Singletary Recital Hall Pre-Concert Talk and Concert
Music by Gerhart Muench, Jeffrey L. Jones, Angel Gómez Ramos, and Augusta Read Thomas
PROGRAM NOTES
PROGRAM
Tacambarenses III (5’)** / 1961
Arrangement for viola and ensemble / 2025
original for viola and piano
I. Cantilena
II. Fugato
III. Promenade
Gerhart Muench (1907-1988)
Arr. Ángel Gómez Ramos (1988)
Maia M. Smith, viola soloist
Aaron Moeller, percussion
Katelin Stewart, percussion
Daniel Preciado, guitar
Angela Wang, piano
The Great Barrier Reef * (11’) / 2025 for ensemble
Julie Hobs, flute
Paul McDonald, clarinet
Abby Temple, trumpet
David Alonso Otero, saxophone
Kai Miller, trombone
Seth Dossa, tuba
James Beckner, percussion
Katelin Stewart, percussion
Angela Wang, piano
Jeffrey L. Jones (1949)
Retahílas de las Infinitas Luciérnagas
Fluorescentes (Sequences of the Infinite
Fluorescent Fireflies)* / 2024 for solo guitar and chamber orchestra
I. Ditirambos [Bebop]
II. Cadenza [Pseudo-Passacaglia]
III. En Donde las Cabezas de los Astros Dejan un Halo que Crece Eternamente / Where the Heads of the Stars Leave a Halo that Grows Eternally
IV. Contradanza
V. Pajarero de Luces Muertas Que Andan Con Pies de Espectro / Birdwatcher of Dead Lights Who Walk with Ghost Feet
VI. Zangbeto [Frank Zappa Drinking Pulque in Colombia]
Ángel Gómez Ramos, guitar soloist
Julie Hobs, flute
Paul McDonald, clarinet
Abby Temple, trumpet
David Alonso Otero, saxophone
Kai Miller, trombone
Seth Dossa, tuba
James Beckner, percussion
Dance Mobile (14’) / 2021 for large ensemble
Katie Campbell, flute
Paul McDonald, clarinet
Jimmy O’Donnell, saxophone
Marcus Harris, bassoon
Kai Miller, trombone
James Beckner, percussion
Aaron Moeller, percussion
* World premiere
**World premiere of the arrangement
Ángel Gómez Ramos (1988)
Katelin Stewart, percussion
Robert Jeter, piano
Selena Vega, violin I
Edgar Querales, violin II
Maia Smith, viola
Holden Bitner, cello
Elizabeth Galloway, double bass
Augusta Read Thomas (1964)
Katelin Stewart, percussion
Robert Jeter, piano
Selena Vega, violin I
Edgar Querales, violin II
Maia Smith, viola
Holden Bitner, cello
Elizabeth Galloway, double bass
PROGRAM NOTES
Tacambarenses III is a composition by Gerhart Muench, written in 1961 for viola and piano. Muench, a German-born pianist and composer, spent much of his later life in Mexico, where he contributed significantly to the country's musical landscape. Gerhart Muench's time in Mexico profoundly shaped his compositions, blending European classical traditions with Mexican musical elements. After moving to Tacámbaro, Michoacán, he immersed himself in the country's rich musical heritage, engaging with composers like Miguel Bernal Jiménez and teaching contemporary composition. His works reflect Mexican folk influences, incorporating rhythmic complexity and textural experimentation inspired by indigenous and regional music. He also explored microtonality and extended techniques, aligning with Mexico's avant-garde scene. The arrangement presented this evening was written by Ángel Gómez Ramos in 2025 for UK New Music Ensemble (viola, trumpet, two percussionists, guitar and piano).
The Great Barrier Reef by Jeffrey L. Jones (2025)
The composition begins and ends with thematic material representing the entire reef, with variations of the main theme providing short transitional phrases between each “creature” section. The four sections which follow serve to represent four sea creatures common to the reef, including…
• Blanket Octopus (Clarinet, flute, piano): The female of this odd (and very shy!) member of the octopus family has a large membrane (the “blanket”) which covers two of its arms. The male is only around 2 inches, and lives solely for the purpose of reproduction.
• Dugong (Tuba, Trombone, bass drum): This relative of the manatee is common in the seagrass found between the Great Barrier Reef and mainland Australia. Females raise only two to three solo calves over their 50-year life span.
• Olive sea snake (Trumpet): This highly poisonous snake, though naturally curious, is mostly nocturnal, hiding in crevices in the coral reefs.
• Māori Wrasse (Piano and Trombone): This large endangered poisonous carnivore’s inquisitive behavior sometimes compels them to follow reef divers around like large, friendly dogs.
Retahílas de las Infinitas Luciérnagas Fluorescentes (2024) by Ángel Gómez Ramos
Sequences of the Infinite Fluorescent Fireflies for solo guitar and orchestra Somewhere between a traditional concerto and a free-form exploration, this piece treats the guitar as a transformative agent catalyzing, guiding, and resonating with the various musical forms that emerge around it. The first movement, imbued with the spirit of bebop, unfolds through a succession of strophes and antistrophes that build in timbral density, layer upon layer. The cadenza introduces not only the thematic seed of a pseudo-passacaglia but also distills and foreshadows the expressive materials that shape the rest of the work. At the heart of the concerto lies the third movement, inspired by Altazor (by Vicente Huidobro), serving as an allegorical bridge between
the parachutist’s free fall and the listener’s perceptual journey. The following contradanza is a vivid interplay of forms, textures, and timbres at once sharp and playful. Mirroring the third movement, the fifth offers a contrasting reflection: an inverted disquisition of the anti-poet, expanding the symbolic resonance of the piece. The final passage, fleeting and illusory, erupts in a concentrated burst of intensity, gathering all the accumulated energy of the work and leaving behind a shimmering trail.
Dance Mobile (2021) by Augusta Read Thomas
Music for me is an embrace of the world – a way to open myself up to being alive in the world in my body, in my sounds, and in my mind. I care deeply about musicality, imagination, craft, clarity, dimensionality, an elegant balance between material and form, and empathy with the performing musicians. My works always spark and catch fire from spontaneous improvisations. It is music always in the act of becoming. I have a vivid sense that the process of the creative journey (rather than a predictable fixed point of arrival) is the essence. Poetry can give language to the ineffable. Music is, in an analogous way, akin to an infinite alphabet. Sounds can become like butterflies, hummingbirds, lights, rocks, trees, webs, gardens, and landscapes. Three virtuosic dances, each lasting circa 4 minutes and 30 seconds, are, as if hanging on an Alexander Calder-like mobile, suspended so as to turn freely in the air; lively, sprightly, spry, energetic, vigorous; animated, traveling, flexible, versatile, changing, fluid, and on the move. Organic and, at every level, concerned with transformations and connections, the carefully sculpted and fashioned musical materials of Dance Mobile are agile and spirited, and their flexibility allows pathways to braid harmonic, rhythmic, and contrapuntal elements that are constantly transformed at times whimsical and light, at times jazzy, at times almost Stravinsky-ballet-like, at times layered and reverberating with resonance, pirouettes, fulcrum points, and effervescence. Across Dance Mobile’s 14-minute duration, there unfolds a labyrinth of musical interrelationships and connections that showcase the musicians of the UK New Music Ensemble in a virtuosic display of rhythmic agility, counterpoint, skill, energy, dynamic and articulative range, precision, and teamwork. Dance Mobile is to be performed with dancers when feasible and was commissioned and premiered by the Eastman School of Music in celebration of their 100th anniversary. Commissioned by the Howard Hanson Institute for American Music in Celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Eastman School of Music. Dedicated with admiration and gratitude to Brad Lubman, Musica Nova, and the Eastman School of Music. Commissioning new art is a leap of faith, and as such, artists must always be deeply grateful to those who support the creation and realization of their life's work. Music’s eternal quality is its capacity for change, transformation, and renewal. No one composer, musical style, school of thought, technical practice, or historical period can claim a monopoly on music’s truths. I believe music feeds our souls. Unbreakable is the power of art to build community. Humanity has and will always work together to further music’s flexible, diverse capacity and innate power.
COMPOSERS
Gerhart Muench
German-born Mexican pianist, teacher, and composer; b. Dresden, March 23, 1907; d. Tacambaro, Nov. 9, 1988. He studied piano with his father, a prof, at the Dresden Cons. He gave a public piano recital in Dresden at the age of 9. His auspicious career was halted by the Nazi takeover in Germany; Muench was drafted into the German army but was discharged in 1944 as physically unfit. He went to the U.S. in 1947. In 1953 he settled in Mexico City and taught at the Univ. Nacional. In his piano recitals he introduced the new music of Stockhausen, Boulez, Pousseur, and others to Mexican audiences. Some of his works include chamber opera: Tumulus Veneris (1950). Orch.: Concerto da camera for Piano and Chamber Orch. (1926); Capriccio variato for Piano and Orch. (1941); Vocationes for Piano and Chamber Orch. (1951); Bassoon Concerto (1956); Muerte sin fin (1957); Concerto for Piano and Strings (1957); Violin Concerto (1959); Labyrinthus Orphei (1965); Itinera duo for Piano and Orch. (1965); Oxymora (1967); Auditur (1968); Epitomae tacambarensiae (1974); Vida sin Fin for Piano and Orch. (1976); Sortilégios (1979); Pay-sages de Rêve (1984). chamber: Tesauras Orphei for Oboe, Clarinet, Viola, Double Bass, and Harp (1951); Tessellata tacambarensia, cycle of 9 chamber pieces for various instrumental groups or soloists (1964–76); Out of Chaos for Cello and Piano (1975); Signa Flexanima for Piano Trio (1975); Tetrálogo for String Quartet (1977); Pentalgo for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Violin, and Cello (1985). Piano: Evoluta for 2 Pianos (1961); Pièce de résistance (1962); Pasos Perdidos (1971); Fugato (1985). Vocal: Asociaciones for Soprano and Instruments (1969); Exaltacion de la Luz for Soprano, Men’s Chorus, and Orch. (1981); Se nos ha ido la Tarde for Chorus and Orch. (1983); 5 masses; choruses; songs.
Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis Mclntire
Jeffrey L. Jones
Jeff is a former violist and music theorist who wandered off from those disciplines as he gained employment, children, and other interests. After retiring from a career in public education, he returned to academic studies as a Donovan Scholar at the University of Kentucky to feed a focus on creating a portfolio of compositions. ‘The Great Barrier Reef’ is his second premiere, and he has had several readings of his other works. On October 12, 2025, the Lexington Chamber Chorale will perform his third premiere. Jeff and wife Dee share three children, 5 grandchildren, and live in Lexington. Jeff’s musical pursuits can be followed at www.jeffreyljonesmusic.com
Ángel Gómez Ramos, composer and guitar player “... His music, carefully crafted, is vigorous and intense, presenting a sophisticated sense of balance through his use of contrast and gesture. His language displays a unique expressive quality, strong rhythmic handling, and is characterized by an intrinsic sense of humor.” Hebert Vázquez Winner of the International Composition Competition for Guitar in Portugal, the MIGF Composition Competition in the United States, the International Composition Competition "Manuel de Falla" (Seville, Spain), the Composition Program of the Arzenter (USA), International Composition Competition of the Iconographic Museum of Don Quixote (Mexico), the Composition Competition of the Monterrey International Guitar Festival (Mexico), and the Manuel M. Ponce National Composition Competition (Mexico), among others. He holds high honors degrees in Composition and Guitar Performance from the Conservatory of Music of the State of Mexico, where he was part of the music creation workshop led by professors Armando Luna and Fernando Durán. Currently, he is pursuing a Master's degree under the guidance of Juan Trigos and Dieter Hennings at the University of Kentucky.
Augusta Read Thomas
The music of Augusta Read Thomas (b. 1964 in New York) is nuanced, majestic, elegant, capricious, lyrical, and colorful. Championed by such luminaries as Barenboim, Rostropovich, Boulez, Eschenbach, Salonen, Maazel, Ozawa, and Knussen, she rose early to the top of her profession. The American Academy of Arts and Letters described Thomas as “one of the most recognizable and widely loved figures in American Music." She is a University Professor of Composition in Music and the College at The University of Chicago. Thomas was the longestserving Mead Composer-in-Residence with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for conductors Daniel Barenboim and Pierre Boulez (1997-2006). In 2016, Augusta Read Thomas founded the University of Chicago’s Center for Contemporary Composition, which is a dynamic, collaborative, and interdisciplinary environment for the creation, performance and study of new music and for the advancement of the careers of emerging and established composers, performers, and scholars. The Center comprises ten integrated entities: annual concert series featuring the Grossman Ensemble, CHIME, visiting ensembles, distinguished guest composers, performances, recordings, research, student-led projects, workshops and postdoctoral fellowships. Recent and upcoming commissions include those from the Santa Fe Opera in collaboration with the San Francisco Opera and other opera companies, PEAK Performances at Montclair State University and the Martha Graham Dance Company, The Cathedral Choral Society of Washington D.C., The Indianapolis Symphony, Tanglewood, The Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra, Des Moines Symphony, Boston Symphony, the Utah Symphony, Wigmore Hall in London, JACK quartet, Third Coast Percussion, Spektral Quartet, Chicago Philharmonic, Eugene Symphony, the Danish Chamber Players, Notre Dame University, Janet Sung, Lorelei Vocal Ensemble, and the Fromm Foundation. Her discography includes 90 commercially recorded CDs. www.augustareadthomas.com
UK New Music Ensemble
Juan Trigos, principal conductor and music director
The UK New Music Ensemble (UK NME), formed by Juan Trigos in 2023, aims to be a pioneering force in the world of contemporary classical music. Devoted to presenting works by living composers and pieces from the last 50-70 years, the ensemble is at the forefront of celebrating innovation and creative expression in modern music. This release set the tone for their ambitious and forward-thinking artistic vision. The ensemble reached a major milestone on March 18, 2025, with their first national tour in Miami, Florida, where they introduced audiences to their captivating performances. Guided by the dynamic leadership of their conductor, Juan Trigos, UK NME continues to elevate the experience of contemporary classical music. Known for his precision and ability to reveal the intricate layers of modern compositions, Trigos has transformed the ensemble into a compelling platform for artistic collaboration and innovation. Through their commitment to excellence and creativity, the UK New Music Ensemble reshapes the perception of contemporary classical music, fostering a deeper connection between composers, performers, and audiences worldwide.
Their journey has been remarked with the release of their debut CD Hemofición Opera Ella-Miau by Juan Trigos AVAILABLE ON YOUTUBE
