MONDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2025 at 7:30 p.m.
HODGSON CONCERT HALL
Monday, October 27, 2025 at 7:30 p.m.
Hodgson Concert Hall
UGA Performing Arts Center
University of Georgia Symphonic Band
Michael C. Robinson, Conductor
Derik J. Wright, Doctoral Conducting Associate
R. Scott Mullen, Doctoral Conducting Associate
North Georgia Winds
Richard Irby, Founder
Matthew Fuller, Conductor
Dion Muldrow, Conductor
Nicholas Enrico Williams, Guest Conductor
PROGRAM
Symphonic Band
Derik J. Wright, Doctoral Conducting Associate
Heroes, Lost and Fallen
R. Scott Mullen, Doctoral Conducting Associate
INTERMISSION
The Incredibles
North Georgia Winds
Michael Giacchino, arr. Jay Bocook
Animation (Episode 1: WABBIT!) Randall D. Standridge
Light Cavalry Overture
Hungarian Dances No. 5
Sadness and Sorrow, from “Naruto”
Franz von Suppe, arr. Henry Fillmore
Johannes Brahms, arr. Robert Longfield
Toshio Masuda, arr. Michael Brown
Music from the Motion Picture “How to Train Your Dragon” John Powell, arr. Sean O’Loughlin
Excerpts from The Firebird
Igor Stravinski, arr. Jay Bocook
SYMPHONIC BAND PROGRAM NOTES
Sea Songs (1923) (4’)
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872 - 1958)
Written in 1923 for the following year’s Wembley Exhibition, Sea Songs is a march medley of three well-known sea shanties: Princess Royal, Admiral Benbow, and Portsmouth. Written in typical march form with a trio, it was published simultaneously for brass band and wind band and was later transcribed by the composer for symphony orchestra. Sea Songs was initially intended to be the final movement of Vaughan Williams’ Folk Song Suite.
Program Note by Nikk Pilato
Ralph Vaughan Williams was an English composer of symphonies, chamber music, opera, choral music, and film scores. He was also a collector of English folk music and song: this activity both influenced his editorial approach to the English Hymnal, beginning in 1904, in which he included many folk song arrangements set as hymn tunes, and also influenced several of his own original compositions. He joined the Royal Army Medical Corps in France during World War I. From the 1920s onward, he was in increasing demand as a composer and conductor. He composed simple pieces and grand orchestral works and is considered the outstanding composer of his generation in England.
With Valor (2013/2025) (4’)
Wayne Lu. (b. 1979)
With Valor is an exciting and impassioned piece, originally written for horn octet. “Valor” is defined as great courage in the face of danger or adversity, and the music reflects this sense of courage. Bright, energetic music at the beginning and end of the piece is contrasted by a reflective and solemn inner section. The arrangement of this work for wind band is by recent Hugh Hodgson School of Music graduate Jacob Evarts.
Wayne Lu started playing the horn at the age of 10. By age 17, he had won his first concerto competition with the Iowa City Youth Orchestra. Wayne’s orchestral experience includes numerous performances throughout the Midwest with the Champaign-Urbana Symphony, Knox-Galesburg Symphony, Decatur Symphony, Danville Symphony, and Prairie Ensemble. As a composer, he has written for full orchestra, brass choir, and a wide variety of chamber wind ensembles. He released his debut composition CD, Legacy: Compositions by Wayne Lu in May 2011 through Veritas Musica Publishing, a company that he founded and has served as President for since 2009.
Lux Aurumque (2005) (4’35”)
Eric Whitacre (b.1970)
Lux Aurumque began its life as an a cappella choral work that I wrote in the fall of 2000. When the Texas Music Educators Association and a consortium of bands commissioned me to adapt it for symphonic winds, I rewrote the climax and included the grand “Bliss” theme from my opera Paradise Lost. Lux Aurumque received its premiere at the 2005 conference of the Texas Music Educators Association, and is dedicated with deep admiration for my dear friend Gary Green. Program Note by the Composer
Grammy Award-winning composer and conductor, Eric Whitacre, is among today’s most popular musicians. A graduate of The Juilliard School, his works are performed worldwide, and his groundbreaking Virtual Choirs have united well over 100,000 singers from more than 145 countries. Among his recent accolades and awards, Eric received the Richard D. Colburn Award from the Colburn School and an Honorary Doctor of Arts from Chapman University (CA). His long-term relationship with Decca Classics has produced several no.1 albums which have enduring success. He served consecutive terms as Artist in Residence with the Los Angeles Master Chorale and currently holds the position of Visiting Composer at Pembroke College.
Heroes, Lost and Fallen (1989) (12’)
David Gillingham (b. 1947)
Heroes, Lost and Fallen is a 1989 tone poem for symphonic band by American composer David Gillingham, based on a poem he wrote about the Vietnam War, incorporating quotes from the American and Vietnamese National Anthems and Taps to depict the conflict’s progression from uncertainty to war and finally to an enduring message of peace. The work moves from mysterious and unstable sounds to a dissonant march to war, culminating in a peaceful chorale that is interwoven with the forces of war before fading and giving way to a serene, powerful theme of good triumphing over evil. The work was the 1990 recipient of the International Barlow Composition Contest.
Program Note by the Composer
David Gillingham is an American composer, known for his works for concert band and percussion ensemble. He attended the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh for his undergraduate degree in Music Education, after which he went to Vietnam where he served in the army, playing in various army bands. After returning to America, he became a band teacher for a few years, before going to Michigan State University for his PhD in Music Composition/Music Theory, after which he pursued a career as a composer while also serving as a university professor. He retired as professor of music theory and composition at Central Michigan University in 2016.
Journey Through Orion (2006) (7’)
Julie Giroux (b. 1961)
Pictures of the Great Orion Nebula, Barnard’s Loop, M78, M43, the Molecular Clouds 1 and 2 and the Horsehead Nebula never cease to capture my imagination. I have journeyed there many times in my mind, so I decided to sketch that journey with notes. Travel with the music, Journey Through Orion, 1,500 light years away into the constellation Orion the Hunter, into the Molecular Cloud Complex and through the Great Orion Nebula where stars and ideas are born.
Julie Giroux was born in Fairhaven, Massachusetts. 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.
The Incredibles (2004/2006) (3’)
Michael Giacchino (b. 1967)
The Incredibles is a 2004 American computer-animated superhero film, written and directed by Brad Bird, released by Walt Disney Pictures, and was the sixth film produced by Pixar Animation Studios. The story follows a family of superheroes living a quiet suburban life, forced to hide their powers. When father Bob Parr’s yearning for his glory days and desire to help people drags him into battle with an evil villain and his killer robot, the entire Parr family is forced into action to save the world.
Program Note by William Johnson
Animation (Episode 1: WABBIT!) (2023) (6’25”)
Randall Standridge (b. 1976)
Animation operates under the conceit that it is a “lost score” to a forgotten cartoon. The movie starts with the opening credits, paying homage to the jaunty melodies that always preceded the main action before we find our hunter, sneaking through the forest in search of prey. He finds our wascally friend enjoying a nice sunny day, completely unaware (?) that he is being watched. The hunter sneaks up until the rascal spots the hunter, and then…the chase is on! The duo runs through the forest as the hunter falls further and further behind. He rounds a corner, and suddenly, the most gorgeous creature he has ever seen stands before him. The suspiciously furry mademoiselle charms the hunter, who leans in for a kiss…and is slapped for his troubles. Laughter is heard as our hero runs away to the city. A chase in taxis across the busy urban streets takes place before they both arrive at a construction site. The hunter looks up to the top of the building and sees something falling. An anvil slams into the hunter, who, furious, races up the construction site, chasing the wascal until he runs through a fake door and into the sky. He blinks twice, looking down, before falling to the ground below. As his spirit ascends to the heavens, the varmint winks one last time to the audience before the credits roll.
Program Note by the Composer
Light Cavalry Overture (1866/2000)(7’)
Franz von Suppe (1819-1895)
You will undoubtedly recognize this piece as it has been used numerous times in movies and on television. Suppe, an Austrian composer of Belgian descent, made his life in the realm of the theater. As a young, inexperienced composer, he had the opportunity to rub shoulders with such opera greats as Rossini, Donizetti, and Verdi. He learned much as he heard their music. His first position at a theater as an assistant in music was unpaid, and he had to gradually prove himself and work up in the system. He eventually became very successful, becoming the first major composer of Viennese operetta. To his tribute, he has written 30 operettas, as well as operas, parodies, farces, overtures, incidental music, and even sacred vocal music. His overtures are performed regularly today, and as you hear this piece you will know why. It begins with a brass fanfare in military tradition, and by the middle the overture is in full swing with its jaunty main theme, which contrasts with passionate lyricism interspersed throughout.
Hungarian Dances No. 5 (1869/1996)
(2’)
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Hungarian Dances is a set of 21 dances arranged by Johannes Brahms from Hungarian folk sources and originally scored for piano four hands (two pianists, one piano) and later orchestrated by Brahms and a few friends, including Antonín Dvořák. No opus number is assigned to the work because Brahms considered himself the arranger rather than the composer, and thus would take no credit for the pieces. However, three of the compositions are believed to be original with Brahms – numbers 11, 14, and 16. The inspiration for Dances grew out of Brahms’ study of folk music and encouraged by his early relationship with Hungarian-born violinist Ede Reményi. Brahms had met Reményi when he was 17 and three years later he served as piano accompanist to Reményi during an extensive tour of European cities. After the publication of the Dances, Reményi accused Brahms of adapting tunes of his for use in the Dances.
Sadness
and Sorrow, from “Naruto” (2002/2019) (3’)
Toshio Masuda (b.1959)
Composed by Toshio Masuda in 2002 for the acclaimed anime series Naruto, Sadness and Sorrow has become one of the most recognizable themes in Japanese popular culture. Anime emerged during this period when Japanese pop culture was gaining unprecedented international traction. Written in E-minor with a slow, lyrical tempo, the piece underscores moments of grief and introspection throughout the series. Its plaintive melody and sustained harmonies evoke a sense of vulnerability and resilience, qualities central to the narrative of Naruto. Masuda, known for his ability to blend traditional Japanese musical aesthetics with Western harmonic language, created this theme to underscore moments of tragedy and introspection.
Music from the Motion Picture “How to Train Your Dragon” (2010)
(5’)
John Powell (b.1963)
Embark on a vibrant adventure with John Powell’s How to Train Your Dragon, a highly energetic and original score that will ensure you are treated to a fabulous listening experience.
“We looked at all the folk music from the Nordic areas. And I’m [Jon Powell] part Scottish and grew up with a lot of Scottish folk music, so that came into it a lot. And Celtic music was something that Jeffrey Katzenberg felt had this very attractive quality to it, and sweetness, that he thought would be wonderful for the film.”
This fantastic arrangement for band by Sean O’Loughlin recreates all the inspiration from the movie. Its sweeping melodies and bombastic fanfares transport its listeners to an ancient Viking village, swarmed with dragons! Featuring: This Is Berk and Coming Back Around.
Program Note by the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire University Band
Excerpts from The Firebird (1910/1995) (3’40”)
Igor Stravinski (1882-1971)
Igor Stravinski was born in Russia and died in New York just short of his 89th birthday. His appeal to international audiences appears to have been built on three works for ballet, all composed before he turned 32. The Firebird was the first of these, premiering in 1916, the others being Petrushka and The Rite of Spring. In his later life Stravinski appeared to be somewhat embarrassed by The Firebird, feeling that it was a Romantic piece which had been outdistanced by the neoclassic movement following the First World War. Nevertheless, he conducted it more than a thousand times, and it was the piece he chose as the subject of his last recording as a conductor. He was eighty five years old by then, and the piece was nearly sixty years old. The plot of The Firebird is drawn from a collection of Russian fairy tales, arranged to reflect the interest in the supernatural at that time, and as an expression of Russian nationalism.
The music presents the themes and the audience is able to follow the story’s action. The listener can clearly hear the firebird’s theme, the dancing princesses, Kashchei the sorcerer’s infernal dance, the lullaby which puts the monsters to sleep, and the finale, in which the mood changes from wonder to triumph to jubilation. The piece concludes with majestic chords, leaving the audience with Stravinski’s intended feeling of a happily-ever-after ending.
Michael C. Robinson, Conductor
Derik J. Wright, Doctoral Conducting Associate
Piccolo
Tyson van der Burgh
Flute
Tyson van der Burgh
Jayden Lin
Emmalee O’Dell
Danny Risner
Daniel Torres Garcia
Oboe
Sydney Brockway
Emma Castleberry
Maci Hamilton
Jennifer Tran
Clarinet
Zaylen Boston
Shree Kanji
Jenna Lofton
Alexa Smith
Nicole Soto-Arambula
Ruwien Su
Bass Clarinet
Stewart Runyon
Bassoon
Nathan Bine
Felipe Zimelewicz Pires
Alto Saxophone
Maddi Finn
Sadie Landon
Collin O’Brien
Madelynn Rayner
Jackson Tadlock
Tenor Saxophone
Antonio Aguilar
Cooper Griner
Tucker Rollins
Baritone Saxophone
Maggie Watson
Horn
Ava Castleberry
Della Frazier
Grasu Mwakaliku
Ebony Nicholson
Aeddon Sresthadatta
Trumpet
Sarah Bowden
Bo Brown
Benjamin Githanga
Henry Kim
Nathan Pak
Brian Pena
Tristian Pope
Trombone
Tyler Carver
Jacob Duda
Daniel Lu
Mikayla Steuer
Anthony Tran
Jonah Tully
Bass Trombone
William Emde
Euphonium
Rafael Bustamante
Steven Lubitz
Luke Squier
Tuba
Brock Bell
Luke Greenfield
Riley Maloney
Percussion
Margaret Bly
Arnav Gupta
Kelly Harbin
Mary Rudd
Nikhil Young
Piano
Greg Hankins
*Members of the University of Georgia Concert Ensembles are listed alphabetically to acknowledge each performer’s unique contribution to our shared artistic endeavors.
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
Piccolo
Amanda Irby**
Sarah Quayle
Flute
Ashley O’Conner
Carrie Thompson
Cheri Scriebman
Kaitlin Merck
Kendall Goetzman
Lori Tiller
Michael Bong
Oboe
Karrie Frey
English Horn
Heidi Nibbelink
Clarinet
Rebecca Heard
Angela Manous
Bryan Green
Tiana Perry
Sable McIntyre**
Allyson McKoon
Hannah Marston
McKenzie Turner
Melissa Farr
Hannah Shuman
Gina Moody
Bobbi Walters
Julie Robinson
Bass Clarinet
Sam Chase
Rebecca Kim
Corinne Wilkinson
