Thursday, September 18, 2025 at 7:30 p.m.
Hodgson Concert Hall
UGA Performing Arts Center
Nicholas Enrico Williams, Conductor
PROGRAM
On-Again, Off-Again
Symphony No. 6
I. Adagio-allegro
II. Adagio sostenuto
III. Allegretto
IV. Vivace
R. Scott Mullen, Doctoral Conducting Associate
Jack Frerer
Vincent Persichetti
On The Campus
John Philip Sousa
INTERMISSION
Symphony No. 7, “Titan”
I. Sunrise on CoRot-7b - Lava Planet
II. Where Stars are Born
III. Lord of a Thousand Rings - Star J1407b
IV. Departure - A Final Fare Thee Well to Earth
V. Sleeping Dragon - Constellation Draco (The Dragon) “Rumiko & Junichi”
VI. Kraken Mare - Sailing the Seas of Titan
Julie Giroux
On-Again, Off-Again (2019) (7’30”)
Jack Frerer (b. 1995)
“Write what you know” is something I think about often, and having lived in New York for several years now I probably know the city’s subway system better than I know certain relatives. What begins as one of the most daunting aspects of living in New York gradually becomes one of the most comforting; not the trips themselves – they’re distinctly uncomfortable – but rather their familiarity. You know what you’re in for, you know where you’re going, you know it will be over soon. On-Again, Off-Again is about my commute from 66th up to 157th. To me, nothing is a better symbol of the energy shifts that you experience in a city like New York. You’re either on, hurtling through work, school, meetings, friends, more work, or you’re off, sitting in the back of a Starbucks trying to catch your breath for a moment, or sitting on an empty 1 train as it emerges from underground at 125th street, sun shining through the windows. In New York, there’s no inbetween.
Program Note by the Composer
Jack Frerer is an American composer and filmmaker. Jack was raised primarily in Sydney, Australia. He studied with John Corigliano and Robert Beaser at The Juilliard School, and was awarded a Benzaquen Career Advancement Grant upon graduation. Jack is the recipient of a Charles Ives Scholarship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, a Morton Gould Composers Award from ASCAP, the Suzanne and Lee Ettelson Composers Award, and the Brian Israel Prize from the Society for New Music, and winner of both the Juilliard Orchestra and Gena Raps Chamber Music competitions. He was a Tanglewood composition fellow for 2019, a composer for the New York City Ballet’s 2019 Choreographic Institute, and is currently composer-in-residence with the Arapahoe Philharmonic.
Symphony No. 6 (1956) (17’)
Vincent Persichetti (1915-1987)
Persichetti composed his massive Symphony No. 6 during a time when band directors vigorously sought repertoire that distinguished bands as serious performance groups. Nearly seventy years later, this work continues to receive frequent performances and is regarded as a masterpiece of the genre. Symphony No. 6 is based upon relatively short, rhythmic motives that are manipulated in a variety of ways. Persichetti tends to preserve distinct instrumental families, so brass, woodwind, and percussion often function as independent groups, which combine to create a broad and detailed musical palette. Perischetti’s use of percussion instruments throughout the piece to deliver melodic content was revolutionary for its time, and continues to influence composers today.
PROGRAM NOTES
There have been few more universally admired twentieth-century American composers than Vincent Persichetti. His contributions have enriched the entire musical literature, and his influence as performer and teacher is immeasurable. Born in Philadelphia in 1915, Persichetti began his musical life at age five, first studying piano, then organ, double bass, tuba, theory, and composition. By the age of eleven, he was paying for his own musical education by performing professionally as an accompanist, radio staff pianist, orchestra member, and church organist. By the age of twenty, he was simultaneously head of the Theory and Composition departments at Combs College, a conducting major with Fritz Reiner at the Curtis Institute, and piano major with Olga Samaroff at the Philadelphia Conservatory, all while continuing his studies as a student at Combs College. He joined the faculty at the Juilliard School in 1947 where he remained until his death in 1978. Though he remained a lifelong resident of Philadelphia, he commuted to New York City every day with an easel on his steering wheel, so he could compose while stuck in traffic.
On the Campus (1920) (3’)
John Philip Sousa (1854-1932)
In the winter of 1920, Sousa was sketching his newest march – something with “pep” as they used to call it. It had to be something special, or as his own advertising called it, “With Sousa it’s always something new.” The new march took shape. It would be a college march, dedicated broadly to “Collegians, Past, Present, and Future.” Sousa’s daughter would even provide the words:
(At the trio)
Hip, Hip, Hoorah!
We’re full of pep and happy
Ours the world,
Each day a merry jest.
Give a cheer,
Let’s make it bright and snappy.
On the campus,
That’s when life is best.
Program Note by Loras
John Schissel
John Philip Sousa was a renowned American composer and conductor, celebrated for his contributions to the genre of military and patriotic band music. Often referred to as “The March King,” Sousa composed numerous iconic marches, including The Stars and Stripes Forever, Semper Fidelis, and The Washington Post March, which have become enduring staples of American music. His innovative arrangements and dynamic performances, particularly with his own Sousa Band, helped popularize the symphonic band format in the United States. Sousa’s work not only defined the sound of American marches but also left a lasting legacy in the world of concert band music.
Junichi and the thieves ensues. Junichi wins, but just barely. He begins the task of gathering his hoard back up. While doing so, he comes across an intricate golden medallion, large enough for a dragon. It was the last gift he had given to Rumiko.
“Kraken Mare” - Sailing the Seas of Titan Titan is the only celestial body in our solar system with conditions similar to Earth. Its shell would protect us from radiation and its gravity is similar to that of our moon. The Huygens probe landed on Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, on January 14, 2005. The footage of it is captivating. The music represents such sailing and flights, ending with a triumph of epic proportions.
Program Note by the Composer
Julie Giroux was born in Fairhaven, Massachusetts on December 12, 1961. She graduated from Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge LA in 1984. She started playing piano at three years of age and began composing at the age of eight and has been composing ever since. Her first published work for concert band, published by Southern Music Company, was composed at the age of thirteen.
Julie began composing commercially in 1984. She was hired by Oscar-winning composer Bill Conti as an orchestrator, her first project with Conti being the mini-series “North and South.” With over 100 film, television, and video game credits, Giroux has collaborated with dozens of film composers, producers, and celebrities, including Samuel Goldwyn, Martin Scorsese, Clint Eastwood, Madonna, Liza Minnelli, Celene Dion, Paula Abdul, Michael Jackson, Paul Newman, Harry Connick Jr. and many others. Projects she has worked on have been nominated for Oscars, Emmys, Grammys, and Golden Globe awards. Julie has won individual Emmy Awards in the field of “Outstanding Individual Achievement in Music Direction.” When Giroux won her first Emmy Award, she was the first woman and the youngest person ever to win that award. She has now won it three times.
Giroux has been a true force in a male-dominated field and has accrued many previously male-only awards. She is a member of ASCAP, The Film Musicians Fund, Kappa Kappa Psi, Tau Beta Sigma, and a member of the American Bandmasters Association. She is a recipient of the Distinguished Service to Music Medal Award and was the first female composer inducted into the American Bandmasters Association in 2009.
Nicholas Enrico Williams is a Professor of Music and serves as the Director of Bands at the University of Georgia, where he coordinates one of the country’s largest and most comprehensive university band programs, conducts the University of Georgia Wind Ensemble, and oversees the graduate wind band conducting area. Prior to his time in Athens, he was the Director of Wind Bands at the University of Melbourne Conservatorium of Music (Melbourne, Australia). Before venturing to Australia, Dr. Williams flourished for sixteen years as the Assistant Director of Wind Studies, the Conductor of the Wind Ensemble, Brass Band, and Concert Band, as well as the Director of Athletic Bands at the University of North Texas. For a decade, he was the Conductor of the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra Wind Symphony and continues to be a frequent guest conductor of the Dallas Winds (formerly Dallas Wind Symphony), one of America’s few professional civic wind bands. Professor Williams earned the Bachelor of Music (music education), MM (performanceconducting), and DMA (conducting) degrees from the University of North Texas.
Professor Williams has been a guest conductor with the Opole (Poland) Philharmonic Orchestra; the United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own”; United States Navy Band; United States Army Field Band; United States Air Force Band; Royal Australian Defence Force Bands; World Youth Wind Symphony at the Interlochen Arts Camp; Dallas Winds; Lone Star Wind Orchestra; at the annual Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, Illinois; the College Band Directors National Association national and regional conferences; the Texas Bandmasters Association Convention; and the Texas Music Educators Association Annual Clinic/Convention in San Antonio, Texas.
Dr. Williams is active in Australia, Canada, Europe, Southeast Asia, and the United States as a conductor, clinician, adjudicator, consultant, and arranger; his arrangements and transcriptions for wind band, percussion ensembles, drum corps, and school pageantry ensembles are performed by outstanding organizations throughout the world. A member of the Recording Academy (GRAMMYs), he is a sought-after recording session producer, associate producer, editor, and conductor, having been involved with numerous CDs and DVDs on the Klavier, Mark Records, and GIA labels, as well as UNT and UGA projects, including the 2024 release of “Never a Reason to Stop” by the University of Georgia Wind Ensemble, and the 2019 release of “FIESTAS” by the University of North Texas Wind Ensemble. In addition to his work in the recording arts, he has written several conductor study guides published in the multivolume series of Teaching Music Through Performance in Band. He was a primary consultant of the book Women of Influence in Contemporary Music and is an honorary member of Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity for women. His professional affiliations include the Georgia Music Educators Association, Australian Band and Orchestra Directors Association, Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, College Band Directors National Association, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and Phi Beta Mu, an international bandmasters fraternity.
R. Scott Mullen is a conductor and music educator, pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts at the University of Georgia. Scott is a Doctoral Conducting Associate for UGA Bands, serving duties with the Wind Ensemble, Wind Symphony, Symphonic Band, and the Redcoat Marching Band. At the University of Georgia, Scott is the recipient of a Graduate School Research Fellowship and the Clementi Holder Student Development Fund. His 2025 recording of Vital Sines by Viet Cuong with the University of Georgia Wind Ensemble and the GRAMMY Award-winning chamber ensemble 8th Blackbird was selected for multiple broadcasts on NPR’s Performance Today.
Prior to UGA, Scott was a Graduate Assistant at the University of Central Florida, in Orlando, Florida. Scott was previously a teacher in Orange County Public Schools, and has maintained activities as an educator and clinician with band programs in Florida and Georgia. His professional affiliations include the National Association for Music Education, the Georgia Bandmasters Association, The Florida Bandmasters Association, The College Band Directors National Association, Kappa Kappa
Psi Band Fraternity, and Pi Kappa Lambda Music Honor Society.
UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA BANDS GRADUATE STAFF
Jordan M. Fansler, Doctoral Conducting Associate
R. Scott Mullen, Doctoral Conducting Associate
Derik Wright, Doctoral Conducting Associate
Joseph Johnson, Graduate Assistant
Michelle Moeller, Graduate Assistant
David MacPherson, Graduate Assistant
HUGH HODGSON SCHOOL OF MUSIC FACULTY
Daniel Bara, Interim Director
Brandon Craswell, Associate Director, Director of Undergraduate Studies
Emily Gertsch, Associate Director, Director of Graduate Studies
Amy Pollard, Associate Director, Director of Performance Activities
PERFORMANCE FACULTY
Josh Bynum
Brandon Craswell
Jean Martin-Williams
James Naigus
*Matthew Shipes
Gilbert Villagrana
Kimberly Toscano Adams
*Timothy Adams
John Coble
Damon Denton
Scott Higgins
Grace Huang
Emely Phelps
Evgeny Rivkin
Anatoly Sheludyakov
*Liza Stepanova
Alan Woo
Levon Ambartsumian
Shakhida Azimkhodjaeva
*Daniel Bolshoy
Monica Hargrave
Michael Heald
James Kim
Edward Kreitman
Milton Masciadri
Maggie Snyder
Gregory Broughton
Jay Ivey
*Elizabeth Knight
Amy Petrongelli
Anne Slovin
Wanda Yang Temko
*Angela Jones-Reus
D. Ray McClellan
Reid Messich
Amy Pollard
Brandon Quarles
Shaun Baer
Levi Dean
Elizabeth Durusau
Heather Gozdan-Bynum
Tony Graves
Scott Higgins
trombone trumpet horn horn
tuba/euphonium trumpet percussion percussion organ piano piano piano piano piano piano piano piano violin violin guitar harp violin cello
Suziki double bass viola voice voice voice voice voice voice
flute clarinet oboe bassoon saxophone
BANDS
Mia Athanas
Brett Bawcum
Jack A. Eaddy, Jr.
*Nicholas Enrico Williams
CHORAL
Daniel Bara
Colin Mann
Daniel Shafer
COMMUNITY MUSIC SCHOOL
SUMMER CAMPS
Stephen Fischer
COMPOSITION & THEORY
Tyler Beckett
Adrian Childs
Emily Gertsch
Daniel Karcher
*Emily Koh
Peter Lane
Dickie Lee
Jared Tubbs
Trinity Vélez-Justo
JAZZ STUDIES
David D’Angelo
Gregory Satterthwaite
James Weidman
MUSIC EDUCATION
*Rebecca Atkins
Alison Farley
Tyler Goehring
Roy Legette
Kristen Lynch
Michael Robinson
Johanna Royo
Brian Wesolowski
Edith Hollander, Administrative Assistant to the Director
Director of Public Relations
Development Associate Music Library Manager
Undergraduate Academic Advisor
Piano Technician
Senior Piano Technician
Marcus Morris
Kathleen Powell
Rocky Raffle
James Sewell
Jared Tubbs
Marshall Williams
MUSIC THERAPY
*Ellyn Evans
Sally Ann Nichols
Jenny Stull
MUSICOLOGY & ETHNOMUSICOLOGY
Karen Bergmann
Naomi Graber
*David Haas
Jared Holton
Jean Kidula
Sarah Pickett
Rumya Putcha
Joanna Smolko
OPERA
Daniel Ellis
Andrew Voelker
ORCHESTRA
Mark Cedel
RECORDING & STREAMING
Eric Dluzniewski
Paul Griffith
*Area Chair
Assistant Director of Athletic Bands
Graduate Program Administrator
Administrative Associate in Bands
Production & Events Manager
Sectioning Officer
Director of Admissions
HUGH HODGSON SCHOOL OF MUSIC STAFF
SUPPORT THE SCHOOL OF MUSIC
HOW TO GIVE
Under each of the available funds below is a QR code where you can scan and donate directly to that fund. However, if you would like to learn more about alternative ways to donate, scan the QR code now to visit our “How to Give” page with additional details and options.
Scholarships and Graduate assistantships funded by donations to the Thursday Scholarship Fund make it possible for students to learn and pursue their passions at the Hugh Hodgson School of Music. Please consider a taxdeductible gift to the Thursday Scholarship Fund so we may continue to support our students and make their education possible. Scan the QR code now or reach out to Melissa Roberts at roberts@uga.edu or 706-254-2111.
AREAS OF THE SCHOOL OF MUSIC
In addition to our primary Support and Scholarship Funds, many specialized areas of interest, including our orchestra and choral programs, have support and scholarship funds you can contribute to directly. You can now learn more about all the ways and areas you can support the Hugh Hodgson School of Music. Scan the QR code or visit music.uga.edu/giving-and-alumni to the support the Hugh Hodgson School of Music area of your choice.
JOIN THE DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE
Gifts of all amounts are greatly appreciated. However, annual giving at the $1,500 level and higher provides membership in the Director’s Circle, our Hugh Hodgson School of Music Honor Roll. Director’s Circle members are invited to exclusive events and performances throughout the academic year.
For large gifts, please contact Melissa Roberts at roberts@uga.edu or 706-254-2111.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA HUGH HODGSON SCHOOL OF MUSIC.
FRI 9/19
3:30 p.m.
Ramsey Concert Hall FREE CONCERT
REPERTORY SINGERS
The Repertory Singers is a mixed chamber choir directed by graduate student conductors. Its format offers laboratory rehearsal and performance experience for conductors and singers alike. This concert is free with no tickets required.
music.uga.edu
TUES 9/9
FRI 9/19
7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
Ramsey Concert Hall FREE CONCERT
GUEST ARTIST RECITAL: MYLES BOOTHROYD, saxophone
Myles Boothroyd is a performing saxophonist, educator, and music scholar. At home in the various realms of classical, jazz, and contemporary music, he presents concert repertoire that crosses the boundaries of nations, cultures, and musical traditions.
TUES 9/23
TUES 9/23
7:30 p.m.
Ramsey Concert Hall
FREE CONCERT
FACULTY RECITAL: ANGELA JONES-REUS, flute; ERICA McCLELLAN, piano
Featuring works by composers Zyman, Schumann, and Olbersleben.
This concert is free and no tickets are required.
TUES 9/9
WED 9/24
7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
Hodgson Concert Hall
FREE CONCERT
WIND SYMPHONY & SYMPHONIC BAND
As one of the University of Georgia’s large wind bands, the Wind Symphony has performed extensively throughout the Southeast, including concerts at regional conferences of the College Band Directors National Association. Wind Symphony is conducted by Jack Eaddy, Jr.
University of Georgia Symphonic Band is one of the Hugh Hodgson School of Music’s large wind bands. The Symphonic Band focuses on the classic band repertoire as well as exciting new music, and has recorded for C. Alan Publications. Symphonic Band is conducted by Michael C. Robinson.
This concert is free with no tickets required.
FRI 9/26
