By the People, For the People Symphony Program by The University of Southern Mississippi School of Music

THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 102nd SEASON 2021-22

By the People, for the People February 19, 2022, 7:30 p.m. Bennett Auditorium

uncharted territory from the music director

Welcome to the 102nd Season of the University of Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra! We are thrilled to welcome back live audiences, and so pleased that you are here with us tonight. We titled this year’s Season Series Uncharted Territory as a means of acknowledging that the world is entering a new phase as we continue to wrestle with a pandemic and social, racial, economic, and climate issues on many fronts. We don’t know what lies ahead of us, and many of us can’t remember a period of such uncertainty in our lifetime. The theme for each of our concert presentations this season will focus on an element in our lives that has been impacted by the events of the past year. By the People, for the People is of course a famous line from President Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. Tonight, we borrow the phrase to celebrate the achievements of our annual William T. Gower Student Concerto Competition winners. Four wonderfully talented students, Peyton Sills, Morgan Webster, Danielle Watson and Katerina Bachevska will delight and amaze you with their talent and musicianship. It is quite an achievement to win this competition with their peers, but to stand on stage tonight among their peers performing with poise and confidence is among the greatest thrills each of these students will ever experience. We are always proud to present these talented students to our audience, but this year has even greater meaning after not being able to present last year’s winners in a concert performance due to COVID-19 restrictions. Danielle Watson was actually a winner in last year’s competition, and we are so pleased we could finally have her perform with us, along with this year’s winners. We are also proud to align tonight’s concert with our annual USM Trombone Day, hosted by our trombone professor, Dr. Ben McIlwain. We want to welcome all of the trombone players and enthusiasts here with us tonight! Dr. McIlwain will be joined on stage this evening by Jeremy Wilson, the trombone professor at Vanderbilt University, performing Ricardo Molla’s Concerto for Two Trombones. This challenging work for two virtuoso trombones was commissioned for the 2015 International Trombone Festival. Mr. Molla was only 21 years old when he wrote the Concerto. Molla provides evidence of his compositional brilliance in the work as it explores unique and challenging harmonic, melodic, rhythmic, texture and color pallets, for both the soloists and orchestra that are beautiful, exciting and intriguing for the performers and listeners. As always, we appreciate your support and patronage. You are the reason we are here, and we wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

program

THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES SCHOOL OF MUSIC present

By the People, for the People

The University of Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra Dr. Michael Miles, music director Carlos Fernandez, conductor With special guest artists

Jeremy Wilson, trombone, Ben McIlwain, trombone, Katerina Bachevska, flute, Morgan Webster, alto saxophone, Peyton Sills, euphonium, and Danielle Watson, soprano Saturday, February 19, 2022 Bennett Auditorium 7:30 p.m.

Concerto for Euphonium (bassoon) I. Moderato II. Lento III. Con Moto Peyton Sills, euphonium

Joseph Horovitz (b. 1926)

“Je dis que rien ne m’épouvante” (Micaëla’s aria) from Carmen Danielle Watson, soprano

Georges Bizet (1838-1875)

Concertino Da Camera Jacques Ibert pour saxophone alto et onze instruments (1890-1962) I. Allegro con moto II. Larghetto III. Animato molto Morgan Webster, alto saxophone INTERMISSION Fantasie Brillante sur Carmen Georges Bizet Arr. Francois Bourne Katerina Bachevska, flute “Glitter and Be Gay” from Candide Danielle Watson, soprano

Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990)

Concerto for Two Trombones and Orchestra Ricardo Molla (born 1994) Jeremy Wilson and Ben McIlwain, trombones This program is presented in part by a generous grant from Partners for the Arts.

program notes

Concerto for Euphonium (bassoon) Joseph Horovitz Joseph Horovitz was bom in Vienna in 1926 and immigrated to England in 1938. He studied music at New College, Oxford, while acting as an official lecturer in music appreciation to the Forces and giving piano recitals in army camps. He studied composition with Gordon Jacob at the Royal College of Music, where he won the Farrar Prize, and also with Nadia Boulanger in Paris. The Euphonium Concerto was commissioned by the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain. It premiered October 14, 1972 at the Royal Albert Hall. This concerto was the first ever of its kind written for euphonium. Mr. Horovitz said of his work, “The three-movement structure reflects my essentially classical outlook concerning concertos. Traditionally, this design favors the listener, as it were, first in the head, then in the heart, and finally in the toes. My Concerto for Euphonium with brass band fits comfortably into this scheme.” “Je dis que rien ne m’épouvante” (Micaëla’s aria) from Carmen Georges Bizet Carmen is one of the most popular and most frequently performed operas in the canon. The opera tells the story of the downfall of Don José, a naïve soldier who is seduced by the wiles of the fiery gypsy, Carmen. José abandons his childhood sweetheart, Micaëla, and deserts from his military duties to join Carmen and her gypsy smugglers. Micaëla pursues Don José into the mountains where the gypsies and Carmen are hiding. She is still in love with Don José but is afraid of this environment and Carmen. She encourages herself not to be afraid (“Je dis que rien ne m’épouvante”). The aria is introduced with a wonderful expressive horn motif that draws attention to the full mood. Micaëla’s aria captures the magic of the full moon right from the very beginning. In the aria, Micaëla overcomes her fears and finds the confidence she needs to confront her adversary, Carmen. Concertino Da Camera pour saxophone alto et onze instruments Jacques Ibert Jacques Ibert was a pupil at the Conservatoire in Paris, studying under Andre Gedalge when, in 1914, the war intervened. He enlisted in the French navy and eventually served as an officer in the naval reserve. At the conclusion of the war, he resumed his study of music with Paul Vidal and took, in 1919, the Prix de Rome, which had been suspended since 1915. He was then 29. He lived in Rome until 1922, occupying the same “romantic sunny tower” that had been the studio of Charpentier. His “Escales,” composed in 1922 and widely performed, was the music that first made him known abroad. The “Chamber Concertino” was composed in 1935. It had its first performance at a concert of the Musikkollegium Orchestra in Winterthur, Switzerland, with Hermann Scherchen conducting. The soloist was Sigurd Raschèr, to whom the score is dedicated. The score calls for

program notes

11 accompanying instruments, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, and five strings and can be doubled if required. Ibert treated the saxophone, not as an instrument of jazz or lush sentiment, but, in the words of a French critic, “with a typical clarity, delicacy, balance and a fantasy consistent with an impeccable style.” There are three movements, the slow movement and finale being continuous. The concertino opens with a few measures in which the trumpet and horn predominate before the saxophone makes its entrance with the principal theme. A second and broader melody lightly accompanied is in contrast to the energetic and playful theme. The larghetto begins with a solo for the saxophone unaccompanied until chords from the strings lend their support. The trumpet adds a countermelody, which in development leads up to the final animato molto, thematically allied with the opening section. The finale, working up to a brilliant close, exploits the fullest possibilities of the instrument, a cadenza taking its traditional position before the end.

Notes provided are excerpts from the concert program of October 20-21, 1939, of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Sir John Barbirolli, conductor, Sigurd Raschèr, soloist.

Fantasie Brillante sur Carmen Georges Bizet, Arr. Francois Bourne Mozart, Verdi, Rossini and Wagner rank high among the many composers whose operas have inspired fantasias and transcriptions by their composercolleagues. “La ci darem la Mano,” a duet from Mozart’s Don Giovanni, is the basis for dozens of theme-and-variations. But since its premiere in 1875, Bizet’s Carmen has surely taken the lead as a subject for virtuosic showpieces by other composers. The opera’s color and passion have given rise to spectacular arrangements for guitar, piano, trumpet, full orchestra, and – in the case of François Bourne – flute. Born in 1840, Borne was a flutist with the principal opera company in Bordeaux, as well as a composer and professor at the conservatory in Toulouse. His Fantasie Brillante on Themes from Bizet’s Carmen is by far his most famous composition. Bourne’s setting of Carmen’s luscious melodies – like those by Sarasate for the violin, and by Busoni and Horowitz for the piano – combine the virtuoso’s understanding of the solo instrument with a flair for the dance rhythms and passionate colors of the opera. Borne fills his setting with spectacular arpeggios that require fleet fingering and consummate breath control. We hear Carmen’s brilliant habanera, but the mood of Buorne’s Carmen is far brighter than that of the fatalistic gypsy girl of Bizet’s opera. In Borne’s showpiece, a set of brilliant variations on her showy habanera leads to a triumphant close – in marked contrast with the opera’s violent, tragic ending. “Glitter and Be Gay” from Candide Leonard Bernstein Based on Voltaire’s novella of the same name, Bernstein’s Candide is a satirical comedy that follows the young and naïve Candide as he journeys

around the world in search of his lost love, Cunegonde. Candide’s biggest challenge is that he must overcome the disillusionment of his youth and face the reality that his world is not, in fact, “the best of all possible worlds.” Through various adventures, trials and separations, Candide and Cunegonde learn to grieve and love and must build their own life for themselves, learning to “make their garden grow.” Cunegonde sings “Glitter and Be Gay” to lament (and delight in) the unsavory occupation she must take up after finding herself lost in Paris. Fallen from her noble birth, she regrets every circumstance of her unfortunate state—excluding, perhaps, her fancy jewelry! Distracted by what glitters in life, she flits across the stage, piling on her jewels and forgetting her former cares. Lost in this fit of excitement, she suddenly becomes overwhelmed and stops and must remind herself how miserable she is. A classic comedic showpiece, “Glitter and Be Gay” is a favorite of sopranos everywhere. Concerto for Two Trombones and Orchestra Ricardo Molla Ricardo Mollá composed his first Concerto for Two Trombones and Orchestra when he was a master’s degree student at The Juilliard School, where he studied with Joseph Alessi, principal trombone of the New York Philharmonic. This piece was commissioned by the Spanish Trombone Association on the occasion of the International Trombone Festival 2015 that was held in Valencia, Spain. This Concerto was premiered at the closing concert of the 2015 International Trombone Festival by Jörgen van Rijen, principal trombone of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and Michel Becquet, international soloist and teacher at the Lyon Conservatory. This piece has also been arranged for piano and windband, and it has been performed in more than 25 countries around the world. The piece has been performed by trombone players, such as Ian Bousfield, Tu Tamaki, Zoltan Kiss, Jeremy Wilson and Zachary Bond, among many others. This challenging work for two trombones was written by Mr. Molla when he was only 21 years old. The work is fast becoming a staple in the trombone repertoire due to its exploration of unique and challenging harmonic, melodic, rhythmic, texture and color paletts for both the soloists and orchestra.

orchestra personnel

THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Violin I Marlene Gentile, co-concertmaster Alejandro Junco Casey Macklin Juan Lincango Icaro Santana Guillermo del Prado Rodolfo Torres John Uzodinma

Bass Wendell de Rosa Rodrigues, principal Carlos Herrera Daniel Magalhaes Pedro Areco Charlie Levandoski

Violin 2 Genesis Aguilar, principal Lily Martinez Julian Gallon Adelle Paltin Laura Lopera Grace Pineda Victor Amaut Jonathan Chen

Flute Camden Sidenstricker, principal Miracle Johnson

Viola Isabella Carvalho Marques, principal Ana Sofia Suarez Cecilia Araujo Christian Avila Diana Lopez Nicole Herrera Cello Ameni Zouehid, principal Cristian Sanchez Kassandra Henriquez Congcong Bi Alejandro Restreppo Cardozo Casey Johnson Franco Galetto Mauricio Unzueta Brian Mille Lorett Evelin Lopez Courtney Francois

Piccolo Lauren Johnson

Trumpet Caleb Guilbeau, principal Mariah Atwood Rachel Castañeda Trombone Caleb Owenby, principal Nicholas Daurer Michael Dunn, bass Tuba James Fair

Timpani Eduardo Pardo Oboe Ruth Moreno, principal Harp Nathaly Pagoaga Kristina Finch English Horn Percussion Becca Chadwick Jeff Prosperie Jr. Dalton Page Clarinet Christopher Stuart Adam Stallings, Christian Pyatt principal Rebecca Robin Bass Clarinet Rebecca Robin Bassoon Osvaldo Redondo Alfaro, principal Ethan Potesta Horn Brandon Garrison, principal Larkin Price Chance Rootes Ricky Marcellus

about the artists

Dr. Michael Miles is a unique brand of musician, whose career includes a blend of musical and academic positions. Dr. Miles’ academic career includes appointments at Western Carolina University and Florida International University. He also served for seven years as chair at Southeastern Oklahoma State University and six years as director of the School of Music at The University of Southern Mississippi. Dr. Miles’ interest in arts advocacy and education in the community has led him to administrative positions in several community and state organizations. He served on the Hattiesburg Concert Association staff and as executive director and founder of the Red River Arts Academy, an intensive summer arts training experience for students 14-18 years of age. Dr. Miles also served eight years as president of the Board of Directors of the Red River Arts Council in Durant, Oklahoma. Dr. Miles’ appreciation for all forms and styles of music are evident in the variety of performing, conducting and music directing positions he has enjoyed. As a trumpet artist, Dr. Miles has performed with dozens of symphony orchestras as featured soloist and principal trumpet and released a compact disc recording of new music for trumpet and piano by Robert Suderburg and James Wintle, titled Reflections in Times’ Mirror. In addition to his current duties as director of orchestral activities at Southern Miss, Miles’ conducting appointments include music director of the Hattiesburg Civic Light Opera Company, music director of the Oklahoma Youth Symphonies, and music director of the Oklahoma Shakespearean Festival. Miles recently conducted the USM Chamber Orchestra in its Carnegie Hall debut and served as guest conductor of the Festival Orchestra at the V Clinicas Instrumentalis in Cartegena, Columbia. In 2013, Dr. Miles served as guest conductor with The University of Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, backing the legendary Beach Boys at the Beau Rivage Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi. Dr. Miles has also served as guest conductor with the Xinghia Conservatory Orchestra of Guangzhou, China, Vidin (Bulgaria) Philharmonic, Springfield Symphony, Tulsa Philharmonic, Tallahassee Symphony, New Mexico University Symphony and Oklahoma Youth Orchestra. In his career, Dr. Miles has served as music director/conductor for over 190 musical theatre performances involving 55 different musical theatre productions, including the recent highly acclaimed Southern Miss productions of The Drowsy Chaperone, The Phantom of the Opera, Magic of the Musical Stage, West Side Story, Mary Poppins, Ragtime, Showbiz Showstoppers, Showbiz Harmony and Sweeney Todd. Dr. Miles served as music director of HCLO’s productions of Into the Woods, Cabaret, Wizard of Oz, Camelot and Tommy. Dr. Miles also served as chorus master for the Hub City Players production of Rock of Ages and music director for their production of James and the Giant Peach. The Phantom of the Opera and James and the Giant Peach productions were awarded the prestigious American Prize for Musical Theater in 2018.

about the artists

In his tenure at Southeastern Oklahoma State University, Dr. Miles led an award-winning Jazz Ensemble that was recognized by the Oklahoma State Legislature as the “Official Jazz Ambassadors of Oklahoma.” This ensemble made three concert tours of the People’s Republic of China. Carlos Manuel Fernandez is a multifaceted conductor from Colombia, with experiences in Europe, North and South America that provide him with a wide vision of world music. During his studies and professional upbringing in Vienna, he conducted premieres of modern pieces for new ensembles and the standard orchestral and opera repertoires of 18th to 20th centuries. In 2013, Carlos conducted Beethoven’s 9th Symphony in Ibagué, Colombia, in a live open-air concert offered for more than 5,000 attendees. Carlos’ universe, besides conducting, embraces piano chamber music, choir conducting, singing and instrumental accompanying, and arranging and composing for different ensembles. While in Colombia in 2014, he founded the choir and orchestra of the University of Ibagué, Colombia, co-founded the independent choir, Coro Polifónico Nuevo Tolima, and was named artistic director of the Ibagué Conservatory and principal conductor of its Symphony Orchestra. Carlos holds bassoon studies from the Tolima Conservatory, studies in orchestra, choir and opera conducting and opera piano collaboration with Dr. Georg Mark, Guido Mancusi and David Aronson at the Konservatorium Wien, and is currently pursuing his Master of Music in conducting degree at The University of Southern Mississippi, where he is also the graduate assistant for opera productions and orchestra. He currently studies with Dr. Michael Miles and plans to gain his doctoral degree in conducting at USM. He has received master classes in opera and orchestra conducting under Felipe Aguirre, Sir Simon Rattle, Bertrand de Billy and Apo Hsu, and for choir conducting with Virginia Bono. Carlos has performed and conducted in such venues as the Wien Konservatorium Auditorium, Konzerthaus Wien, and Stephansdom in Vienna, throughout Austria, Panama, Mexico, and in various concert halls in his home country. Peyton Sills is a native of Clinton, Mississippi, and graduated from Madison Central High School in 2019. He is currently a junior at The University of Southern Mississippi and is an instrumental music education major. He is a member of the University of Southern Mississippi Wind Ensemble and Tuba-Euphonium Ensemble, in addition to various chamber groups. Peyton frequently competes in solo, ensemble and mock-band competitions and has found much success. In 2019, he was the winner of “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band’s concerto competition in Washington, D.C. where he was featured as a guest soloist later that spring. He also won first prize in the Leonard

Falcone International Euphonium and Tuba Festival in Blue Lake, Michigan. Most recently, Sills won first prize in the Mississippi MTNA Brass division, in addition to being announced as one of the winners of the William T. Gower Concerto Competition. Peyton is a fierce advocate for the advancement of the euphonium. He regularly performs at public schools across the state and has headed individual and consortium commissions for new euphonium and tuba repertoire in both solo and chamber mediums. Peyton’s primary teachers are Chuck Reynolds and currently, Dr. Richard Perry. Jamaican soprano, Danielle Watson, in pursuit of her dream career, earned her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in voice performance from Alcorn State University and The University of Southern Mississippi, respectfully. A regular semi-finalist and finalist at voice competitions, Ms. Watson was a selected winner of the 2020 William T. Gower Competition at USM and won first place in the Younger Student Adult Women and Men Division at the Southern Regional NATS Competition. Danielle has assumed the role of Adina in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore, Ms. Titmouse in Edwin Penhorwood’s Too Many Sopranos, and Sophie in Richard Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier for the Southern Opera and Musical Theatre Company. She has also appeared in Showboat, Carmen and Faust productions hosted by the Natchez Festival of Music. She has appeared as a soloist with several Jamaican groups and has been invited to appear in concerts and recitals hosted by notable Jamaican organizations. An avid lover, supporter and teacher of the arts, Ms. Watson is a second-year doctoral candidate in music at The University of Southern Mississippi, where she studies under the tutelage of Dr. Kimberley Davis. Performing in Carnegie Hall with the Carnegie Hall Honors Series at age 16, Morgan Webster started his professional saxophone career at a young age. His accomplishments include touring in Japan as first chair with the Mississippi All-State Band in 2016; placing first, twice, in the Senior Winds Division of MTNA, and performing as principal alto saxophone with many honor bands, such as the USM All-South Honor Band and the Mississippi All-State Band in Natchez. In addition to the William T. Gower Orchestra Concerto Competition, Webster was chosen as a winner of the USM Band Concerto Competition; he will be premiering the very first “alto saxophone with band” arrangement of Fantaisie Brillante sur Carmen with the Symphonic Winds later this semester. He is in his fifth and final year of undergraduate studies, double majoring in music education and Saxophone Performance with Dr. Dannel Espinoza and, previously, Dr. Lawrence Gwozdz. Webster plans to get his master’s in music performance at the Fontys School of Fine and Performing Arts in Tilburg, Netherlands, in the fall of 2022.

Named by Sir James Galway as the 2012 Rising Star, Macedonian born Katerina Bachevska is launching her career as one of the finest flutists of her generation. Ms. Bachevska has played with the Central European Youth Orchestra, the Macedonian Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Macedonian Opera and Ballet Orchestra. She has also recorded music for commercials, video games and Hollywood movies with the FAME’S Orchestral Music Recording Company. In the United States, she has performed with the Meridian Symphony Orchestra, the Gulf Coast Symphony Orchestra, World Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Interlochen Philharmonic. She is currently the graduate assistant for the Flute Studio at USM, where she is also in the final stages of the DMA degree in flute performance. Ms. Bachevska practices the art of Bel canto, which emphasizes creating a beautiful singing tone on the flute. Trombonist Jeremy Wilson is acclaimed for the versatility and lyricism of his playing, as well as his insight and commitment as a teacher. He was appointed associate professor of trombone at Vanderbilt University Blair School of Music in 2012, and has since built one of the premiere undergraduate trombone programs in the U.S. A champion of new music, he has commissioned or premiered over 30 pieces for trombone since 2016, recording many of these works on his two albums, Perspectives (2018) and For the Beauty of the Earth (2021). He is the creator of the Body Mind Spirit Method, a holistic philosophy and process that aims to help musicians prepare and perform music more effectively and build careers that are fulfilling and sustainable through online videos and intensive workshops. Wilson is well-known in trombone circles for the unusual way his professional career was launched. On his first-ever orchestral audition attempt at the age of 24, he won a prestigious position with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and its sister organization, the orchestra of the Vienna State Opera. A native of Tennessee, Wilson returned to his home state to fulfill his long-time passion for teaching and devote more time to his young family. He accepted a full-time teaching position at Vanderbilt University but continued a busy performance schedule as well. During the 2013-14 arts season, he served as guest principal trombonist with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra and subbed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He has also performed and recorded on several occasions with the Saito Kinen Orchestra at the special invitation of Maestro Seiji Ozawa, and performed concerts of famous film music under the batons of John Williams with the Nashville Symphony and Joe Hisaishi at Carnegie Hall. In addition to his versatility as an orchestral player, Wilson is highly sought as a soloist and chamber musician. In addition to his two solo albums, he is well-known across the globe for his Standard Repertoire Project, an ongoing YouTube series of performance and “tips” videos of standard trombone works that has garnered hundreds of thousands of views since it began in 2018 and serves as an immense resource for young trombonists. As a chamber artist, he is a member of the Aries Trombone Quartet “supergroup,” the Blair Brass Quintet (Vanderbilt’s faculty quintet), and a trumpet, trombone, piano trio called TRIIIOMNIA. With his keen affinity for jazz, Wilson is a member of the Ryan Middagh Jazz Orchestra, based in Nashville, and was previously a member of the University of North Texas’s famed One O’Clock Lab Band, the University of Tennessee’s

award-winning ensemble Tennessee Trombonery, and the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra. Highly respected as a dedicated teacher and clinician, Wilson has given masterclasses and lectures at universities and conservatories all over the world and has been on faculty at the Alessi Seminar, the Pokorny Low Brass Seminar, and a variety of trombone festivals. His Vanderbilt students have been winners and finalists for several domestic and international competitions and have participated in many prestigious summer festivals. In 2017, he received the Blair School’s Faculty Excellence Award. Wilson started studying music in the sixth grade, becoming a serious student of the trombone in high school. In college, he double-majored in music education and performance at the University of Tennessee, where he was a Presser Scholar, before getting a Master of Music at the University of North Texas, graduating in 2011. His teachers have included Don Hough, Vern Kagarice, Jan Kagarice, Tony Baker,and Tom Lundberg. Wilson currently resides in Franklin, Tennessee, with his wife Kristi and their three children. Dr. Ben McIlwain joined the faculty of The University of Southern Mississippi in the fall of 2010. He holds degrees from Middle Tennessee State University (B.M.), Manhattan School of Music (M.M.) and The Florida State University (D.M.) One of Dr. McIlwain’s main passions and research interests is supporting new music for the trombone. As of May 2021, Dr. McIlwain has commissioned nearly 50 new works for trombone solo and/or ensemble. This includes compositions for his group, Tromboteam, which successfully funded a Kickstarter.com campaign in 2012 that raised $10,000 for new works for trombone ensemble, including composers James Kazik, Kevin McKee and Alan Theisen to name a few. Tromboteam released their debut album containing all nine of these Kickstarter.com funded commissions in 2015. This recording is funded by a Scholarly and Creative Arts Grant provided by the College of Arts and Sciences. After being awarded the Aubrey Keith Lucas and Ella Ginn Lucas Endowment for Faculty Excellence, Dr. McIlwain was able to fund a new concerto for trombone and orchestra by Russian composer, Polina Nazaykinskaya. In addition, the composer agreed that this piece would be written in memory of McIlwain’s former student, Gustavo Campos Cassemiro, who lost his battle with cancer on December 4, 2013. The title of this work is Concerto for Trombone and Orchestra, In Memoriam to Gustavo Campos Cassemiro. Premiere performances included with the Southern Miss Symphony Orchestra in February 2015 and with the U.S. Pershing’s Own at the American Trombone Workshop in March 2015. Dr. McIlwain serves as director of TAPAS (Trombone Artists Performing for Amateurs and Students), which aimed to increase membership in the International Trombone Association, and is a frequent contributor to the ITA Journal as a writer and literature reviewer, as well as an adjudicator for the ITA’s Solo and Ensemble competitions. Currently, he serves as chair of the ITA Governance Committee. At Southern Miss, Dr. McIlwain directs all aspects of the trombone studio. The Southern Miss Trombone Choir was invited to perform twice at the 2013 International Trombone Festival in Columbus, Ga., and at the American Trombone Workshop in 2017. Additionally, Dr. McIlwain serves on the faculty of the Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts. His primary teachers have included Dr. David Loucky, formerly of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, and Dr. Per Brevig, former principal trombonist of the

Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, along with Dr. John Drew, professor of trombone at Florida State University. In addition to the Nina Bells Suggs Endowed Professorship and Lucas Award, Dr. McIlwain has also been awarded the Junior Faculty Creative Achievement Award and the College of Arts and Letters’ Junior Faculty of the Year Award at The University of Southern Mississippi. Dr. Ben McIlwain is a performing artist for S.E. Shires Trombones and is releasing his debut solo album, Commissions, with colleagues Ellen Elder, Jackie McIlwain and Craig Watson in late 2021. Ricardo Molla studied composition at the Conservatorio Superior de Musica Oscar Esp/a in Alicante (Spain) with Joan Enric Canet and the Hochschu/e fur Musik, Theatre und Medien Hannover (Germany). He was awarded a scholarship by the Artists’ Society of Spain (AIE) and Foundation JONDE-BBVA to study at the prestigious The Juilliard School of New York, where he is pursuing his master’s degree in classical music. Molla has studied composition, with masters such as Pierre Boulez, Peter Eotvos, Philippe Manoury, Tristan Murail, Michael Jarrel and Matthias Pintscher. As a trombone artist, Ricardo has been trombone soloist in the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra and the Danish National Symphony Orchestra. Today Molla splits his time between collaborations with different professional orchestras and solo recitals. Ricardo is an Antoine Courtois Paris’ Artist. This series of influences have shaped his personal style, which is constantly evolving. Modern techniques, such as indeterminacy and musical technology, coalesce into a style that blends into Neo-Romanticism and jazz. Rhythmic experimentation and melody play significant roles in his works. Molla has composed for many different musical ensembles, including solo pieces with and without piano accompaniment, chamber music, music for choir, wind band, and symphony orchestra. Ricardo has captured a special predilection for the brass in his works. Among these brass works are the Concerto for Two Trombones and Orchestra, a commission by the International Trombone Festival 2015, Sunrise in Panem, a work for trombone choir commissioned by the Trombone Unit Hannover, and White Sands, a piece for trombone choir commissioned by The Juilliard School of Music.

instrumental applied faculty

STRINGS

Dr. Stephen Redfield, violin Borislava Iltcheva, violin Dr. Hsiaopei Lee, viola Dr. Alexander Russakovsky, cello Dr. Marcos Machado, bass Dr. Nicholas Ciraldo, guitar

WOODWINDS

Dr. Danilo Mezzadri, flute Dr. Galit Kaunitz, oboe Dr. Jackie McIlwain, clarinet Dr. Kim Woolly, bassoon Dr. Dannel Espinoza, saxophone

BRASS

Dr. Jacquelyn Adams, horn Dr. Tim Tesh, trumpet Dr. Ben McIlwain, trombone Dr. Richard Perry, tuba Dr. John Wooton, percussion

SOUTHERN MISS

A SOUND TrADITION SCHOOL OF Music usm.edu/music

DON’T MISS THE FINAL EVENTS OF THE 2021-22 SEASON!

Nevertheless, she persisted

Curtain Up! The Show Must Go On

Mike Lopinto, director, and Michael Miles, music director March 3 and 5, 2022, 7:30 p.m. Mannoni Performing Arts Center Auditorium This concert replaces 9 to 5: The Musical which was canceled due to pandemic restrictions. It features music from Broadway past and present, selected and put together b y students of the Southern Opera and Musical Theatre Company. If you had tickets and have not already been contacted regarding the change, please contact the Southern Miss Ticket Office at 601.266.5418. We appreciate your patience as we navigate these challenging times!

…and justice for all

USM Symphony Orchestra, Michael Miles, conductor

Featuring Xavier Foley, bass, and John Uzodinma, violin April 21, 2022, 7:30 p.m. Bennett Auditorium

EOE/F/M/VETS/DISABILITY