UGA Chamber Music Gala

EXPERIENCE MUSIC THURSDAY SCHOLARSHIP SERIES

UGA CHAMBER MUSIC GALA BULLDOG BRASS SOCIETY MIXED MEDIA

HODGSON STRING QUARTET SOUTHERN WIND QUINTET VIOLA CHOIR

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15 at 7:30 p.m.

HODGSON CONCERT HALL UGA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 230 RIVER RD, ATHENS, GA

Hugh Hodgson School of Music, 250 River Road, Athens, GA, 30602 Phone: 706-542-3737 Website: music.uga.edu

@ugamusic

THURSDAY SCHOLARSHIP SERIES PROGRAM UGA Viola Choir “Erlkönig” Op. 1 D328

Franz Schubert arr. Jelly (S.C.)

Adoration

Florence Price arr. Elaine Fine Mixed Media

Les Fils du Métal

Sylvain Griotto Hodgson String Quartet

String Quartet No. 13 in G Major, Op. 106 II. Adagio ma non troppo

Antonín Dvořák

String Quartet No. 4 in C Major I. Allegro

Béla Bartók INTERMISSION Southern Wind Quintet

Pastorale, Op. 151

Amy Beach

Umoja for Woodwind Quintet

Valerie Coleman

Aires Tropicales VII. Afro VI. Contradanza

Paquito d’Rivera

Bulldog Brass Society Quintet for Brass I. Allegro Vivace II. Chaconne III. Con Brio

Malcolm Arnold

That’s A Plenty

Lew Pollack arr. Steve Cooper

Hugh Hodgson School of Music, 250 River Road, Athens, GA, 30602 Phone: 706-542-3737 Undergraduate Admissions: musicad@uga.edu Graduate Admissions: musicgrad@uga.edu

@ugamusic

UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA VIOLA CHOIR Prof. Maggie Snyder, director Bryan Johnson

Daniel Boscan

Rogelio Bonilla Piedra

Mason Minutella

Kailey Ford

Jodie Stone

Nina Nagarajan

Seneca Fisher

Anna Murphy

Jensi Perng

Adam Starks

Clinton Stempien

Ashley Belcher

ABOUT THE UGA VIOLA CHOIR The UGA Viola Choir consists of the students of Professor Maggie Snyder’s studio at the Hugh Hodgson School of Music. Prof. Snyder is also Principal Violist of the Chamber Orchestra of New York, with whom she records for Naxos, and is on the Artist-Faculty of the Brevard Music Festival. She was the 2018 recipient of the University of Georgia’s Creative Research Medal in the Arts and Humanities for her project commissioning and recording new works for viola.

UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA VIOLA CHOIR PROGRAM NOTES

“Erlkönig” Op. 1 D328 (1815) (4’ 30”)

Franz Schubert (1797–1828) arr. Jelly (S.C.) Schubert’s dramatic Lied (a setting of poetry to polyphonic classical music) is based on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s most famous ballad, originally written as part of a 1782 Singspiel (lit. ‘singplay,’ a form of German-language drama, now regarded as a genre of opera), titled Die Fischerin. The chilling and sinister poem and music depict the death of a child assailed by a supernatural being, the Erlking, a king of the fairies.

Adoration (1951) (6’ 30”)

Florence Price (1887–1953) arr. Elaine Fine Originally conceived as a work for solo organ, Adoration was one of the last works Price wrote, but hearkens back to Price’s early work as an organist accompanying silent films. As critic and author Alex Ross writes, despite an impressive output of over 300 works, “[Price] is mentioned more often than she is heard,” a fact which is only now beginning to be remedied. A trailblazer, Price is considered the first Black woman recognized as a symphonic composer and was the first to have her music performed by a major American orchestra when the Chicago Symphony Orchestra gave the world premiere of her Symphony No. 1 in 1933.

MIXED MEDIA Michael Chapa, soprano saxophone Julien Berger, alto saxophone Lindsey Welp, tenor saxophone Dan Phipps, baritone saxophone ABOUT MIXED MEDIA Mixed Media aims to challenge and delight audiences with new interpretations of contemporary saxophone quartet music with an emphasis on an authentic and engaging relationship between the performer, audience, and composer. The quartet won the gold medal in the Senior Wind Division at the 2022 49th Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, first prize in the Senior Mixed Instrumental Division at the Coltman Chamber Music Competition, and The American Prize in Collegiate Chamber Music Performance. They were also named national finalists in the Music Teachers National Association Chamber Wind Competition as well as semifinalists in the North American Saxophone Alliance Quartet Competition. In September of 2022, Mixed Media embarked on the Fischoff Winner’s Gold Tour, performing concerts and taking part in masterclasses and outreach at venues across the Midwest. Mixed Media plays regularly in the Athens, GA area, and continues to push the boundaries of the saxophone quartet genre through collaboration and the commissioning of new works. Mixed Media features Michael Chapa on soprano saxophone, Julien Berger on alto saxophone, Lindsey Welp on tenor saxophone, and Dan Phipps on baritone saxophone.

The quartet formed as students at the University of Georgia, studying with Dr. Connie Frigo.

MIXED MEDIA PROGRAM NOTES

Les Fils du Métal (2005) (15’) Sylvain Griotto (b. 1974)

Named after “Satan Jokers’’ debut album released in 1981, composer Sylvain Griotto takes inspiration from Les Fils du Métal to transform four saxophones into a French heavy metal band. A wide range of extended techniques on the saxophone are utilized to imitate an electric guitar including pitch bends, slides, distortion, multiphonics, and percussive slap-tonguing. In addition, various combinations of saxophones are used in this piece to create both an obsessional and demonstrative impression which can be found in the standard harmonies of heavy metal. The work opens with the unusual formation of two soprano and two baritone saxophones playing very short phrases ranging from half a second to half a minute while being separated by unpredictable durations of silence. The following section of the piece begins with a tenor saxophone solo reminiscent of the blues. A slow build of murmuring tones and rhythmic slap-tonguing leads to the beginning of the third part, which shifts to the SATB traditional quartet instrumentation. Starting from silence, a rock ballad builds itself up step by step, and after a long hesitation between two untempered tonalities, the music gradually settles on a more traditional progression that adds rhythmic complexity until the final raucous ending.

HODGSON STRING QUARTET Prof. David Starkweather, coach Molly Schneider, Violin Alexis Boylan, Violin Bryan Johnson, Viola Thomas LaMon, Cello

ABOUT THE HODSGON STRING QUARTET The Hodgson String Quartet is a premier graduate level chamber group at the Hugh Hodgson School of Music. Coaching of the ensemble is on a rotational basis, with Prof. David Starkweather as the spring 2024 coach, in his final semester of a long and celebrated tenure on the UGA faculty since 1983, having seen and greatly aided the significant growth of academic arts on campus, particularly the transition from UGA’s “Department of Music” to the “School of Music” (later HHSOM) in 1995.

HODGSON STRING QUARTET PROGRAM NOTES

String Quartet No. 13 in G Major, Op. 106, II. Adagio ma non troppo (1895) (10’) Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904)

Described by Czech writer Otakar Šourek as “one of the loveliest and most profound slow movements in Dvořák’s creation.” The four movement work was composed not long after his return to Europe after serving as the director of the National Conservatory of Music in New York City (where he was commissioned to write his famous “New World Symphony” in 1893). In his final years, Dvořák’s focus on opera and chamber music upon his return to Bohemia (now part of the Czech Republic) may have been influenced by earlier inspirations of Czech, Moravian, and other Slavic traditional music.

String Quartet No. 4 in C Major, I. Allegro (1928) (6’) Béla Bartók (1881–1945)

Bartók’s musical vocabulary, as demonstrated in his string quartets particularly, departs from traditional use of major and minor keys, focusing more on the chromatic scale and attempting to utilize each note equally. The quartet employs a number of extended instrumental techniques; for example, in various places he asks for glissandi (sliding from one note to another). Movement I utilizes whole-tone elements. Though not traditionally tonal, it is centered on ‘C’. The movement gradually progresses from cluster-like elements to full chords. This, in part, helps with building tension through the movement’s six minutes.

SOUTHERN WIND QUINTET Prof. Angela Jones-Reus, coach Shana Stone, flute

Joshua Wood, French horn

Marissa Ankeny, oboe

J.T. Holdbrooks, bassoon

Sarah Christie Frois, clarinet ABOUT THE SOUTHERN WIND QUINTET The Southern Wind Quintet is a graduate chamber music ensemble established in 1999 at the Hugh Hodgson School of Music. The Quintet represents some of the finest instrumental musicianship on campus, and frequently appears in UGA recitals and televised campus events. They have also been invited to perform in concert series throughout the southeast and can be heard on local radio broadcasts and promotional CDs. Recently, the ensemble has begun to collaborate with other disciplines, including ballet, to provide unique artistic experiences to audiences.

SOUTHERN WIND QUINTET PROGRAM NOTES

Pastorale, Op. 151 (1941) (4’) Amy Beach (1867–1944)

One of her final published works, Pastorale for Woodwind Quintet was based on sketches produced

by Beach two decades prior in 1921, possibly during her time as a Fellow at the MacDowell Colony artist’s residency program in Peterborough, New Hampshire. Widely recognized as the top female American composer during much of the early 20th century, Beach also worked as a music educator, serving as President of the Board of Councillors of the New England Conservatory of Music, where she encouraged young composers, musicians, and students, while also serving as leader of some organizations focused on music education and women, including the Society of American Women Composers as its first president.

Umoja for Woodwind Quintet (2001) (3’ 30”) Valerie Coleman (b.1970)

Umoja (pronounced “oo-MOH-juh”) is a Swahili word meaning “unity.” It is the principle of the first day of Kwanzaa. Valerie Coleman’s piece Umoja has grown and evolved and taken many different forms in more than 20 years since she first composed it. The very first version of Umoja was a piece for women’s choir composed to celebrate the first day of Kwanzaa. The music featured a repeated melody and call-and-response form, and the lyrics summon “children of ALL” to “hear the winds call” because “it’s time for Unity.” Coleman has said that this first version embodied “tribal unity” and the sense of a drum circle in which participants are sharing oral histories together. (from interlochen.org)

Aires Tropicales, 7. Afro, 6. Contradanza (2015) (7’) Paquito d’Rivera (b. 1948)

Paquito D’Rivera has won a combined 16 Grammy and Latin Grammy Awards (5 Grammy and 11 Latin Grammys). He is celebrated both for his artistry in Latin jazz and his achievements as a classical composer. In Aires Tropicales, the choir-like arrangement of “Afro” is augmented by the dexterous rhythm of the ensemble, while the arrangement of “Contradanza” is a striking blend of Cuban rhythm and classical form.

BULLDOG BRASS SOCIETY Prof. Phil Smith, coach Marco Cubillas, trumpet Victor Pires, trumpet Anthony Parrish, horn Danny Alford, trombone Hunter Kane, tuba

ABOUT THE BULLDOG BRASS SOCIETY The Bulldog Brass Society is the premier graduate brass quintet at the University of Georgia. The Bulldogs were created in the fall of 1996 by Frederick Mills, founding member of the Canadian Brass and professor of trumpet at the Hodgson School until his passing in 2009. The ensemble, one of the most active student chamber groups on campus, performs repertoire ranging from Bach to 20th Century works as well as more popular music including home grown arrangements by their members.

The BBS has performed throughout the nation and the world, including a European tour, a concert at the Southern Division MENC / Georgia Music Educators Association Conference in Savannah, GA and a special invitation to the Southeastern Composers League Convention.

BULLDOG BRASS SOCIETY PROGRAM NOTES

Quintet for Brass (1961) (13’) Malcolm Arnold (1921–2006)

Composed specifically for the New York Brass Quintet, Malcolm Arnold’s Brass Quintet was an instant hit. Since its inception the work has remained one of Arnold’s most-performed chamber works among high-level brass ensembles. It was one of the trailblazing works that laid down the two trumpets, french horn, trombone and tuba brass quintet genre. The quintet has been described as “idiomatic, yet ultimately challenging.” From the devilishly difficult technical writing to the array of characters he creates, the work is vibrant and full of life.

That’s A Plenty (1914) (2’)

Lew Pollack (1895–1946), arr. Steve Cooper That’s a Plenty is a ragtime piano composition by Lew Pollack. Lyrics by Ray Gilbert (born 1912) were added decades later. Several popular vocal versions have been recorded, but it is more often performed as an instrumental. The composition started as a rag but is nowadays played as a part of the Dixieland jazz repertoire. The song has been recorded by numerous artists and is considered a jazz standard. The first recording was on July 7,1914 by Prince’s Band (Columbia A-5582), and the New Orleans Rhythm Kings recorded their rendition in 1923. The comedian Jackie Gleason used it in his television shows in the 1950s and 1960s.

EXPERIENCE MUSIC UPCOMING PERFORMANCES

TUES 2/20 7:30 p.m.

Hodgson Hall

UGA Wind Ensemble

DECONSTRUCTED

The program includes SEER by Erik Santos, featuring UGA Voice Faculty Gregory Broughton and Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Wind Ensemble by Ingolf Dahl preformed by Concerto winner Michael Chapa.

$3 UGA STUDENT TICKETS ADULTS $15 WITH VALID UGA STUDENT ID CARD

Tickets: music.uga.edu | 706-542-4400

THURS 2/22 7:30 p.m.

Hodgson Hall

Happy Birthday Anton Bruckner

In celebration of Austrian composer Anton Bruckner, UGASO presents Bruckner’s Symphony No. 4 along with selections from Midsummer Night’s Dream by German composer Felix Mendelssohn.

$3 UGA STUDENT TICKETS ADULTS $15 WITH VALID UGA STUDENT ID CARD

Tickets: music.uga.edu | 706-542-4400

TUES 2/27

7:30 p.m.

Hodgson Hall, UGA PAC

UGA GLEE CLUBS

MICHAEL la HEALD compagnie VIOLIN

FREE CONCERT NO TICKETS REQUIRED

WED 2/28

vive

Celebrating the joy of raising our voices in song together.

UGA VIOLA CHOIR PRESENTS

4:30 p.m.

Edge Hall, School of Music

BIPOC COMPOSERS

FREE CONCERT NO TICKETS REQUIRED

Leilehua Lanzilotti, Reena Ismail, Derrick Skye, Scott Joplin, among others...

WED 2/28

GUEST ARTIST

7:30 p.m.

Ramsey Hall, PAC FREE CONCERT NO TICKETS REQUIRED

MICHAEL HEALD VIOLIN

LOVRO PERETIĆ

MICHAEL GUITAR HEALD Guitar Foundation of America Winner VIOLIN

Hugh Hodgson School of Music, 250 River Road, Athens, GA, 30602 Phone: 706-542-3737 Website: music.uga.edu

@ugamusic