Program Notes

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Edvard Grieg’s Holberg Suite, Op. 40 (1884) comprises an introduction and set of four dances based on eighteenth century forms. Grieg composed the work to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Dano-Norwegian humanist writer, philosopher and historian Ludvig Holberg. As such, it is nineteenth-century music that makes use of styles from the preceding century. The Holberg Suite was originally written for piano, but a year later was adapted by Grieg himself for string orchestra.

 

Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata (the fallen woman) (1853) is an opera in three acts, set to an Italian libretto based on the play La Dame aux camélias, by Alexandre Dumas (son). It was first performed in Venice, and is Verdi’s most popular opera; in 2023 it was the most frequently performed opera in the world.

                    “Sempre Libera” is sung by Violetta in Act I, Scene l, at the end of the party scene, when Alfredo confesses his love. She expresses her desire to remain free and live life for pleasure, even as she wonders about the possibility of true love. The appearance of Alfredo outside her window makes it a duet, but the aria is ultimately Violetta's.

 

Kevin Day is an American composer, conductor, producer & multi-instrumentalist. His music intersects between the worlds of jazz, minimalism, Latin music, fusion, and contemporary classical idioms; it is characterized by propulsive, syncopated rhythms, colorful orchestration, and instrumental virtuosity. Day received his Bachelor of Music degree in performance from Texas Christian University, Master of Music degree in composition from the University of Georgia, and his Doctorate from Frost University. He has quickly emerged as one of the leading voices in the world of music composition today.

                    Fantasia III for Brass Quintet  (2021) comprises 3 movements. In the composer’s words: “I’m excited to share my first brass quintet piece entitled Fantasia III... This multi-movement work highlights the breadth, depth, and virtuosity of the brass quintet, bringing in the influences of my personal brass playing experience. It has been an honor and a pleasure to collaborate with Axiom Brass on this composition. Their joy and passion for playing and collaborating with composers on new works for the medium is so inspiring to me. Thank you also to the several brass quintets (including Seraph Brass) that joined this consortium and co-commissioned this work”.

Jeff Scott, a Grammy Award-winning composer, has written many original works for solo winds, ensembles, and multiple stage productions. Currently a member of the horn faculty at Oberlin Conservatory, Mr. Scott is a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music and earned a master's degree from Stony Brook University. Scott served as French hornist of the Oberlin-founded ensemble Imani Winds for more than 20 years, a position that took him to countless prominent stages. (Imani Winds performed at Coastal Concerts in January 2023).

                        Showcase (2024), in the composer’s words “…is a one-movement work that called me to submerge completely within the most prevalent influence on me during my compositional journey - that being West African ritual music... Growing up in Queens and Brooklyn, I lived and breathed Jazz, R&B, Latin Jazz, Salsa and Hip Hop - all music derived from West African rhythms. I then studied classical music performance in conservatory. The result is hopefully an energized, relentlessly pulsed score that provides a platform for the ensemble to “showcase” their talents and my music, which I have dubbed... Urban Classical Music." Showcase was commissioned and premiered by Seraph Brass.

 

Franz Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 (1847) is from a set of 19 piano pieces based on Hungarian folk melodies and themes. Liszt composed them between 1846 and 1885. The immediate success of Rhapsody No.2 and its popularity on the concert stage as a piano solo led to several orchestrated versions over the years, all of which have enjoyed widespread performances. As an aside, this dramatic work has been used in many animated cartoon movies including Tom and Jerry, Bugs Bunny, and Mickey Mouse, and its themes have served as the basis of several popular songs. In 1979, Victor Borge played this piece on The Muppet Show; he also played a duo version with Şahan Arzruni, in which they played on the same piano, and changed the parts to make it fun to the audience.

 

Kevin McKee is an American composer with a primary emphasis in brass chamber music. He began playing the trumpet in grade school at the urging of his father, who was the local high school music teacher. McKee went on to earn two degrees in trumpet performance; a BM from Sacramento State, and a MM from the University of Maryland. He is also an alumnus of the Aspen Music Festival and the National Orchestral Institute. His music has been performed worldwide, and can be heard on over 50 recordings. He has contributed to the International Trumpet Guild Journal and is a member of ASCAP, through which he has been a recipient of several ASCAP Plus awards. In addition to composing, he is an active trumpet performer, and is also engaged in teaching.

                     Vuelta del Fuego (ride of fire) (2008) is a sweeping and dramatic work.  As McKee writes: “The idea for Vuelta del Fuego came from a love of a sound that mixes over-the-top romance with unabashed flair and swagger. My goal was to write music that is fun, exciting and fulfilling for both the performers and the audience”. The piece was written for the Continuum Brass Quintet, a group in which McKee played at the time.

 

Grigoraș Dinicu was a Romanian violinist and composer, most famous for his virtuoso violin showpieces; supposedly Jascha Heifetz once said that Dinicu was the greatest violinist he had ever heard. Born in a Bucharest neighborhood, Dinicu’s busy musician father put him in the tutelage of an old violinist, who taught him his first tunes. He attended the Bucharest Conservatory, where he studied violin, and subsequently received a scholarship at the Vienna Conservatory. However he was not allowed to go there because he was Romani, an episode that he never forgot. After graduation he played violin with the Orchestra of the Ministry of Public Instruction, and also performed as a soloist. For forty years, from 1906 until 1946, he directed popular music concerts and toured abroad as a soloist and conductor. He played a great deal of light music in nightclubs, hotels, restaurants, and cafés in throughout Europe. His compositions were mostly for violin and piano, though some pieces, such as Hora Staccato, were later arranged for other instruments.

                     Hora Staccato (1906) was originally composed as a graduation exercise, a virtuoso violin showpiece which Dinicu performed at that ceremony. It is a short, fast work which has become a favorite encore of violinists. The character of the piece demands that the notes be articulated in a crisp and clear manner so that the vibrancy of the music comes out. The name Hora Staccato combines a folk dance with a staccato playing technique. The hora is a traditional Romanian and Moldovan circular folk dance.

 

Rene Orth is an innovative American composer holding degrees from the Curtis Institute of Music, the University of Louisville, MediaTech Institute, and Rhodes College. As a musician, she has studied piano, violin, and audio engineering. Her work is known for its dramatic and lyrical storytelling, as she blends electronic and acoustic characteristics into classical music. She has been praised as “a master composer” with a “sophisticated sound world” (Classical Voice North America); she writes music described as “always dramatic, reflective, rarely predictable, and often electronic” (Musical America).

                  Leaguered in Fire, Lagooned in Gold (2017) was inspired by Edith Wharton’s “An Autumn Sunset”. In the composer’s words: “We were originally drawn to the poem due to the reference of a Valkyrie and an illustration of strength and feminism. As I dug deeper into the poem, however, I was struck by the colorful and descriptive imagery of a sunset on a windy bay. It feels as if two color palettes are at war with each other, and this is the idea that I was interested in exploring in this piece”. The work was commissioned by and written for the women of Seraph Brass.

 

Reena Esmail is an Indian-American composer who enjoys working in both Western and Hindustani (North Indian) classical music idioms. Esmail holds a bachelor’s degree in composition from the Juilliard School, and a master’s degree from the Yale School of Music.

                   Khirkiyaan (windows): Three Transformations for Brass Quintet: III. Tuttarana (2016) was commissioned by The Brass Project and premiered in Philadephia. The composer wrote: “So much of my work with brass instruments has come into being because of incredible and intrepid brass players who have shown me new windows into my own music. Hence the title: khirkiyaan means ‘windows’ in Hindi, and this brass quintet is made up of three ‘windows’ into my work. Each movement is a transformation of another piece of mine for another ensemble, re-imagined for brass quintet”.

Tuttarana was originally a piece for women’s choir. The title is a conglomeration of two words: the Italian word tutti, meaning ‘all’ or ‘everyone’, and the term tarana, which is a specific Hindustani musical form, whose closest Western counterpart is “scat” in jazz. Made up of rhythmic syllables, a tarana is a singer’s chance to display agility and dexterity. While the brass version of this piece doesn’t have the actual syllables of the vocal version, it does aim to showcase the brilliant virtuosity of the performers.

 

Catherine McMichael is a composer, arranger, performer, teacher and founder of Camellia Music, which publishes much of her work. Her degrees from the University of Michigan are in piano performance and chamber music. She maintains a private piano studio and often teaches at piano and composition seminars around the country. Many of her works have premiered at international music festivals.

                     Virgo, the Lover of Justice (2017) is one of the three celestial constellations portrayed in the Asteria suite - Asteria, an ancient word with roots in both Greek and Latin, refers to stars. The work exemplifies qualities of drama, nobility, and spectacle that naturally align themselves to the timbres of a brass quintet. Each movement possesses a distinct character, the quietly rapturous Virgo, Lover of Justice painting a warm and romantic picture.

 

Anthony DiLorenzo graduated from The Curtis Institute of Music and participated in festivals such as Tanglewood, where he received the Harry Shapiro Award for outstanding musician. His trumpet led him to positions in The Philadelphia Orchestra, The Santa Fe Opera, and The Utah Symphony. He was also a founding member of The Center City Brass Quintet and Proteus 7 Ensemble. As an Emmy Award-winning composer and Grammy-nominated recording artist, DiLorenzo has established himself as one of the most exciting composers of today. His bold and stylish music is performed throughout the world. In addition to the concert stage, DiLorenzo’s work in film and television spans thirty years. Shortly after graduating, DiLorenzo found his way into the film world, writing more than one hundred film trailers, including those for Forrest Gump, 101 Dalmatians, and the Harry Potter series. DiLorenzo’s catchy original themes have also been heard on ABC network’s sports shows. He has written countless TV music cues in every style from classical to hard rock, where they have formed backdrops for shows and campaigns for ESPN, HBO, FOX, NBC and ABC.

            Go (2014) is a roller-coaster ride of high energy, fast pace and brilliant excitement. The intensely driving, machine-like compound rhythms are unyielding. The Center City Brass Quintet premiered the work in the final performances of the late trombonist Steven Witser, to whose memory DiLorenzo dedicated this piece for his tireless intensity and positive energy.