University of Texas at San Antonio Wind Ensemble
Flute / Piccolo
Esmeralda Acosta
Lisette Aguilar
Maira Correla de Souza Viana (G)
Zackery Cuellar Bryana Ramirez Jordan Rodriguez
Oboe Daniel Aguilar Julian Rivera
Bassoon James King Jared Worman Jaime Viejo
Clarinet Sikander Ahmed Darion Campbell Clarisa De la Garza (G) Jadee Dovalina Joel Hernandez Joanna Sanchez
Bass Clarinet Brenda Reynoso
Alto Saxophone Matthew Narvaez Makenzi Costa
Tenor Saxophone
Joshua Alvarez
Baritone Saxophone
Sam Bowman Horn Daniel Campa Jerry Gonzalez
Noe Loera
Philip Maille David Valdez
Band Staff
Jaydee Dovalina Music Librarian
Jaime Viejo Music Librarian
Trumpet
Julian Arrieta Chris Barrera Hector Garcia (G) Caleb McDonald Celestino Rodriguez Antonio Rodriguez Regina Seeman Trombone Eva Ayala Jayland Brown (G) Ethan Gomes
Bass Trombone Chase Guerrero Euphonium Danny Hernandez Alexis Ortiz Tuba Aashish Mavani Alejandro Palacios
Percussion Zachary Cook Angelina Martinez Symeon May Jacob Navarijo Charles Settles Meaghan Trevino (G) Double Bass Heriberto Ayma
Guest Musicians
Michael Summers Contra Clarinet Gabriel Campa Tenor Sax
Graduate Assistants/Band Managers
Jayland Brown Hector Garcia
Personnel roster is listed alphabetically to emphasize the important contribution made by each musician.
Conductors
Ron Ellis serves as Director of Bands and Associate Professor of Music at The University of Texas at San Antonio. Prof Ellis conducts the UTSA Wind Ensemble, the UTSA Symphonic Band, The UTSA University Band, and the UTSA Athletic Bands. His responsibilities also include teaching graduate and undergraduate courses in conducting, wind literature, and music education. A nationally recognized guest conductor, adjudicator, and composer/arranger, his works for concert band, orchestra and choir are performed by university, community, high school and professional wind bands as well as in Carnegie Hall. He also currently serves as a music director for Walt Disney Attractions Entertainment in Orlando where he has directed the Toy Soldiers and the Student Musician Program since 1993.
He is a member of the College Band Directors National Association, Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, Florida Music Educators Association, Florida Bandmasters Association, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Music Fraternity. He is also an honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi, Tau Beta Sigma, and Pi Kappa Lambda. Prof. Ellis received his Bachelor of Arts in Trombone Performance from the University of Central Florida and a Master of Music in Wind and Orchestral Conducting from the University of South Florida where he was a conducting student of William Wiedrich.
Hector Garcia
Hector Garcia is a native of San Antonio, TX, currently pursuing a master's degree in instrumental conducting at UTSA under the mentorship of Dr. John Zarco and Professor Ron Ellis. For three years, Hector taught high school and middle school band prior to attending UTSA. As a band director, he taught brass and woodwind beginning band classes, marching band, concert band, and jazz band. In 2019, Hector led the Memorial High School Band to the National Memorial Day Parade in Washington D.C. He has a bachelor's degree in music education from Texas State University in San Marcos, TX and his primary instrument is trumpet. A hobby of his is photography and his favorite food is sushi.
Allen Vizzutti
“Beautiful...lyrical...stunning...stupefying”. “Trumpet player supreme.” Syracuse Post Standard
“Finely tuned wind, easy control, polyharmonic wit, orchestral penmanship, punctuated spiritual warmth...rarely do so many qualities find themselves in one musician.” Chick Corea
Equally at home in a multitude of musical idioms, Allen Vizzutti has visited 70 countries, Japan 49 times, and every state in the union to perform with a rainbow of artists and ensembles including Chick Corea, Doc; Severinsen, the NBC Tonight Show Band, the Airmen Of Note, the Army Blues and Army Symphony Orchestra, Chuck Mangione, Woody Herman, Japan’s NHK Orchestra and the New Tokyo Philharmonic, the Budapest Radio Orchestra, the Saint
Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Leipzig Wind Symphony, the Slovenian National Orchestra and the Kosei Wind Orchestra. Performing as a classical and a jazz artist, often in the same evening, he has appeared as guest soloist with symphony orchestras in Japan, Germany, St. Louis, Seattle, Rochester N.Y., Dallas, Milwaukee, Buffalo, Phoenix, Edmonton, Vancouver, Seattle and Minnesota to name a few. Music lovers in Germany, Poland, England, Sweden, Brazil, Canada, Japan, Australia and the United States have heard his brilliant sound over the airwaves of national television. Allen's status as an artist has led to solo performances at the Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Hall, Newport Jazz Festival, Banff Center for the Performing Arts, Montreaux Jazz Festival, the Teton, Vail, Aspen and Breckenridge Music Festivals, the Charles Ives Center, Suntory Hall & Opera City Hall in Tokyo and Lincoln Center in New York City.
From his home in Seattle Washington, Allen’s current career activities embody an impressive schedule of recitals, concerts, recording and composing. His continued commitment to music education and the value of music in everyday life results in an extensive schedule of guest appearances throughout North America, South America, Europe, Japan, Australia, Asia and New Zealand.
Allen's many recordings include “Ritzville” featuring Chick Corea and Stanley Clarke, (available at www. vizzutti.com and on iTunes). Other solo jazz recordings include “Trumpet Summit” and “Skyrocket” from Summit Records. Classical recordings currently available, (DeHaske Classical Recordings), are “The Emerald Concerto and Other Gems”, with the Budapest Radio Orchestra, “Vizzutti Plays Vizzutti” and “Vizzutti and Soli On Tour”. His “High Class Brass”, (on iTunes), is a wonderfully unique classical and jazz blend co produced, co written and performed with fellow trumpet artist, composer and conductor, Jeff Tyzik along with a 90 piece studio orchestra. (on iTunes) Other outstanding Vizzutti recordings are “Baroque and Beyond”, (CBS/Sony), “The Carnival of Venus”, (Summit Records), and “A Trumpeter’s Dream, (Ludwig Music Publishing).
As Artist in Residence, Allen has taught at the Eastman School of Music, the University of North Texas, the University of South Carolina, the Banff Center for the Performing Arts, Kansas State University, Ohio State University, West Texas State University, the Skidmore Jazz Institute, and the Trompeten Akademie of Bremen Germany. His extensive treatise, “The Allen Vizzutti Trumpet Method” and his “New Concepts for Trumpet”, (Alfred Music Publishing), have become standards works for trumpet study worldwide. Many more of Allen’s jazz and classical books, play along recordings, and student and recital compositions are published by DeHaske/Hal Leonard, BIM Switzerland, and Village Place Music. His writing includes solo pieces for piano, flute, clarinet, saxophone, trombone, tuba, and harp, chamber groups, wind ensemble, jazz ensemble, and symphony orchestra.
Allen’s love of expression through composition has led to premier performances by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Budapest Radio Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic of London, the Nuremberg Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, Syracuse Symphony, London Symphony, the renowned Summit Brass, the Royal Philharmonic Brass and others. After the world premier of
his “Emerald Concerto” with the Syracuse Symphony Allen’s writing was described in review: “The Emerald Concerto sparkles!...a vivacious treatment which speaks well for both his dramatic instinct and technical prowess as a composer.”
While growing up in Montana, Allen was taught by his father, a self taught musician and trumpet player, until he left home to attend the Eastman School of Music on full scholarship. There he earned the Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees, a Performer’s Certificate, a chair in the Eastman Brass Quintet faculty ensemble, and the first Artist’s Diploma ever awarded a wind player in Eastman’s history.
Allen has performed on over 150 motion picture sound tracks, (such as Back To The Future and Star Trek), as well as countless TV shows, commercials and recordings with such artists as Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Neil Diamond, Chick Corea, the Commodores and Prince. His soaring sound can be heard on recent the movies, “Mirror, Mirror”, “Furry Vengeance”, “40 Days and 40 Nights”, “Unfaithfully Yours”, “Gridiron Gang”, “Scary Movie Four”, “The Hulk” and the “Medal of Honor”, “Gears of War”, “World of Warcraft” ,and “Halo” video games. More information is available at www.vizzutti.com
Allen Vizzutti is a Yamaha Performing Artist
Acknowledgements
Special thanks to the following for their ongoing support and dedication to the UTSA Bands:
Dr. Tracy Cowden, Director, School of Music
Dr. Stacey Davis, Acting Director, School of Music Dr. Kasandra Keeling, Associate Director, School of Music Naomy Ybarra, Administrative Services Officer 1 Steven Hill, Administrative Associate Wesley Penix, Senior Events Manager Rolando Ramon, Marketing Coordinator
Dr. John Zarco, Director of Instrumental Ensembles Mr. Donald Marchand, Music Program Specialist, UTSA Bands Hector Garcia, Jayland Brown and Meaghan Trevino, UTSA Bands Graduate Assistants Prof. Sherry Rubins and Prof. Paul Millette, Percussion Area Faculty
Dr. Rachel Woolf and Dr. Oswaldo Zapata, Woodwind and Brass Area Coordinators Dr. Kasandra Keeling and Prof. Christine Debus, Keyboard Area Coordinators Prof. Troy Peters, Director of Orchestras Dr. Yoojin Muhn, Director of Choral Activities
UTSA School of Music Faculty
Jadee Dovalina and Jaime Viejo, School of Music Librarians UTSA Bands Managers
Mu Tau Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi
Iota Tau Chapter of Tau Beta Sigma
Upcoming Events
All events are in the UTSA Recital Hall and are free unless otherwise indicated
Wed. Oct. 26th, 5:00 pm OcTUBAfest
Thu. Oct. 27th, 7:30 pm UTSA Jazz Ensemble
Fri. Oct. 28th, 5:00 pm UTSA Brass Ensembles
Sat. Oct. 29th, 7:30 pm Pianist Daniel Del Pino
Saturday and Sunday Nov. 5th 6th UTSA Lyric Theater Cinderella Tickets on sale at Music.utsa.edu
For More Information: Visit our Website
UTSA School of Music http://music.utsa.edu
Bands at the University of Texas at San Antonio
ALL UTSA STUDENTS can make music with us!
UTSA “Spirit of San Antonio” Marching Band
The 300 member “Spirit of San Antonio” Marching Band is open to all UTSA students, regardless of major. Like all college bands, the group is comprised of students of various performance backgrounds. The “Spirit of San Antonio” will perform a standard pre game show, 4 5 different halftime shows, stand tunes, and maintain UTSA traditions, while at the same time promoting a positive learning and social environment for its members. College bands strive towards being fun and spirited organizations while still achieving a quality of performance representative of the image of the university.
UTSA Wind Ensemble
The UTSA Wind Ensemble is comprised of UTSA Students who have achieved an extreme high level of musicianship and who perform some of the most challenging music composed for wind band. Membership in this ensemble is open to all UTSA Students, regardless of major, who audition at the beginning of each semester. The UTSA Wind Ensemble maintains a vigorous performance schedule of three demanding concerts each semester as well as an ensemble tour when schedule and budget permits.
UTSA Symphonic Band
The UTSA Symphonic Band is made up of 45 55 outstanding wind players who perform a repertoire chosen from a variety of historical periods and for ensembles of various sizes. While the group occasionally presents pieces composed for smaller groups, much of its time is spent in the study and performance of works from the standard symphonic band repertoire. Membership is open to all students at the university who audition at the beginning of each semester.
UTSA University Band
The UTSA University Band performs a wide variety of works from different composers and arrangers, in addition to maintaining an active three concert schedule each semester. There is no formal audition required to participate; students must be able to read music and play a concert band instrument. Membership in the ensemble includes students from almost every discipline on campus. We invite all students interested in performing in this ensemble to come out and join us at the beginning of each semester!
Program Notes
Fanfare Forza Brian Balmages
Mr. Balmages received his bachelor's degree in music industry from James Madison University and his masters in media writing and production from the University of Miami.
His fresh compositional ideas have been heralded by many performers and directors, resulting in a high demand of his works for winds, brass, and orchestra. He received his Bachelor’s of Music from James Madison University and his master’s degree from the University of Miami in Florida. Mr. Balmages studied trumpet with James Kluesner, Don Tison, and Gilbert Johnson.
Mr. Balmages’ compositions have been performed worldwide at conferences including the College Band Directors National and Regional Conferences, the Midwest Clinic, the International Tuba/Euphonium Conference, the International Trombone Festival, and the International Trumpet Guild Conference. His active schedule of commissions and premieres has incorporated groups ranging from elementary schools to professional ensembles, including the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Miami Symphony Orchestra, the University of Miami Wind Ensemble, and the Dominion Brass Ensemble. Among the professional artists that have commissioned him are James Jenkins, Principal Tuba of the Jacksonville Symphony; Lynn Klock, Saxophone Performing Artist for Selmer; Arthur Campbell, Clarinet Performing Artist for Leblanc; and Jerry Peel, professor of horn at the University of Miami. He has also had world premieres in prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall along with numerous performances abroad.
As a conductor, Mr. Balmages enjoys engagements with numerous honor bands, university groups, and professional ensembles throughout the country. Guest conducting appearances have included the Midwest Clinic, College Band Directors National Conference, Mid Atlantic Wind Conductors Conference, and the Atlantic Classical Orchestra Brass Ensemble.
Currently, he is Director of Instrumental Publications for The FJH Music Company Inc. in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he oversees all aspects of the instrumental program related to works for concert band, jazz ensemble, and orchestra. He is also a freelance musician and has performed with the Miami Symphony Orchestra, the Florida Chamber Orchestra, Skyline Brass, and the Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra.
Written to celebrate the opening of the new Performing Arts Center at Brainerd High School in Minnesota, this powerful fanfare symbolically brings everyone together. The music is composed to be powerful, highly rhythmic and constantly driving forward. Despite being just 3 mintes in length, the music has a clear arc and substantial thematic, rhythmic and harmonic development.
Fanfare Forza was commissioned by the Brainerd High School Bands (Christopher Fogderud and Kelsi Olson, Conductors) in honor of their new Performing Arts Center.
Compiled
and Edited by Ron Ellis
One Life Beautiful
Julie Ann Giroux received her formal education at Louisiana State University and Boston University. She also studied composition with John Williams, Bill Conti, and Jerry Goldsmith
Julie is an extremely well rounded composer, writing works for symphony orchestra (including chorus), chamber ensembles, wind ensembles, soloists, brass and woodwind quintets and many other serious and commercial formats. Much of her early work was composing and orchestrating for film and television. Her writing credits include soundtrack score for White Men Can't Jump and the 1985 miniseries North and South . She has also arranged music for Reba McIntyre, Madonna and Michael Jackson. Ms. Giroux is a three time Emmy Award nominee and in 1992 won an Emmy Award in the category of Outstanding Individual Achievement in Music Direction.
Ms. Giroux has an extensive list of published works for concert band and wind ensemble. She began writing music for concert band in 1983, publishing her first band work Mystery on Mena Mountain with Southern Music Company. Giroux left Los Angeles in 1997 to compose for concert bands and orchestras full time, publishing exclusively with Musica Propria. In 2004 Gia Publications, Inc. published the book entitled Composers on Composing for Band, Volume Two which features a chapter written by Julie Giroux. Her insightful chapter gives a down to earth description which is often humorous of her personal methods and techniques for composing for bands. In 2009 Giroux, an accomplished pianist, performed her latest work, Cordoba for Solo Piano and Concert Band, in five U.S. cities and attended the premier of Arcus IX, a work for solo F tuba and concert band, at Blinn College in Brenham, Texas.
Her 2009 film and documentary orchestrations and compositions include the ongoing project "Call for Green China" which, primarily funded by the World Bank, was recorded, performed and broadcast live in china in 2007. In 2009 the project was extended with new musical material, recorded and set to tour seven cities in China where the show was performed live.
One Life Beautiful was written in memory of Heather Cramer Reu for her “one life beautiful” that brought so much love and joy to our lives. The piece was commissioned by Ray and Molly Cramer, husband Phillip Reu and children, and brother Jeremy, his wife, Michelle, and children.
The title itself is a double entendre which in one sense is referring to the person this work is dedicated to as in “one life” that was beautifully lived. The other sense is a direct observation concluding that having only one life is what makes life so sacred, tragic and so very precious. This is an impressionistic work musically describing that condition. Shakespeare’s “sweet sorrow,” the frailty and strength of life, the meaning of what it is to truly live One Life Beautiful.
Program Note by composer
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First Suite in Eb for Military Band – Gustav Holst
Holst learned piano at an early age, but was stricken with a nerve condition that affected the movement of his right hand, forcing him to give up the piano f or the trombone. He received his degrees from The Royal College of Music in London, where he met fellow composer (and lifelong friend) Ralph Vaughan Williams and became interested in Hindu mysticism and spirituality, interests that would later shape the course of his compositional output. In 1901 Holst married Isobel Harrison, who would remain with him the remainder of his life.
Before Holst became a well known composer, he relied for income from playing the trombone in the Carl Rosa Opera Company and in the White Viennese Band, a popular orchestra specializing in "light music." In 1905, Holst became director of music at the St Paul's Girls' School in Hammersmith, London, and in 1907, he also became director of music at Morley College, retaining both positions until his death in 1934.
Holst's compositions for wind band, although only a small portion of his total output, have made him a cornerstone of the genre.
2009 marks the 100th anniversary of the First Suite in E flat by Gustav Holst, now considered one of the masterworks and cornerstones of the band literature. Although completed in 1909, the suite didn't receive its official premiere until 11 years later on June 23rd, 1920, by an ensemble of 165 musicians at the Royal Military School of Music at Kneller Hall. However, the work was originally conceived to be performed by ensembles significantly smaller than the one at Kneller Hall. During this time period there was no standardized instrumentation among the hundreds of British military bands of the day, and as a result no significant literature had been previously written for the band medium; most British bands up to then performed arrangements of popular orchestral pieces. In order to ensure the suite would be accessible to as many bands as possible, Holst ingeniously scored the work so that it could be played by a minimum of 19 musicians, with 16 additional parts that could be added or removed without compromising the integrity of the work.
There are three movements in the suite: Chaconne, Intermezzo, and March. Holst writes, “As each movement is founded on the same phrase, it is requested that the suite be played right through without a break.” Indeed, the first three notes of the Chaconne are Eb, F and C, and the first three notes of the melody when it first appears in the Intermezzo are Eb, F, and C. In the third movement, March, Holst inverts the motive: The first note heard in the brilliant opening brass medley is an Eb, but instead of rising, it descends to a D, and then a G; the exact opposite of the first two movements.
The Chaconne begins with a ground bass reminiscent of those written by Henry Purcell or William Byrd. It is performed by tuba, euphonium and string bass and is repeated throughout the ensemble sixteen full times as varying instrumental textures and variations of the theme are layered within it. Following a delicately scored chamber setting of the theme, the music steadily builds to a brilliant Eb Major chord that concludes the movement.
The Intermezzo is light and brisk and features soloistic passages for the cornet, oboe and clarinet. Holst prominently displays the agility and sensitivity of the wind band through transparent textures and passages where the melody and accompaniment are woven into a variety of instrumental settings.
The March begins suddenly. It consists of two themes, the first of which, performed by brass choir and percussion, is a march light in character. The second theme is dominated by the woodwinds and is composed of a long, lyrical line reminiscent of the original Chaconne melody. The movement concludes with both themes intertwining as the band crescendos to a climax.
Program Note by Esmail Khalili
American Jazz Suite Allen Vizzutti
The American Jazz Suite is a two movement, blues influenced symphonic jazz work conceived as a showcase for the trumpet soloist’s written melodies and jazz improvisations. The soloist is called upon to play half valves, to bend notes, and to characteristically change timbres all of which are second nature to jazz artists. The American Jazz Suite contains jazzstyle soli writing for sections within the ensemble as well. The ‘jazziness’ of the performance lies solely in the hands and hearts of the ensemble and soloist, not on the written page. Academic analysis of the piece is unimportant because each interpretation, particularly in the case of the trumpet soloist, will be different. Spontaneity and fun are the overriding qualities that transcend the written notes of The American Jazz Suite.
Program Note by composer
Carnival of Venice Del Staiger
Charles Delaware Staigers was an American cornet virtuoso and composer.
Staigers grew up in a musical environment, studying cornet with W.E. Garrett and playing in local bands. Staigers joined Sousa’s band in 1919 as assistant soloist to Frank Simon, leaving shortly thereafter to play in New York City theaters. In the mid 1920s, Nathaniel Shilkret formed his Victor Salon Orchestra and hired Staigers to play first trumpet, a position he filled for 16 years.
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During the summer seasons beginning in 1927, he played solo cornet with the Goldman Band. This position provided him with wide exposure through the band’s radio broadcasts. He left the Goldman Band after the 1934 season.
Staigers moved to Los Angeles in the early 1940s and became a studio musician at radio stations and film studios. In 1950 he authored an excellent book "Flexibility Studies" and "Technical Drills" in two parts. Published by Carl Fischer, the first book is comprised of 35 flexibility studies and 14 technical drills, while the second book is comprised of 60 technical drills for finger flexibility.
The Carnival of Venice is a folk tune popularly associated with the words "My hat, it has three corners". A series of theme and variations has been written for a number of solo instruments as "show off" pieces that contain virtuoso displays of double and triple tonguing, and fast tempos.
THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING!!!
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