Program Notes
Bright Shadow Fanfare — Nicole Piunno
Nicole Piunno (b. 1985) is a composer who views music as a vehicle for seeing and experiencing the realities of life and how seeming opposites are connected as they often weave together. Her harmonic language and use of counterpoint mirrors the complexity of our world by acknowledging light and dark, beauty and brokenness, chaos and order, spiritual and physical, life and death. The intense contrast in this fast-paced fanfare could mean bringing our darkness into the light, or conversely it could mean revealing our positive traits and gifts that we may not always show to others.
Written in 2021.
Written in 2021.
Hammersmith — Gustav Holst
Best-known for his orchestral composition The Planets, Gustav Holst also wrote several major works for wind instruments, including the Second Suite in F and the masterful Hammersmith. Commissioned by the BBC for its military band, Hammersmith was Holst’s first band work for professional musicians. It is dedicated “To the Author of the Water Gypsies,” Alan P. Herbert, whose 1930 novel deals with a working-class girl from the borough of Hammersmith, which sits on the Thames River, where Holst lived and worked for many years of his life. Hammersmith is in the form of a Prelude and Scherzo; the Prelude representing the inexorable and unconcerned river, and the scherzo representing the Cockney street markets and laughing, bustling crowds. The music and mood of the Prelude return at the end of the composition, bringing us back to the great slow-moving river, passing relentlessly out to sea.
Written in 1930.
Written in 1930.
Masquerade — Anna Clyne
Masquerade draws inspiration from the original mid-18th-century promenade concerts held in London’s pleasure gardens. As is true today, these concerts were a place where people from all walks of life mingled to enjoy a wide array of music. Other forms of entertainment ranged from the sedate to the salacious with acrobatics, exotic street entertainers, dancers, fireworks and masquerades. I am fascinated by the historic and sociological courtship between music and dance. Combined with costumes, masked guises and elaborate settings, masquerades created an exciting, yet controlled, sense of occasion and celebration. It is this that I wish to evoke in Masquerade.
The work derives its material from two melodies. For the main theme, I imagined a chorus welcoming the audience ad inviting them into their imaginary world. The second theme, Juice of Barley, is an old English country dance melody and drinking song, which first appeared in John Playford’s 1695 edition of The English Dancing Master.
~ Program note by the composer
Written in 2013. Transcribed by Dennis Llinás.
The work derives its material from two melodies. For the main theme, I imagined a chorus welcoming the audience ad inviting them into their imaginary world. The second theme, Juice of Barley, is an old English country dance melody and drinking song, which first appeared in John Playford’s 1695 edition of The English Dancing Master.
~ Program note by the composer
Written in 2013. Transcribed by Dennis Llinás.
Waltz from Masquerade — Aram Khachaturian
The Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian wrote Masquerade as incidental music for a production of a play of the same name by Mikhail Lermontov. He later turned it into a five-movement suite for orchestra that is best known for its first movement, the Waltz, widely considered one of Khachaturian’s finest and most popular pieces, second in popularity only to the Sabre Dance. The Waltz from Masquerade has been described as “graceful with a dash of menace”using adjectives like “spooky and haunting” and as “having a tinge of darkness”. Not surprisingly it is frequently played on Halloween concerts in the United States.
Written in 1941. Transcribed By Jos van de Braak
Written in 1941. Transcribed By Jos van de Braak
————Intermission———--
Deliverance — Etienne Crausaz
This exciting concert suite by the young Swiss composer Etienne Crausaz (b. 1981) is in three movements. The first is in the style of a siciliana, a slow, lilting genre often used in the Baroque period; the second is a scherzo, full of colorful sounds and humorous musical elements; and the third—the vivace—presents a dialogue between the higher and lower voices of the band, with lots of time changes. All-in-all, an action-packed composition full of color and contrast.
Written in 2011.
Written in 2011.
Song for My Children — Andrew Boysen, Jr.
In 2006, I had the opportunity to write a piece for my wife called Song for Lyndsay. Following that work I knew that someday I wanted to write a similar piece for my children. In 2013, I finally got that opportunity when I received a commission from the Northeast Iowa Bandmaster’s Association. The resulting piece bears a strong connection to its predecessor in terms of its overall tone, structure and pitch material. The piece is not intended to be programmatic in any way, but I must admit that I was heavily influenced by images in my head as I composed. I couldn’t help but be filled with memories of holding my babies in my arms, watching them sleep peacefully, celebrating on their birthdays and Christmas mornings, and enjoying our cherished vacations on the beach. Song for My Children is just a simple expression of my love for Emily, Noah, Adeline, Ethan, and Claire. — Program note by the composer
Written in 2013.
Written in 2013.
Invocación — Luis Serrano Alarcón
This piece was born with the intention of transforming an existing music work, El Puerto, the second movement of the Suite Iberia by Isaac Albeniz, which I performed myself in my youth. From my perspective the action of revisiting an earlier work shows on the one hand the influence of experience and memories, and on the other, challenges the composer to evaluate his own musical evolution and maturity.
As a play on words, the title Invocación resembles and contrasts with Evocación (the title of the first movement of the Suite Iberia.) While evoking means remembering or being motivated by something external, invoking is a request, denoting intention. That is why Albéniz’s original music is transformed in my work into a faster tempo and a more rhythmic character, bringing it closer to the personality of a ritual dance.
— Edited notes by the composer
Written in 2017.
As a play on words, the title Invocación resembles and contrasts with Evocación (the title of the first movement of the Suite Iberia.) While evoking means remembering or being motivated by something external, invoking is a request, denoting intention. That is why Albéniz’s original music is transformed in my work into a faster tempo and a more rhythmic character, bringing it closer to the personality of a ritual dance.
— Edited notes by the composer
Written in 2017.
Triangle Wind Ensemble Performers
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Flute
Cindy Chastang Merritt Flexman Lauren Robbins-Pollack Rosene Rohrer Tammy Schmidt* Jennifer Wesner Piccolo Tammy Schmidt* Clarinet Lecia Cecconi-Roberts* Misti Griffith Luna Knudsen Connor Magoon Lorena Schakel Nick Siedentop Gail VanMatre Julie Wesner-Eidsvaag Tara Wilkinson Ryan Wing Eb Clarinet Ryan Wing Bass Clarinet Victoria Alston Julie Wilkerson |
Oboe/English Horn
Katie Michalak Josh Powell Bassoon Robin Hashey* Wayne Wise Soprano Saxophone Aaron Payne* Alto Saxophone Katherine Lee Aaron Payne* Tenor Saxophone Roberta Melton Baritone Saxophone Lynn Narveson |
Trumpet
Jim Alexander* Mark Beamish Christine Bui Carey Forman Clay Michalec Kathy Silbiger Horn Laura Alexander* Dawn Jonckowski Eric Smith Isaac Tomblin Ed Walaski Euphonium Liz Jenkins Connie Varner* James Wagner Trombone Michal Evans Garry Grabow Marshall Sweet |
Bass Trombone
Dorey A. Freeman Tuba Chris Dodson Sean Myers Bill White Percussion Phillip Brown Bill Hayes* Joshua Katz Jasmine Maya Rachel Oglesby Matthew Shore Piano Luna Knudsen Harp Samantha Horn Music Director Evan Feldman * Denotes Section Leader |
Special Thanks to Our 2024-25 Season Sponsors
Our Season Sponsors help provide the financial support needed to enable us to create outstanding music. To find our how you can become a Season Sponsor and the benefits of doing so, please visit our Sponsors page.
Fortississimo Level Sponsors
- Jim & Laura Alexander
- Lynn Narveson & Roberta Melton
- Kathy & Lex Silbiger
- Kim & Tim Sweet
- Gail VanMatre Photography
- Christine & Sy Bui
- Cindy Chastang
- Carey & Lisa Forman
- Bill & Sharon Hayes
- Judith & Paul Kindig
- Gerold & Kathy Mohn
- Teri Smith
- The Tomblin Family
- Triangle Swim School
- James & Cassandra Wagner
- Bill & Marlene White
- Larry & Kathy Alston
- Virginia Carty
- Cary School of Music
- Lecia Cecconi & Ray Roberts
- Alan Davidovich
- Maureen Davis
- Chris Dodson
- Stephen Erickson
- Michal Evans
- Merritt & Greg Flexman
- Garry & Kristi Grabow
- Robin Hashey
- Linda & Joel Johnson
- Dawn Jonckowski
- Luna Knudsen
- Katherine Lee
- Paul & Holly Mandelkern
- Katie Michalak
- Clay Michalec
- Aaron Payne
- Lauren Robbins-Pollack
- David & Rosene Rohrer
- Tammy Schmidt
- Nick Siedentop
- Daniel Squillace
- Marshall Sweet
- Gail VanMatre
- Connie Varner
- Ed & Kimberly Walaski
- Jennifer Wesner
- Julie Wesner
- Tara Wilkinson
- Wayne Wise
- Erin Wynia
Institutional Partners
Thanks also to the following institutional and community partners who have helped TWE in a variety of ways this year...
Our Music Director
Dr. Evan Feldman is Director of Wind Studies and Professor of Music at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he conducts the Wind Ensemble and teaches courses in conducting and music education. He also directs the Triangle Wind Ensemble and serves as Principal Guest Conductor of the Greensboro Sym- phony, where he conducts education, holiday, and pops concerts.
He is an active guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator in and outside of the United States, with recent engagements in Spain, Switzerland, Romania, Belgium, and Tanzania, as well as all-state, all-district, and all-county honor bands in the United States. Under his direction, the UNC Wind Ensemble has twice been invited to perform at the College Band Directors National Association southern division conference.
In 2020, Dr. Feldman’s college textbook, Instrumental Music Education (Routledge Publishing), was released in its third edition and has been adopted by university music education programs throughout the country. He is the author of the first MOOC (massive open online course) dedicated to conducting and rehearsal technique. Over 30,000 students have enrolled through Coursera.org.
Dr. Feldman’s arrangements and editions of music by Léo Delibes, Ralph Vaughan Williams, George Enescu, Antonin Dvořák, Ariel Ramirez, and Sergei Prokofiev are published by Tierolff Muziekcentrale.
Dr. Feldman earned the Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, where he studied with Donald Hunsberger and Mendi Rodan and served as an assistant conductor for the Eastman Wind Ensemble and Eastman Wind Orchestra. He received his Masters in Conducting from Ithaca College and his Bachelor of Arts in Music from Duke University. He previously taught high school band in Hicksville, NY.
He is an active guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator in and outside of the United States, with recent engagements in Spain, Switzerland, Romania, Belgium, and Tanzania, as well as all-state, all-district, and all-county honor bands in the United States. Under his direction, the UNC Wind Ensemble has twice been invited to perform at the College Band Directors National Association southern division conference.
In 2020, Dr. Feldman’s college textbook, Instrumental Music Education (Routledge Publishing), was released in its third edition and has been adopted by university music education programs throughout the country. He is the author of the first MOOC (massive open online course) dedicated to conducting and rehearsal technique. Over 30,000 students have enrolled through Coursera.org.
Dr. Feldman’s arrangements and editions of music by Léo Delibes, Ralph Vaughan Williams, George Enescu, Antonin Dvořák, Ariel Ramirez, and Sergei Prokofiev are published by Tierolff Muziekcentrale.
Dr. Feldman earned the Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, where he studied with Donald Hunsberger and Mendi Rodan and served as an assistant conductor for the Eastman Wind Ensemble and Eastman Wind Orchestra. He received his Masters in Conducting from Ithaca College and his Bachelor of Arts in Music from Duke University. He previously taught high school band in Hicksville, NY.
