THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY College of Music presents
University Concert Band
Chandler L. Wilson, Director
Jason Freeman and Brad Sparks, Graduate Conducting Associates and
University Symphonic Band
David Plack, Director
Collin Clark and Drew Hardy-Moore, Graduate
Conducting Associates
Monday, October 9, 2023
7:30 p.m. | Ruby Diamond Concert Hall
University Concert Band
joyRiDE
Variations on a Korean Folk Song
1 Con moto (1932–1972)
2. Vivace
3. Larghetto
5. Sostenuto
Machu Picchu - City in the Sky Satoshi
INTERMISSION
To Ensure An Enjoyable Concert Experience For All…
Please refrain from talking, entering, or exiting during performances. Food and drink are prohibited in all concert halls. Recording or broadcasting of the concert by any means, including the use of digital cameras, cell phones, or other devices is expressly forbidden. Please deactivate all portable electronic devices including watches, cell phones, pagers, hand-held gaming devices or other electronic equipment that may distract the audience or performers.
Recording Notice: This performance may be recorded. Please note that members of the audience may at times be included in this process. By attending this performance you consent to have your image or likeness appear in any live or recorded video or other transmission or reproduction made in conjunction to the performance.
Florida State University provides accommodations for persons with disabilities. Please notify the College of Music at (850) 644-3424 at least five working days prior to a musical event to request accommodation for disability or alternative program format.
Michael Markowski (b. 1986) Persis James Hosay (b. 1959) Star Ship Yukiko Nishimura (b. 1967) Jason W. Freeman, graduate asociate conductor John Barnes Chance 4. Allegro con brio 6. Con Islancio Rodney Dorsey, guest conductor Irish Washerwoman Leroy Anderson (1908–1975) Brad Sparks, graduate conducting associate Yagisawa (b. 1975)University Symphonic Band
Silverado Bruce Broughton (b. 1945)
arr. Randol Alan Bass
Sleep Eric Whitacre (b. 1970)
Shadow Rituals Michael Markowski (b.1986)
The Last of Sailing Ships Jake S. Jordan
I. Departure (b. 1999)
II. Last Day Above Water
III. Capsize
— Premiere performance — Winner of James E. Croft Grant for Young and Emerging Composers
Sasparilla John Mackey (b.1973) Marvin Goldstein, accordion
NOTES ON THE PROGRAM
Markowski: joyRiDE
An unconventional composer, Michael Markowski majored in Film Practices at Arizona State. Markowski began composing while he was in high school. His compositions include works for Wind Ensemble, Orchestra, Chamber Music, Vocal, and Flex Band.
joyRiDE was suggested by Markowski’s high school director, Jon Gomez. Gomez initially asked that the work contained aspects of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” fused with the rhythmic intensity of John Adam’s composition Short Ride on a Fast Machine. During Markowski’s senior year joyRiDE premiered in New York City, at Carnegie Hall.
Hosay: Persis
James Hosay began writing band arrangements at the age of 13 and his first original composition was completed at 15. The outstanding trumpeter attended the US Armed Forces School of Music after graduating high school. During his time as a performer Hosay was able improve his composition and orchestration skillset. In 1991, Hosay was appointed arranger/composer of the US Army Band.
Persis (Greek for Persia) is a fantasy-overture, outlining the story of an American man who returns to the Persian city, Persepolis. His adventure begins with being surrounded by stunning architecture, marble statues, and works of art from the earliest known civilizations. While observing Persepolis, he sees and approaches a beautiful Persian woman. Miraculously, she recalls knowing him previously in life. After a brief embrace, his presence in the Royal courtyard was forbidden. Then, chased by armed warriors throughout the corridors of the city, he harkens back on the romance that might have been.
Nishimura: Star Ship
A graduate of Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, Yukiko Nishimura continued her studies with Dr. Alfred Reed at the University of Miami School of Music and Dr. Richard Danielpour at Manhattan School of Music. Nishimura received one of her highest honors, Special Mention, at the 15th International Competition for Original Composition for Band. To date, she has received countless commissions and has composed works for piano, solo marimba, chamber music, band, and orchestra.
In Japan there is an old tale about two stars, Altair (man), and Vega (woman). Once a year, on July 7, the two lovers meet one another. Located on opposite sides of the Milky Way, they must ride a ship, Hoshi no Fune, to meet on that night. In case of rain, they cannot see each other due to the river of light in the sky being swollen.
Chance: Variations on a Korean Folk Song
A student of the great Clifton Williams, John Barnes Chance was born in Beaumont, Texas in 1932. He studied music at the University of Texas where he earned both bachelors and masters degrees. In the late 1950s Chance became the arranger for the 4th and 8th US Army bands where he served in Seoul, South Korea. While serving, he discovered a folk tune called Arirang. In 1965, Chance used that tune to write Variations on a Korean Folk Song. Despite passing away tragically at the age of 39, he wrote many works in his short career that are still celebrated today.
Arirang refers to both a genre of folksongs from Korea as well as the most famous example from this genre. Being an oral tradition, the exact origin of the arirang genre has been obscured, however many scholars attribute its origin to something of a protest song. During the reconstruction after the Japanese invasion of the 1590s, the king expected the people of Korea to pay for the palace’s reconstruction through taxation. The people responded with chants that eventually evolved into arirang, the folk song genre endemic to Korea.
Anderson: Irish Washerwoman
Born in 1908, Leroy Anderson began taking lessons at age 11 at the New England Conservatory after his mother noticed him playing a piece at the piano which he had learned by ear. While studying at Harvard’s preparatory high school, his father bought him a trombone so that he would be seen in the front of the marching band as he played at Harvard football games when he got to college. It seems that wherever he went from childhood on, his teachers recognized his great skill for writing music, and he was granted many opportunities to write along the way, so it is no surprise that while attending Harvard he was quickly recognized and regularly commissioned to write for the Boston Pops Orchestra by its director Arthur Fiedler, to whom this piece is dedicated.
Irish Washerwoman was originally arranged by Leroy Anderson for the Boston Pops Orchestra in 1947 as part of his Irish Suite, which at the time included three other movements entitled The Minstrel Boy, The Rakes of Mallow, and The Last Rose of Summer. In 1949, Anderson added two additional movements entitled The Wearing of the Green and The Girl I Left Behind Me. All of these movements are traditional Irish folk songs. Like many of his compositions, Anderson later adapted the suite for concert band.
Yagisawa: Machu Picchu - City in the Sky
A prolific contemporary band composer, Satoshi Yagisawa was born in Tokyo in 1975. He studied composition at the Musashino Academia Musicae in Tokyo, Japan. Today, Yagisawa’s works for band and orchestra are popular with ensembles and audiences around the world.
Premiered in 2004 by the Ensemble Liberte Wind Orchestra in Kawaguchi, Japan, Machu Picchu - City in the Sky illustrates the majesty and history of the ancient Incan city in present-day Peru. The piece begins with a flourish that evokes the glorious golden city of Cuzco as the listener ascends the Andes towards the great temple. The piece takes on a foreboding tone as enemy forces invade the city leaving it in ruin. Finally, familiar themes return intertwined with a soaring melody to depict the city’s return to glory as it is rebuilt.
Broughton: Silverado
Originally written by film score composer Bruce Broughton (b. 1945), Randol Bass (b. 1953) has arranged this western cinematic classic for concert band. Based on themes of the 1985 film Silverado starring Kevin Costner, Kevin Kline, Danny Glover, Jeff Goldblum. Silverado was named “Best Sound and Best Original Score” by the Academy Awards in 1985.
The film Silverado featured a group of misfit cowboys who help a group of settlers track down a pack of thieves. The cowboys descend on the troubled town of Silverado to seek their fortunes. Soon after arriving, they discover that the town has fallen into the grasp of a greedy rancher and corrupt Sheriff. The story follows the group of misfit cowboys as they save the day.
The piece opens with a “martial and majestic” horn fanfare. In traditional symphonic overture form, the middle section features several solos before the trombone signals the return for the closing section. The original melody is reprised by brass choir in augmentation as the woodwinds and keyboard percussion drive the energy to the finale.
Whitacre: Sleep
Eric Whitacre’s Sleep is a delicate and evocative choral work inspired by the poem Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost. This arrangement for band allows the listener to be gently embraced by ethereal harmonies and tone colors, mimicking the quiet embrace of a tranquil snowy evening as one falls asleep.
Whitacre is a prominent American composer, conductor, and speaker known for revolutionizing choral music in the contemporary era. Born on January 2, 1970, in Reno, Nevada, Whitacre displayed an early passion for music, leading him to study at the Juilliard School, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and the University of Southern California. He gained widespread acclaim for his innovative compositions and arrangements, often utilizing virtual choirs to bring together singers worldwide through the power of technology. Whitacre’s works, characterized by lush harmonies and soundscapes, have earned him numerous awards and accolades, solidifying his position as a visionary in modern choral music.
Markowski: Shadow Rituals
Michael Markowski graduated from Arizona State University in 2010 with a degree in Film Practices. Although he never studied music in college, he continued to pursue music and composition in extracurricular activities such as composition and film scoring workshops. He was named as one of ASCAP’s Film & TV “Composers to Watch.”
Shadow Rituals was one of Markowski’s first works for concert band. Written while Markowski was 20 years old and still in college, it was dedicated to Frank Ticheli – another composer whose style has a large influence on the metric and rhythmic structure of this piece. The piece also won first prize in Manhattan Beach Music’s Frank Ticheli Composition Contest in 2006. The use of mixed and compound meter with energetic and rhythmic challenges provides an exciting cinematic dance.
Markowski writes the following about his inspiration for this piece:
I can remember sitting in my junior high school band reading through my first Frank Ticheli piece; I remember it because I found his style so unlike the other arrangements and “standards” that we performed. Now, several years later, I realize the remarkable inspiration Ticheli’s music has made on my own writing and growth as a musician. Because of this, Shadow Rituals was written particularly for the Manhattan Beach Music Frank Ticheli Composition Contest and I dedicate it humbly to Frank Ticheli.
Jordan: The Last of Sailing Ships
Jake Jordan is a master’s student at Florida State University and holds a bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University. His compositions range from music for the stage to short film scores. The Last of Sailing Ships is one winner of the James E. Croft Grant for Young and Emerging Wind Band Composers.
The Last of Sailing Ships follows the story of the final voyage of the Pamir, a barque built for the German shipping company F. Laeisz. On the twenty-first of September 1957, she sank of the coast of the Azores, leaving only six survivors behind.
By the twentieth century, sailing ships had fallen out of favor to more modern coal and oil burning vessels. However, the Pamir continued her service as a container ship well into the 1950s. In August of 1957, her voyage from Buenos Aires was interrupted by hurricane Carrie, a category 4 storm, which, combined with faulty loading procedures, proved fatal for the ship. After days of searching, only six individuals were saved.
Within the piece, frequent references are made to the naval hymn “Eternal Father, Strong to Save,” a nod not only to those who lost their lives in this specific sinking, but to the many occurrences of life lost at sea throughout history. This piece was made possible by the Atlantic Coast Conference Band Director’s Association’s generous “James E. Croft” grant in 2022.
Mackey: Sasparilla
John Mackey (b. 1973) is one of the most prolific wind band composers of the twenty-first century, having written more than forty works for wind band in the last seventeen years. He has received commissions from numerous professional organizations, including the American Bandmasters Association, the Dallas Wind Symphony, the New York City Ballet, and the BBC Singers. In April 2005, Mackey wrote his first original work for wind band, Sasparilla.
Sasparilla is a spirited and vibrant piece that pays homage to the lively spirit of the American Wild West. The title conjures images of saloons, cowboys, and the untamed landscapes of the American frontier. Mackey harnesses this imagery and infuses it into the fabric of the composition using catchy rhythms, memorable melodies, and exciting rhythmic interplay among sections of the ensemble.
University Concert Band Personnel
Chandler L. Wilson, director
Jason Freeman and Brad Sparks, graduate conducting associates
Piccolo
Anna Todd
Flute
Kylie Boschen
Kayla Crider
Celeste Galvez
Taylor LaPage
Allie Mattice
Addison Peltier
Lexi Smith
Sofia Velez-Santiago
Marina Whitsell
Oboe
Megan Halter
Alejandro Lopez
Lilly Owens
Bassoon
Aspen Atwood
Lyx Teets
B-flat Clarinet
Grace Allen
Ryan Brabham
Victoria Hamilton
Claire Huggins
Madeline Mondok
Shane Smith
Abigail Varnadoe
Bass Clarinet
Katelyn Smith
Alto Saxophone
Jennifer Fuentes
Pauly Herrera
Josie Liederman
Gabriel Ortiz
Brody Schiavone
Brianne Yates
Tenor Saxophone
Erin Kane
Jamari Spears-Screen
Olivia Turke
Baritone Saxophone
Joshua Spraker
Trumpet
Katie Brinkman
Edwin Cintron
Jean-Luc Cruz
Katherine Hatfield
Henry Hobbs
Collin May
Kai Okamoto
Miron Tillery
Kye Turner
Horn
Sophia Fernandez
Eliana Gold
Dominic Gonzalez
Madz Kyncl
Anna Leach
Christina Park
Maya Robertson
Braden Tan
Trombone
Tyler Berman
Austin Boudi
Connor Casey
Ethan Colón
Romus Edenfield
Landon Ellenberg
Tyler Figenscher
Micah Hreczkosij
Kyle Krogol
Greg Lambert
Samuel Mercier
Colton Shallcross
Euphonium
Lee Anderson
Karina Benton
Yasha Foster
Marissa Hutchins
Ethan Sauvé
Tuba
Noah Bryant
Alden Cruz
Parker Iliff
Connor Kelley
Nicholas Kozakoff
Collier McBride
Andrew Mechling
Allie Nutting
Armand Ortiz
Samuel Williams
Double Bass
Michael Levanti
Piano
Grace Smith
Percussion
Darci Wright
Ryan Boehme
Austin Pelella
Landon Holladay
Kylan Bigby
University Symphonic Band Personnel
David Plack, director
Collin Clark and Drew Hardy-Moore, graduate conducting associates
Piccolo
Mary Moshos
Flute
Carissa Kettering
Javier Rivera
Nicki Howard
Willa Gutowski
Kendall Smith
Raul Parra
Ryleigh Templeton
Sophie Hyde
Oboe
Julia Heard
Maddy Jenkins
Bassoon
Hunter Fisher
Ryan Russell
Dakota Jeter + Contra
B-Flat Clarinet
Malik Mullino
Anna Urbine
Halle Mynard
Luke Montgomery
Aidan May
Jolene Hempfing
Ava Raposo
Elizabeth Kennedy
Eric Olmsted
Marie Yonts
Regan Gomersall
Ryan Tone
Bass Clarinet
Alexei Kovalev
Contrabass Clarinet
Marie Yonts
Saxophone
Casey Caulkins, alto
Riley Nauman, alto
Luis Angel, alto
Parker Button, alto
Ashton Stewart, tenor
Arwyn Hill, baritone
Trumpet/Cornet
Jordyn Myers
Sharavan Duvvuri
Joshua Briley
Grason Peterson
Jeremiah Gonzalez
Rayane Almeida-Santos
Marin Kelly
John Bradley
Horn
Ashlie Green
Sarah Meza*
Abby Odom
Senanu Simpson
Andrew Whitlach
Brandon Bourdeau
Trombone
Connor McDonald
Tyler Butler
Jane Cohen
Taylor Haworth
Samuel Coté
Calvin Fein
Joshua Stambaugh, bass
Tristan Goodrich, bass
Euphonium
Maggie Schaffer
Kris Stottlemire
Elizabeth Reese
Tuba
Christopher Bernhardt
Braden Meyer
Xavier Gauthier
Thomas Ambrose
Piano
Bryden Reeves
String Bass
Emma Waidner
Percussion
Ryan Boehme
Chance Douglas
Drew Jungslager
Caitlin Magennis
Will Mccoy
Jessica Weinberg
Darci Wright