THE WHITWORTH WIND SYMPHONY
Richard Strauch, conductor
Melissa Jones, student conductor
LATIN DREAMS
MARTIN WOLDSON THEATER AT THE FOX MONDAY, MAY 5, 2025 | 7:30 p.m.
The Whitworth Wind Symphony Richard Strauch, conductor
Latin Dreams
Monday, May 5, 2025 7:30 pm
The Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox PROGRAM
El Salón México Aaron Copland (1900-1990) trans. by Mark H. Hindsley
Fiesta del Pacifico Roger Nixon (1921-2009)
Melissa Jones, student conductor
Danzon No. 2 Arturo Márquez (b. 1950) trans. Oliver Nickel
INTERMISSION
200: Tercera Suite para Banda Victoriano Valencia Rincón (b.1970)
1. Interdependencia
2. Territorios Norte
3. Territorios Sur
4. Utopía
March, El Capitan John Philip Sousa (1854 -1932)
Program Notes
Aaron Copland, El Salón México
Originally composed for orchestra, El Salón México received its first performance in Mexico City on August 27, 1937. It was the result of an invitation from the Mexican composer/conductor Carlos Chavez for Copland to visit his country and conduct the Orquesta Sinfónica de México in an entire program of American works. Copland accepted the invitation, "fell in love with the country," and returned there to visit and compose during several summers in the 1930s.
In 1932 he conceived the idea of writing an orchestral work built around popular Mexican tunes. The music of a dance hall in Mexico City, Salón Mexico, provided him with a tangible subject. "All that I could hope to do," he wrote, "was to reflect the Mexico of the tourists... because in that one 'hot spot' one felt, in a very natural and unaffected way, a close contact with the Mexican people. It wasn't the music I heard but the spirit I felt there, which attracted me. Something of that spirit is what I hope to have put in my music."
The introduction, from El Palo Verde (the green stick) leads to a trumpet cadenza based on La Jesusita (the little camp follower). As the tempo increases, the bass clarinet and bassoon present a modification of the third melody, El Mosco (the fly). The three folk songs, slightly altered by Copland, appear in an extended introduction, a slow middle section, and an uproarious conclusion.
Roger Nixon, Fiesta del Pacifico
Fiesta del Pacifico is Roger Nixon’s most popular and oftperformed work and has become a standard work for wind ensemble. It was composed in 1958 and 1959 while Nixon was on the faculty at Modesto Junior College. Taking inspiration from his former teacher Roger Sessions, he chose to write a work using the concept that a composition was not geared to
practical goals but rather to an ideal representing concepts about which he firmly believed. Nixon says:
“Fiesta del Pacifico is held in San Diego each summer and features a play on the history of the area, a parade, a rodeo, and street dances. It is one of several festivals held annually in various communities in California which celebrate the old Spanish days of the state, and I chose its name as representative of the spirit of these occasions. The music embodies a good deal of imagery related to these festivals, and in a sense the work might be considered a tonal fresco. The concept is similar to that of the tone poem, or that of the music drama, in that some of the musical ideas have extra-musical connotations. It is impressionistic in that the aim is to create descriptive impressions rather than to tell a story.”
Even with this very direct intent to invoke California imagery, Nixon does not use actual folk materials to bring his view of California forward. All of the various melodies are original. The form of Fiesta del Pacifico is episodic, a variant of a rondo. The various sections, or episodes, are clearly defined, and many return, although sometimes in a varied way. Although not indicated in the score, each episode is associated with a particular image. The large formal construction as well as Nixon’s manipulation of particular motives within represents a central feature of the piece. (William Bertz)
Arturo Márquez, Danzon No. 2
The idea of writing the Danzón No. 2 originated in 1993 during a trip to Malinalco with the painter Andrés Fonseca and the dancer Irene Martínez, both of whom are experts in salon dances with a special passion for the danzón, which they were able to transmit to me from the beginning, and also during later trips to Veracruz and visits to the Colonia Salon in Mexico City. From these experiences onward, I started to learn the danzón’s rhythms, its form, its melodic outline, and to listen to the old recordings by Acerina and his Danzonera Orchestra. I was
fascinated and I started to understand that the apparent lightness of the danzón is only like a visiting card for a type of music full of sensuality and qualitative seriousness, a genre which old Mexican people continue to dance with a touch of nostalgia and a jubilant escape towards their own emotional world; we can fortunately still see this in the embrace between music and dance that occurs in the state of Veracruz and in the dance parlors of Mexico City.
The Danzón No. 2 is a tribute to the environment that nourishes the genre. It endeavors to get as close as possible to the dance, to its nostalgic melodies, to its wild rhythms, and although it violates its intimacy, its form and its harmonic language, it is a very personal way of paying my respects and expressing my emotions towards truly popular music. Danzón No. 2 was written on a commission by the Department of Musical Activities at Mexico’s National Autonomous University and is dedicated to my daughter Lily. (Arturo Márquez)
Victoriano Valencia Rincón, 200: Tercera Suite para Banda
Victoriano Valencia Rincón is considered to be one of the most influential composers of band music in Colombia. He earned his bachelor’s degree in music education from the National Pedagogical University of Colombia and a master’s degree in composition from EAFIT University in Co lombia. He is currently a full-time composition faculty member at the Universidad Pontificia Javeriana in Bogotá and also teaches at the Colombian National Pedagogical University. His compositions and arrangements for wind ensembles are based on Colombian and Latin American folk rhythms. 200: Tercera Suite para Banda (Third Suite for Band) was commissioned by the Columbian Ministry of Culture in commemoration of the bicentenary of Columbian national independence in 2010. The composer writes:
“Interdependencia leads us through diverse scenes of the proindependence period: Nueva Granada, El Florero y Cartagena, Patria Boba, Bolívar, and República, alternating different sides of the two main themes that represent the colonial image (the other) and the national spirit, trying to express the condition of interdependence and inter-existence within the permanent configuration of who we are as a nation and as an individual human being.
“In Territorios Norte and Territorios Sur, a contact is being established with LatinAmerican sonorous references, to strengthen the shared characteristics in our region through colonial history, or cultural and social evolution. In such a way we can find the Danzón and other Afro -Cuban music styles in a dialogue with Colombian Caribbean, and the Tango interacting with elements of Andean music systems.
“Utopías operates as a synthesis and prospection, in three main segments: Memoria, Encuentro, and Diversidad, which recreates together with the final Coda (Interdependencia) themes of the previous movements.
“Modal and tonal contexts alternate with much freedom, just as textures and techniques of different musical traditions, [and] the rhythmic energy and expressive intentions are the basic motors of the suite, in accordance with these 200 years of collective searching.”
About the Whitworth Wind Symphony
The threefold mission of the Whitworth Wind Symphony is to train and educate musicians for a lifetime of musical learning; to represent Whitworth’s mind-and-heart education though excellence in performance before audiences on campus, throughout the community and across the globe; and to advocate for and promote wind literat ure through the study and performance of the ensemble’s core repertoire as well as the commissioning of new works.
The Whitworth Wind Symphony has appeared in concert at state and regional conferences of the Washington Music Educators Association, the National Association for Music Education and the College Band Directors National Association, and has toured throughout the western United States and in Hawaii, Costa Rica and Thailand. The wind symphony can also be heard in performance on the ensemble’s YouTube channel (youtube.com/whitworthwinds).
As the university’s select auditioned wind and percussion ensemble, the wind symphony has been active in commissioning new works and collaborating with composers around the world. Noted composers David Maslanka, Eric Ewazen, James David and Peter Van Zandt Lane have praised the wind symphony’s performances of their music, and recent performance collaborations have included saxophonist Lawrence Gwozdz, bass trombonist Douglas Yeo and the Travis Brass of the United States Air Force. The ensemble is open by audition to all Whitworth University students in any major who are woodwind, brass, percussion or string bass musicians. The other components of the wind and percussion studies program at Whitworth include the Whitworth Chamber Winds, Whitworth Symphony Orchestra, the Whitworth Concert Band and a variety of chamber ensembles.
About the Conductor
Richard Strauch is in his 28th year as director of the Whitworth Wind Symphony and professor of music at Whitworth University. He also conducts the Whitworth Chamber Winds, teaches courses in music history and conducting, and leads Whitworth’s Power & Politics of Art: Rome/Florence/Vienna/Berlin study program. Prior to joining the Whitworth music faculty, Strauch served as director of instrumental activities at Phillips University, acting director of the Wheaton College Wind Ensemble and assistant to the director of bands at Yale University. He has toured Europe as music director of the Oklahoma Ambassadors of Music and as conductor of the Fox Valley Youth Orchestra. An active professional trombonist, he is a member of the Spokane Symphony Orchestra, and his other performance credits include the Clarion Brass Choir, the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, the National Orchestral Institute and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. Strauch holds doctor of musical arts, master of musical arts and master of music degrees in trombone performance from Yale University, and a bachelor of music degree in trombone performance and music history from the Wheaton College Conservatory of Music.
The Whitworth Wind Symphony 2024-25
Piccolo
Valerie Hanes, ’27
Flute
Nevaeh Gariepy, ’25
Rachelle Austin, ’28
Elizabeth Addison, ’28
Tori Ratliff, ’28
Oboe
Samarra Salcido, ’26
Physics Spokane
Music Education Spokane
Music Education Spokane
Music Education Deer Park
Biology Forest Grove, OR
Music Spokane
Hope Noranbrock, ’25 Music Nine Mile Falls
Melody Hough, ’28
Bassoon
Zoë Johnson, ‘27
Celeste Depew, ’28
E-flat Clarinet
Anthony Bithell
Clarinet
Robert Weener, ’24
Kylie Mitchell, ’27
James Fischer, ’28
Noah Wells, ’28
Lila Gamero, ’27
Music Composition Spokane
Music Ed Spokane
Psychology/English Lynden
Guest Artist Spokane
Data Science Sherwood, OR
Music Ed Cheney
Music Spokane
Computer Science Post Falls, ID
Elementary Ed Spokane
Mason Groth, ’26 Chemistry Coeur d’Alene
Rosalind Nordberg, ’27 Environmental Sci. Bellevue
Luciano Bellissimo, ’27 Music Comp. / Cashmere Comp. Sci.
Bass Clarinet
Colton Nussbaum, ’25 Business Raymond
Soprano/Alto Saxophone
Melissa Jones, ’25
Alto Saxophone
Max Cannon, ’25
Will Peterson, ’26
Tenor Saxophone
Nicholas Kar, ‘27
Baritone Saxophone
Music Education Richland
Music Performance Spokane
Music Education Spokane
Math Education Spokane
Nathaniel Kurano, ’28 Engineering Honolulu, HI
Horn
Isaac Crawford -Heim, ’26 Health Science Spokane
Samuel Wisenor, 28 English Spokane
Stella Reitz, ’25 Neuroscience Marysville
Hannah Marcoe, ’27
Trumpet
Julia Maher, ’26
Matthew Thornell, ’26
Alexis Hochberg, ’28
Math/Secondary Ed . Moscow, ID
Music Education Whidbey Island
Sports Business Kingston
Music Education Liberty Lake
Anthony Cao, ’25 Chemistry Spokane
Faith Willard, ’27
Dakota Bair, ’28
Music Education Spokane
Music Ministry Lake Steven s
Logan Pintor Faculty Spokane
Trombone
Conor Waller, ’25
Music Composition Spokane
Caeden Harrison, ’25 Theology Houston, TX
Michael Perry, ’27
Euphonium
Music Performance Richland
Jacob Blomdahl, ’25 Engineering Chehalis
Jacob Blair, ’25 Chemistry Spokane
Tuba
Julian Crandell, ’27
Music Composition Deer Park
Owen Moe, ’28 Biochemistry Spokane
Cello
Anna Seppa Guest Artist
Grace Chastain Guest Artist
Bass
Patrick McNalley Faculty Spokane
Piano
Isaac Dorcy, ’27
Percussion
Music Composition Shelton
Ryland Gabriel, ’26 Psychology Spokane
Luke Wagner, ’25 Computer Science Clackamas, OR
Dom Macauley, ’25 ELA Education Kahului, HI
Madeleine Lyon, ’26 Biology Hockinson
Hannah Lind, ’27
Front End Design Liberty Lake
Loren Lehne, ’27 Biochemistry Damascus, OR
WHITWORTH UNIVERSITY
Since 1890, Whitworth has held fast to its founding mission to provide “an education of mind and heart” through rigorous intellectual inquiry guided by dedicated Christian scholars. Recognized as one of the top regional colleges and universities in the West, Whitworth University has an enrollment of about 2,500 students and offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
Whitworth University’s 200-acre campus of red-brick buildings and tall pines offers a beautiful, inviting and secure learning environment. More than $115 million in campus improvements have been made in recent years, including an expanded music center, a renovated auditorium stage, an expanded dining hall, a rec center, a science hall, an athletics leadership center and a graduate health sciences building.
In all of its endeavors, Whitworth seeks to advance its founder’s mission of equipping students to “honor God, follow Christ and serve humanity.”
For application information: Office of Admissions
Whitworth University
300 W. Hawthorne Road Spokane, WA 99251
509.777.3212
admissions@whitworth.edu whitworth.edu/admissions
MUSIC AT WHITWORTH
The Whitworth University Music Department, accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music, provides superb training in music as well as a thorough introduction to this essential element of the liberal arts.
Whitworth music majors have gone on to prestigious graduate schools, fulfilling performance careers and successful teaching positions. Also, many non-music majors participate in the university’s renowned touring ensembles and enroll in private lessons through the music department.
Whitworth University offers bachelor of arts degrees in music ministry, composition, instrumental performance, jazz performance, piano performance, piano pedagogy, string pedagogy, voice performance and music education. Music scholarships are available to both music majors and non-majors.
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