must embody to achieve the most excellent tango style.

No program notes were provided for this performance.

Celebrated minuet and many other amazing pieces were written by Luigi Boccheini. Luigi was born in Luca Italy on February 19, 1743. Luca Italy. Baccheini was a great composer and composer very common pieces like a minuet from his String Quintet in E, Op. 11, No. 5 (G 275), and the Cello Concerto in B flat major (G 482) along witty many other very famous and great pieces. Boccheini started to compose in 1760 when he was 17 years old. He started his composing journey writing six trios for two violins and one cello. Boccheini then died on May 28, 1804 at age 62 in madrid spain. Boccheini dies of respiratory complaint. His chamber music compositions, particularly those featuring the cello, are highly regarded for their beauty. Boccherini's music is frequently noted for its graceful and emotive qualities.

Celebrated Minuet" was written by Luigi Boccherini. Boccherini wrote this with the goal of making music that would cheer and please listeners. In 1874 celebrated minuet was a popular dance, and Baccherini aimed to capture the spirit of this graceful and vivacious dance in his song. cheerful melodies and complex harmonies abound in the song, lending it a lively, playful feel. Boccherini wanted to write a piece that would express a lively response from the audience and a celebratory vibe. Thanks to its appealing melody and ability to elicit feelings of celebration and happiness, the "Celebrated Minuet" quickly rose to popularity.

From the first note you hear on Boccherini's "Celebrated Minuet. This piece captivates the listener with its delightful feeling. You will be welcomed by a bright and captivating melody that dances through the atmosphere as soon as the music starts. The strings take the lead, playing with grace and accuracy to create a happy, lighthearted mood. You can't help but tap your feet and swing along with the music because of the contagious rhythm. Several instruments enter at various points in the composition, giving it layers of richness and depth. A festive atmosphere fills the space as the cello, violin, and other instruments play together to produce a melodic and captivating sound. It's an incredibly enchanted encounter that makes you feel better.

Sextus Miskow, Born on February 3, 1857, died on November 24, 1928, was a Danish composer and singer who started his life in military school at age 14. When he got out after two years, he continued to study violin and piano at the Royal Danish Academy of Music for three years. While there, he also started choir lessons and worked on violin and piano for two additional years.

This piece is one of his more well-known pieces, due to it being featured in "Concert and Contest" a well-known compilation of clarinet solos published by Himie Voxman. The piece can be described as romantic and soulful. It stays in the lower and middle ranges of the clarinet with few spots that will jump out and startle you. As well as having moderately fast rhythms, there are few to no spots where notes held out for a full bar.

No program notes were provided for this performance.

Fantaisie Impromptu was composed and written by Fredric Chopin in 1834, and it was published in 1855. Chopin was a very popular composer at his time and in our modern world today. He is known for his expressive and intense compositions, such as Winter Wind (Etude op. 25 no. 11), Torrent (Etude op. 10 no. 4) and Revolutionary (Etude op. 10 no. 12). His most popular piece is Nocturne in C sharp minor, a very iconic and recognizable piece in the Romantic era and modern day.

Fantaisie Impromptu in C# minor (Op. posth. 66, WN 46) was written in 1834, and published in 1855. Though there are many variations and revisions to the piece, the original composition is the most popular. The piece gained its popularity from its different style and polyrhythms throughout the music.

Though the piece is loved in today’s world, Chopin was known for hating the composition due to its similarities to Moonlight Sonata 3rd movement (Beethoven) and the shared key signature.

The music has a strong start with an intense introduction, and moves to a very fast paced but quiet melody. The main melody is meant to represent “wind”, from the ranging dynamics and flowing sound. The piece then moves to a Ballad section introducing new melodies and ideas. The piece finishes with the original melody, and a slow conclusion revisiting the middle section’s “ballad”.

Eric Sammut studied piano and percussion and became known for his musical abilities at an early age. His varied musical experiences have led him to appreciate music of all genres, from Bach and Mozart to jazz and rock. After his studies at the Conservatoire supérieur de musique de Lyon he became the First Percussionist at l’Opera de Lyon. His passion for the marimba emerged during this period, as he found a new musical and technical approach to the instrument. In 1995 he won the Leigh Howard Stevens International Marimba Competition and toured the USA, performing concerts and conducting masterclasses. He is also known for his famous marimba compositions in the “Rotation” series.

Rotation IV garners its name from the mallet technique within the solo. Instead of focusing on multiple mallet strokes, this solo heavily leans into “rotating” the hands and using single mallets. Besides the technical aspect, this solo also features a lot of repetition. The harmonies in the piece are very “jazzy,” listeners can a lot of key changes and out-of-key accidentals. Eric’s jazz background really shines through in this composition. The range on the keyboard and dynamic range allow the player to really express themselves.

Russell Peck was born in Detroit, Michigan on January 25, 1945. He is an American composer who is best known for his orchestral works. His pieces have been played by orchestras all across the world from Boston, Massachusetts, USA to London, England and even Cairo, Egypt. He also wrote several concertos and chamber ensemble pieces, including Drastic Measures. Peck’s other well known pieces include Lift-Off for percussion trio and The Glory and Grandeur for string orchestra. Russell Peck died in North Carolina on March 1, 2009.

Originally, Drastic Measures was composed for a saxophone quartet from Northern Illinois University who were friends with the composer. In 1976, its final form was played by the New Century Saxophone Quartet out of North Carolina. Drastic Measures is meant to highlight the full capabilities of the quartet, with the first movement being lyrical and slow, followed by the second movement which showcases the technical and rhythmic qualities of saxophone playing.

This piece starts with the four players trading various rhythms. After that, we introduce the main melody of the piece as well as the slap tongue element, followed by a rhythmically complex part that leads to a section highlighting extended techniques including slap tongue and falls. We then change styles with the tenor and bari trading a repeating pattern. The soprano and alto then introduce an entirely new melody. Repeating sixteenth notes will also become a kind of motif in the tenor voice. All four voices will then come back together by trading sixteenth notes until they all play the sixteenth note motif together. We then move back into the original melody from the alto. This section builds into an unexpected Adagio near the end. After some chords, all four voices finish the piece with a quick,unison sixteenth note passage and slap tongue.