THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT SAN ANTONIO COLLEGE OF LIBERAL AND FINE ARTS SCHOOL OF MUSIC
Eva Ayala Senior Recital
P
R O G R A M:
“Liminal
Space”
Ballade (1944)
Leviathan for Trombone Octet (2013)
October for Trombone Choir (2000/2025)
A Liminal Space (2019)
Eugene Bozza (1905-1991)
Jack Wilds (b. 1986)
Eric Whitacre (1933-2012)
Arr. Nicholas Zars
*INTERMISSION*
David Faleris (b. 1982)
Chemical Reaction (2019)
Monday Evening, April 21st, 2025 4:30 pm School of Music Recital Hall
Marc Mellits (b.1966)
Program Notes
Ballade: Born in France, Eugene Bozza (1905-1991) demonstrated his talents early as a brilliant violinist, conductor and composer at the Paris Conservatoire including winning the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1934. Although Bozza composed numerous symphonies, operas and ballets, much of his musical output was chamber music for wind instruments. In his Ballade for trombone and orchestra, Bozza augments his elegant and smooth melodies with quotes from larger works such as Claude Debussy’s Daphnis et Chloe and Maurice Ravel’s Bolero. Bozza’s Ballade is often referred to as “musical parody” and comes with many surprises.
Leviathan: Dr. Wilds received his Bachelor of Music Studies from the Butler School of Music at the University of Texas at Austin. In 2013 Dr. Wilds composed this Trombone Octet and dedicated it to the Texas State University Trombone Choir, under the direction of Professor Martic McCain. Leviathan has grown to be a popular Trombone ensemble piece and was performed at the 2013 Internation Trombone Festival. UTSA Trombone Studio Alumni Raymond Sifuentes is the conductor of this piece.
October for Trombone Choir: October was written by Eric Whitacre in the year 2000. This piece has become standard repertoire for wind bands and is one of my personal favorites. When putting together this recital program, I approached my good friend Nicholas Zars about arranging this for the performance, and it was a resounding yes. Zars has put a great deal of work into arranging, rehearsing, and conducting this piece with me. Thank you, Nicholas, for all of your hard work.
A Liminal Space: The composer, David Faleris, is a Trombone player who holds degrees from Boston College, the Peabody Institute, and Berklee College of Music in Valencia, Spain. In 2019 this piece was commissioned by another phenomenal Trombone player named Jeremy Wilson for his album entitled “Perspectives”. This piece means a lot to me personally, and so I decided this would be the title piece for my recital. The composer writes about the piece:
“A Liminal Space: neither here nor there, after “what was” but before passing that threshold of “what’s next”. A liminal space can be a time and place of paralyzing unknowns, and there is no way to easily navigate such indeterminate change. What lies past the threshold is not simply a concealed or obscured future for one’s self, but rather a new version of one’s self about to be defined. Although this state of unpredictable transformation can be threateningly mysterious, there is a beauty and power to the endless possibilities of “what will be”.
Chemical Reaction: Marc Mellits is an American composer and musician with degrees from the Eastman school of music, Yale, and Cornell University. In 2019, this piece was commissioned by the Trombone Professor at Louisiana State University, Hana Beloglavec. Chemical Reaction is written for trombone and loop station, and upon hearing It for the first time I immediately wanted to learn how to perform this. Learning how to use the technology and then combining this with my trombone playing was very challenging. This music is unique, fun, and the perfect way to end a recital.
Special Thanks
Thank you to the UTSA Trombone Studio members, Alumni, and Dr. Lee for accompanying me in my senior recital. To the low brass faculty, ensemble directors, and administrative staff, your guidance and support is very appreciated. Thank you for attending my senior recital!
