ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Spencer Robinson, Trumpet
Spencer Robinson (b. 1998) is a graduate student pursuing a Master of Music in Trumpet Performance at West Chester University, where he studies with Dr. Jean-Christophe Dobrzelewski and Robert Skoniczin. He is an active performer with the Wind Ensemble, Chamber Winds, Brass Ensemble, and Trumpet Ensemble, and also coaches trumpet ensembles within the studio. In addition to his work at the university, he maintains a private teaching studio and performs professionally throughout the region.
Robinson earned a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from the University of South Carolina. He also holds an Artist Diploma in Performance from the College of Charleston, where he studied with Antonio Marti and served as Marti’s teaching assistant. In 2025, he performed as Principal Trumpet with the College of Charleston Orchestra at Carnegie Hall.
Rob Kennan, Piano
Rob Kennan, Director of Music and Organist at Newark United Methodist Church, is an active director, pianist, organist, private instructor, singer, hornist, and composer/arranger in the northern Delaware area. He works with the University of Delaware, West Chester University, the Brandywine and Red Clay school districts. Rob is the Artistic Director of Joyful Noise Delaware, a chorus of adults with disabilities. He is the collaborative pianist for The New Ark Chorale. Rob is a founding member of the former male a cappella quintet Qvinctus. Mr. Kennan has served as director and/or pianist for Northern Delaware Oratorio Society, CoroAllegro, Delaware ChoralArts, Wilmington Children’s Chorus, Opus One, and Wilmington Handbell Ensemble. He has played (French) horn locally with Newark Symphony, Wilmington Community Orchestra, Diamond State Concert Band, and Brandywine Pops Orchestra, previously playing with a number of professional organizations such as the Dallas Brass. Rob also regularly plays saxophone and guitar, and is an active arranger and composer.
Rob holds his Bachelor’s degree in music education from Shenandoah Conservatory and University, and a Master’s degree in horn performance from the University of North Texas. He has been a musician and educator in a number of states and a member of various organizations and boards, including the Music Educators National Conference, American Choral Directors Association, American Guild of Organists, Handbell Musicians of America, Joyful Noise, Wilmington Handbell Ensemble, and Valley Educational Center for Creative Arts.
CANCIÓN DEL AMOR DOLIDO
Aie, I cannot understand this feeling
My blood flames with the jealous fire of Hell. What is the river trying to say?
Aie! He forgets me and loves another. Aie! My pain torments me. My love is like a poison. Aie!
EL PAÑO MORUNO
On the fine cloth in the shop a spot has fallen It sells for less now, for it has lost its value
ASTURIANA
Seeking consolation, I drew near a green pine tree, Seeking consolation…
Seeing me weep, it wept; The pine, as it as green, Wept to see me weeping
CANCIÓN
Because your eyes are treacherous I’m going to bury them. You know not what it costs, Dearest, to gaze into them! They say you don’t love me, But once you did. Make the best of it!
Cut your losses.
Mother!
JohannSebastianBach(1685–1750),ConcertoinDMajor,BWV972
ArrangedbyAllenChenforPiccoloTrumpet
Johann Sebastian Bach, one of the most influential composers of the Baroque era, is renowned for his mastery of counterpoint and his ability to synthesize diverse musical styles. Bach frequently engaged with the works of other composers, particularly those of the Italian school, adapting them for new contexts and expanding their expressive possibilities. This piece is Bach’s transcription of a violin concerto by Antonio Vivaldi, originally composed in D major, RV 230. Bach reworked the concerto for keyboard, preserving the vibrant energy and structural clarity of Vivaldi’s style while enriching the harmonic and textural complexity. This arrangement by Allen Chen brings the work into the trumpet repertoire, utilizing the piccolo trumpet to capture the brilliance and agility of the original violin writing. The first movement exemplifies the Baroque ritornello form, in which a recurring orchestral refrain alternates with more episodic solo passages. Energetic and rhythmically driven, the movement highlights the trumpet’s clarity and articulation, requiring precision and control in rapid passagework. In contrast, the second movement offers a more introspective character, featuring a lyrical, ornamented melodic line over a steady accompaniment.
JohannBaptistGeorgNeruda(c.1708–1780),ConcertoinE-flatMajor
Johann Baptist Georg Neruda was a Bohemian composer and violinist active during the transition from the Baroque to the Classical era. The piece reflects the stylistic shift of the mid-18th century, blending the ornate gestures of the Baroque with the emerging clarity and balance of the Classical style. The piece was originally composed for horn. Today, the work is most often performed on a modern valved trumpet, usually pitched in E-flat, allowing for greater technical facility while still preserving the brilliance and character of the original instrument. The first movement is lively and elegant, featuring clear phrase structures and buoyant rhythmic energy. Solo passages alternate with accompanying material in a manner reminiscent of earlier Baroque concerto forms, while also foreshadowing Classical clarity. The second movement provides contrast through its lyrical and expressive character, showcasing the trumpet’s singing quality in a more restrained and intimate setting. The final movement returns to a spirited and dance-like style, requiring agility and precision from the performer as it drives toward a bright and virtuosic conclusion.
AlexanderArutunian(1920–2012),ConcertScherzo
Alexander Arutunian was an Armenian composer whose music blends rich Romantic lyricism with the rhythmic vitality and modal characteristics of Armenian folk traditions. A student of Genrikh Litinsky, Arutunian became one of the most prominent composers of the Soviet era, gaining international recognition for his contributions to orchestral and solo instrumental repertoire. While Arutunian is best known for his Trumpet Concerto, the Concert Scherzo similarly showcases the instrument’s virtuosity and brilliance. The title suggests a playful character, but the work goes far beyond lightheartedness, incorporating dramatic contrasts, driving rhythms, and sweeping melodic gestures. The piece is characterized by its energetic momentum and technical demands. Rapid articulation, wide intervallic leaps, and intricate rhythmic figures require both precision and endurance from the performer. At the same time, Arutunian interweaves moments of lyricism, allowing the trumpet to shift between bold, declamatory statements and more expressive, singing lines.
JosephTurrin(b.1947),TwoPortraits,Psalm
Joseph Turrin is an American composer known for his accessible yet sophisticated musical language, blending traditional forms with contemporary harmonic and rhythmic elements. His works are widely performed and valued for their lyrical expressiveness and strong sense of character. Two Portraits was composed in the summer of 1995 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the International Trumpet Guild. The work consists of two contrasting movements Psalm and Incantation and was conceived to explore the distinct expressive qualities of the trumpet and flugelhorn. The first recorded performance of the complete work was given by Philip Smith, with the composer at the piano. The first movement, Psalm, serves as a lyrical and introspective opening, emphasizing the expressive
capabilities of the trumpet. Rather than focusing on virtuosic display, Turrin prioritizes melodic development, shaping long, singing lines that require careful control of tone, phrasing, and breath.
ManueldeFalla(1876–1946),SuiteofOldSpanishDances
TranscribedbyAmandaPepping
Manuel de Falla was a central figure in Spanish nationalism in music during the early twentieth century. His works often draw upon traditional Spanish folk melodies, rhythms, and dance forms, blending these elements with refined compositional techniques influenced by French Impressionism. The Suite of Old Spanish Dances is a collection of songs originally drawn from de Falla’s Siete canciones populares españolas (1914), a set of folk-song arrangements for voice and piano. Each song reflects a different regional style of Spain, preserving the character and spirit of its source material. This transcription by Amanda Pepping adapts the vocal lines for trumpet, allowing the instrument to emulate the expressive nuances of the human voice while showcasing its lyrical capabilities. Each movement on this program presents a unique character. Canción del Amor Dolido is introspective and mournful, requiring a warm tone and expressive phrasing to convey its sense of longing. El paño moruno contrasts sharply with a more rhythmic and declamatory style, marked by sharp articulations and a sense of forward momentum. Asturiana returns to a deeply reflective mood, characterized by its simplicity and emotional depth, while Canción closes the set with a lighter, more animated character rooted in dance-like rhythms.