Trombone Extravaganza

Monday, March 13, 2023 at 7:30 PM The Vault at The Capital One Hall

An die Musik Presents

An die Musik Presents

Trombone Extravaganza

MONDAY, MARCH 13, 2023 | 7:30 PM THE VAULT AT THE CAPITAL ONE HALL 7750 CAPITAL ONE TOWER RD, TYSONS, VA 22102

Ming-Yi Lin (b.1994)

Ying-Chen Kao (b.1981)

Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)

Air for Trombone and Piano (World Premiere)

Ancient Memory for Solo Trombone

Sonata for Cello and Piano in G minor, Op.19 iii. Andante

Huai-En Tsai, trombone

Gwhyneth Chen, piano

Stjepan Šulek (1914-1986)

Sonata for Trombone and Piano (Vox Gabriel)

Shachar Israel, trombone

Gwhyneth Chen, piano

Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992)

Oblivion Libertango

Shachar Israel and Nitzan Haroz, trombone

Gwhyneth Chen, piano

Jean-Baptiste Arban (1825-1889)

Carnival of Venice

Shachar Israel, trombone

Gwhyneth Chen, piano

James M. Stephenson (b.1969)

Road Not Taken

i. Two Roads

ii. Diverged

iii. All the Difference

Mathew Guilford, bass trombone

Gwhyneth Chen, piano

Ronn Yedidia (b.1960)

Alexandre Guilmant (1837-1911)

José Da Silva Duda (b.1935)

Lullabye

Morceau Symphonique, Op. 88

Brazilian Dances

i. Gizelle

ii. Marquinhos no Frevo

Nitzan Haroz, trombone

Gwhyneth Chen, piano

Ang It-Hong (1927-2010)

arr. Yun-Chao Lin (b.1982)

Taiwanese Folksong Medley

Nitzan Haroz, Shachar Israel, and Huai-En Tsai, trombone

Mathew Guilford, bass trombone

Gwhyneth Chen, piano

WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

TROMBONE EXTRAVAGANZA MEET THE ARTISTS

TROMBONE EXTRAVAGANZ A MEET THE ARTISTS

Nitzan Haroz, a native of Israel, rejoined The Philadelphia Orchestra as Principal Trombone in 2014 after holding the same position with the Los Angeles Philharmonic since 2012. Previously, he was Principal Trombone of The Philadelphia Orchestra from 1995 after serving as Assistant Principal Trombone of the New York Philharmonic and as Principal Trombone of the Israel Symphony and Opera Orchestra. He was also principal trombone of the Israel Defense Forces Orchestra and performed with the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra.

Haroz has appeared as a soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra (which included his Carnegie Hall solo debut, where he world-premiered Blue Winter for trombone and orchestra by Roland Pöntinen), the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Israel Symphony Orchestra, the Jerusalem Symphony, Sofia Radio Symphony, and the Fairbanks Symphony, among others, and is an active recitalist and chamber musician. He is a first prize winner of the François Shapira Competition in Israel and a former scholarship recipient of the America-Israel Cultural Foundation. He has commissioned and premiered several works for trombone and harp with his mother, harpist Adina Haroz. Haroz is a frequent clinician at trombone conferences worldwide and has given master classes and recitals in Israel, the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Haroz has performed with the New York, Philadelphia, and Israel Brass Ensembles, the Rishon-Le Zion Brass Quintet, and many other chamber groups. His teachers included Eli Aharoni, Mitchel Ross in Israel, and Joseph Alessi at the Juilliard School. His recording Towards the Light was released in 2004. Haroz serves on the faculty at the Curtis Institute of Music. Mr. Haroz plays on an Edwards T-350E Trombone.

Cited by the New York Times as “a gifted young trombonist,” Shachar Israel joined The Cleveland Orchestra in 2009 as assistant principal trombone. Born in Nahariya, Israel, he received his bachelor of music degree from Philadelphia’s Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with Nitzan Haroz, principal trombone of the Philadelphia Orchestra. His primary teachers have included Joseph Alessi, Mark Lawrence, Mitchell Ross, Micha Davis and Joseph Nashkes

Prior to joining The Cleveland Orchestra, Shachar Israel served as principal trombone of the Hartford Symphony in Connecticut and the Haddonfield Symphony in New Jersey. He has also performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Montreal Symphony Orchestra, and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. He has played as a member of the Verbier Festival Orchestra and the Spoleto Festival Orchestra, and attended two summers at the Music Academy of the West.

As a soloist and chamber musician, Shachar Israel’s performances have included Berio’s Sequenza V for solo trombone at New York’s Lincoln Center as part of the New York Philharmonic’s “Day of Berio.” He has also performed with Canadian Brass and recorded four albums with that group. He was the winner of the Lewis Van Haney Philharmonic Prize Competition at the 2008 International Trombone Festival, and has been a soloist with the Jupiter Symphony Players in New York City, the Cleveland Winds, and Cleveland State University’s Wind Ensemble. Mr. Israel

TROMBONE EXTRAVAGANZ A MEET THE ARTISTS

is a founding member of the Great Lakes Trombone Ensemble, which performed at the 2014 International Trombone Festival held at the Eastman School in Rochester. In addition to a busy performance schedule, Mr. Israel is a passionate teacher and is a faculty member of Cleveland State University. He also serves as founder and director of the Cleveland Trombone Seminar (CTS), held annually in Cleveland since 2012. CTS brings together motivated students and world-class professional musicians for nine days of learning and performances. Mr. Israel frequently presents masterclasses, clinics, and recitals throughout the United States.

Mr. Israel started his musical journey at the Kiryat-Yam Wind Band, and he is a graduate of the Thelma Yellin High School in Givatyim, Israel. His studies while in Israel were made possible by the generosity of the America-Israel Cultural Foundation through its scholarship program, the Keren Sharet Competitions.

Mr. Israel performs on an Edwards T-350E Trombone.

A native of Taiwan, Huai-En Tsai joined Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Washington in 2017 as principal trombone. He has performed with top-notch artists, including musicians from the Vienna Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, National Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, U.S. Marine Band, U.S. Army Band, Canadian Brass, and Grammy nominees. His distinguished performances, talks, and scholarly works made appearances on The Roll Call, The Liberty Times, The World Journal, Baltimore Examiners, Baltimore City Paper, The Cumberland Times-News, Washington Chinese News, The Epoch Times, The Towerlight of Towson University, The Albuquerque Tribune, The ITA Journal, WBJC, WETA, and NER of Taiwan.

As a scholar, his research works were featured at the 2014 NATPA Conference in Vancouver, BC; the 2016 HIC-Arts and Humanity in Honolulu, HI; and the 2016 ITASA-East Coast in College Park, MD. His lecture and performance opened the 2017 American Trombone Workshop. Recently, he gave masterclasses at Boston University, Frostburg State University, University of Maryland-Eastern Shore, and Xiamen University in China, as well as lectures at the University of Maryland-College Park, Nanhua University in Taiwan. and Soochow University in Taiwan. Currently, he is on the music faculty at Midwest University-Washington and on the faculty of brass and chamber Music at Frostburg State University Summer Music Academy.

Tsai began his music study on the piano at the age of five. While in Taiwan, he completed his undergraduate study at Soochow University as a music major and served as the principal trombonist at the Taipei Civic Symphony Orchestra. In 2004, he received a scholarship to study at Peabody Conservatory with James Olin, then-principal trombone of Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, where he obtained Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees. He was also mentored by Joseph Alessi, Nitzan Haroz, Dietmar Küblböck, David Taylor, Randy Campora, David Fetter, and Don Harry.

Mr. Tsai plays on an Edwards T-396A Trombone.

TROMBONE

EXTRAVAGANZ A MEET THE ARTISTS

One of the foremost bass trombonists of his generation, Matthew Guilford was appointed solo bass trombonist of the National Symphony Orchestra by Mstislav (Slava) Rostropovich in 1991. He has performed with several of America’s leading orchestras including the Boston Symphony, Boston Pops, Minnesota Orchestra, New York Philharmonic San Francisco Opera and San Francisco Symphony. He has also performed with Music of the Baroque, Chicago Chamber Musicians, Grand Teton Music Festival and Arizona Music Festival.

He holds Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from New England Conservatory, and earned orchestral fellowships to Tanglewood and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute.

Guilford has appeared as guest soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra, La Orquesta Sinfonica de Santa Fe (Argentina), the U.S. Army Band and Orchestra (Pershing’s Own), The Eastman Wind Ensemble and the Harvard University Band. His solo and chamber music recordings, The Road Not Taken with The Washington Trombone Ensemble and Brass Trios with the University of Maryland Brass Trio have been received to worldwide critical acclaim.

Matthew is Senior Lecturer and trombone studio chair at the University of Maryland School of Music in College Park. Many of his students have gone on to successful performing and educational careers in the U.S. and abroad. He has presented solo recitals and master classes at top universities, conservatories and festivals around the globe. Mr. Guilford performs on an Edwards B-454E Bass Trombone.

Ms. Gwhyneth Chen is a Taiwanese-American pianist who in 1993, won the biggest cash prize in the history of piano competitions, ($100,000.00.) Ms. Chen, then a young woman of 23, was the youngest contestant at the Ivo Pogorelich International Piano Competition. Subsequent to the award, Mr. Pogorelich himself said of her talent, “She is too good to be true.” Immediately recognized as one of the foremost pianists of her generation, the victory was broadcast internationally on CNN television. In recent years she has played joint concerts with Ivo Pogorelich in Switzerland and in Taiwan.

Born in Taiwan, Ms Chen immigrated to the United States with her family in 1980, where she continued her musical studies with Eduardo Delgado, Robert Turner, and Aube Tzerko. She received her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the Juilliard School. While in New York, her teachers were Martin Canin, Byron Janis and Yin Cheng-Zong.

At the age of 12, she was the first prize winner of the 50-state National Piano Competition, by the Music Teacher’s National Association. Three years later she won the National Competition again, setting a record by winning both Junior High and the Senior High Competitions. She continued by winning Grand Prize in the international recording piano competition, competing in the college division when she was only in high school.

At the age of nineteen, she was a finalist in the 1990 Tschaikovsky International Piano Competition in Moscow. She was also awarded the “Best Lady Prize” for being the only female finalist. In 1992, she was the bronze medalist, this time in the Prokofieff International Piano

TROMBONE EXTRAVAGANZ A MEET THE ARTISTS

Competition, in St. Petersburg, Russia. In 1991 Gwhyneth was the first prize winner in the Tomas Richner International Piano Competition in New York. She was the grand prize winner of the International Web Concert Audition Competition in 1999 in New York. As the Grand Prize winner of the Young Keyboard Artists National Piano Competition during her senior year of high school she won a grand piano.

Ms. Chen’s CD on the Chimei label, “Gwhyneth Chen: Chopin Favorites,” celebrating Chopin’s 200th anniversary, won “Best Performance” in the Golden Melody Awards in 2011.

Ms Chen has appeared as a soloist with a number of orchestras, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Moscow Radio Symphony, Greenville Symphony, Bergen Philharmonic, Kyushu Symphony of Japan, Taiwan National Orchestra, Shanghai Symphonic, Moscow State Philharmonic, Pasadena Symphony, Pacific Symphonic, Aspen Music Festival Orchestra, Taipei City Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony, Orchestre Fresnes, Zagreb Philharmonic, and Lake Placid Symphonietta. She was engaged to play with the Miami Symphony for six consecutive seasons. Ms Chen has collaborated with David Atherton and the Hong Kong Philharmonic on a tour of the United States and Canada, with Vladimir Fedoseyev and the Moscow Radio Symphony throughout North America and Mexico, and completed a tour of Taiwan with the Russian Philharmonic under Vladimir Ponkin. For the extravagant debut of the New Colorado Symphony, she was chosen as the first soloist performing the Tschaikovsky First Piano Concerto before a crowd of 15,000 at the McNichols Stadium.

In 1994, Gwhyneth Chen made her recital debut in Munich at Herkulessal, followed by a recital tour of Croatia and Spain. Tat same year, she played the opening concert of the season in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory with the Russian National Orchestra under Mikhail Pletnev performing the Rachmaninoff Third Piano Concerto. In 1999, she made her New York debut at Alice Tully Hall of Lincoln Center.

A popular figure at international festivals, Ms Chen has frequented the Aspen Music Festival, Montreal Music Festival, Pogorelich Festival, Bowdoin Music Festival, Chopin Festival in Majorca, Chopin Festival in Poland, Chopin Festival in Hanover, Chopin Festival in Vienna, and the Lake Placid Music Festival. In 2010, she performed the complete Chopin Nocturnes at the Chopin Festival in Taiwan, commemorating Chopin’s 200th Anniversary. In 2011 she performed the twelve Transcendental Etudes of Liszt, for Liszt’s 200th anniversary. Her extensive concertizing career has thrilled audiences in halls such as the Kennedy Center, San Francisco’s Davies Hall, the Los Angeles Music Center, Vancouver’s Royal Teater, Victoria’s Orpheum Theatre, the National Concert Hall in Taiwan, Instituto Nacional de Bellas Arts In Mexico City, the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, the Tchaikovsky Hall of Moscow, and Debussy Hall in Cannes. She conducted a solo recital tour of Estonia in the Eduard Tubin Music Festival. A frequent benefactor of charitable events, Ms. Chen performed a successful benefit concert for the 2011 Japan Disaster Relief in collaboration with the Buddhist Tzu Chi Organization of Northern California. She has donated her talents to concerts for the Fountain Project of Northern California, the American Cancer Society and the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, and the Dharma Realm Buddhist Association’s branches. She has been a jury member in the Taiwan Chopin Piano Competition in 2005 and 1999, the 2003 First Taiwan International Piano Competition, the 2003 Asian Division of the 6th Monopoli International Piano Competition, and the 1998 Taiwan Young Artists International Competition. She was on the faculty for the Perugia Music Festival in Italy in 2010. In 2013 Gwhyneth was the recipient of the inaugural Distinguished Humanitarian Award, presented by the Hsuan Hua Foundation of Taiwan. She was cited for her contribution to the integration of arts and spirituality. In 2014 she was awarded the Filiality Award given by Taiwan’s Filiality Association, which names annually one exemplar of the highest expression of traditional Chinese culture. Gwhyneth Chen is a Steinway Artist and was recently featured by Steinway & Sons in the global promotional video for the innovative Steinway Spirio, the world’s finest high resolution player piano.

TROMBONE EXTRAVAGANZA MEET THE COMPOSERS

Taiwanese-American composer/pianist Ying-Chen Kao’s music has been described as “exceedingly beautiful” in Soundboard Magazine UK, a “challenging and rich work” in the Coral Gables Gazette, and “an evocative and surreal soundscape” on minor 7th.com. Her compositions have been featured at MUSIQA, TCC Taiwan Night Concert, Sylvia Adalman Chamber Series, Union Square Chamber Music Society, The Hedgelawn Classical Series, Mildred McDaniel Concert Series, Old Town Hall Performance Series, the 24th Anniversary Season of the Musical Arts International, Inc., The Hermitage Museum & Gardens Instrumental Recital Series, and WBJC radio station. Her work, Frustration Factory for saxophone quartet, was recently published by Warwick Music/Hal Leonard Europe. Notable commissions include the Peabody Children’s Chorus, REDSHIFT ensemble, Michael Kannen, Donald Sutherland, Gary Thomas, and Jenny Lin. Ancient Memory (available at Warwick Music) and Transmutation for solo trombone, were commissioned by the 2008 Summer Trombone Workshop in Taiwan, where they both were the obligatory repertoire for the competition. In the same year her solo guitar piece, Lilac.Star.Bird was released on guitarist Tracy Anne Smith’s solo debut album. Britain’s Classical Guitar Magazine hailed the work as “… beautiful-sounding dissonance ... This is no doubt a major work that demands attention.” Collidescope, a collaboration with the Peabody Preparatory Dance Department, premiered during the 150-year celebration of the Peabody Institute. The multimedia ballet work was overseen by renowned American theatre artist and choreographer Martha Clarke.

Ying-Chen received her B.M. in theory and composition from the University of Miami and M.M., Postgraduate Studies in composition from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University. She studied composition with Wen-Tze Lu, Christopher Theofanidis, and Michael Hersch. Her piano mentors include J.B. Floyd and Ernest Ragogini. Ying-Chen is co-founder of ycArt design studio LLC and an active graphic and web designer. Her design work, Constellation of Voice, was featured as cover of the Carnegie Hall’s playbill in October 2008. She resides in Baltimore with her husband, composer/pianist David Witmer. For more information on Ying-Chen Kao, please visit yingchenkao.com.

Taiwanese composer Ming-Yi Lin was born in Tainan, Taiwan. She started her musical training at age of six with digital piano. At age of fifteen, she was admitted Tainan University of Technology with dual major of piano and digital piano performance. After graduated from TUT, she went on to study composition at Taipei National University of Arts. Her interests are not limited to classical composition, but also eastern pop music, soundtracks, electronic music and often inspired by interdisciplinary arts. Currently, she is the composer in residence of Yuko Chamber Ensemble. She also serves the artistic director of multiple interdisciplinary arts projects in Taiwan.

TROMBONE EXTRAVAGANZ A

MEET THE COMPOSERS

James M. Stephenson came late to his full-time composing career, having performed 17 seasons as a trumpeter in the Naples Philharmonic in Florida. As such, the composer is largely self-taught, making his voice truly individual and his life’s work all the more remarkable. Colleagues and friends encouraged his earliest efforts and enthusiasm followed from all directions. As his catalog grew, so did his reputation. That catalog now boasts concertos and sonatas for nearly every instrument, earning him the moniker “The Concerto King” from Chicago Symphony clarinetist John Yeh. The vast majority of those compositions came through commissions by and for major symphony principal players, in Chicago, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Minnesota, Washington DC, St. Louis, Oregon, Milwaukee, and Dallas, among others. A major break came from the Minnesota Commissioning Club, which led to two works (violin concertos) receiving premieres in 2012—by Jennifer Frautschi with the Minnesota Orchestra under Osmo Vänskä and by Alex Kerr with the Rhode Island Philharmonic under Larry Rachleff. Other international soloists for whom Stephenson has composed include saxophonist Branford Marsalis and trumpeter Rex Richardson, whose concerto has been performed on five continents. With such prolific output, Stephenson’s music is well represented in recordings. Nearly all of his solo brass works (over 50) have been professionally recorded, and in total, his extensive catalog for all instruments can be heard on over 30 CDs.

James Stephenson is also a highly sought-after arranger and conductor, rounding out his constantly busy schedule. His arrangements have been performed/recorded/broadcast by virtually every major orchestra in the country, including the Boston Pops, Cincinnati Pops, New York Pops and more. On the podium, Stephenson has led orchestras in Bozeman, Charleston, Ft. Myers, Modesto, and Wyoming, in addition to numerous concert bands. With the Lake Forest Symphony, near his Illinois home, he has not only conducted but also has served for six years as Composer-in-Residence. His conducting debut with the Chattanooga Symphony comes at their 2016 Holiday Concert.

Jim originally hails from the Greater Chicago area, as does his wife Sally. In 2007 the couple, along with their four children, returned to the region to pursue the life they now share.

TROMBONE EXTRAVAGANZA PROGRAM NOTES

MING-YI LIN Air for Trombone and Piano

Commissioned by trombonist Huai-En Tsai, this lovely piece Air was composed for trombone and piano in 2022 based on poet Dai Wangshu’s poem Concern. It features a frequent modulation of a three-note motive showing a secret name hiding in poet’s heart. The poem cited that “When people ask about my concern, I will say it’s the melancholy in autumn or the memory of a sea from afar, because I’m not dare to say her name.” This is the world premiere performance.

[Ming-Yi Lin]

說是寂寞的秋的清愁， 說是遼遠的海的相思。 假如有人問我的煩憂， 我不敢說出你的名字。

我不敢說出你的名字， 假如有人問我的煩憂： 說是遼遠的海的相思， 說是寂寞的秋的清愁。

YING-CHEN KAO Ancient Memory for Solo Trombone

Ancient Memory is a solo trombone piece that was written for the 2008 Summer Trombone Workshop in Taipei, Taiwan. The idea behind this piece is to imitate Asian folk-sounding musical styles. Feather beaming, tone bending, and grace notes are the featured elements used to express and imitate these styles. One should imagine an honest, untrained voice singing with natural beauty. Ancient Memory is designed in an ABA structure. The constant meter change should not be performed with a square rhythm in mind. Instead, it should imitate a folky, unevened pattern that flows freely during performance.

In m.3 The scooped line after a note instructs the performer to bend the tone either up or down, depending on the direction of the scoop. It is different from a trombone slide and should sound like a Japanese shakuhachi, or a Chinese bamboo flute.

In m.28

The diminuendo marking that ends with a circle means to fade to nothing. [Ying-Chen Kao]

《煩憂》

SERGEI RACHMANINOFF Andante from Sonata for Cello and Piano in G minor, Op. 19

This year is a special year for Rachmaninoff, we celebrate his 150th birthday yet it is also his 80th year that he left us. His music for piano is renowned for its lushness of scoring. This sonata was written in 1901 around the same time as his famous Piano Concerto No. 2, and the keyboard writing in this chamber work for cello and piano is every bit as opulent, its technical demands as challenging, its effects as spectacular, as anything in his concertos or major works for piano solo. The Andante third movement is the jewel of this sonata, its quivering harmonic ambivalence between major and minor a bittersweet and vaguely exotic sonic wrapping for the bell-like repeated notes of its opening phrase. Dark and brooding, the long phrases of this elegiac movement build up to an impassioned climax before ebbing into a consoling calm of warm contentment. [Donald

G. Gíslason]

STJEPAN ŠULEK Sonata for Trombone and Piano (Vox Gabriel)

Croatian composer and violinist Stjepan Šulek studied at the Music Academy in Zagreb with Czech violinist Vaclav Huml and composer Biago Bersa. While he is best known as a composer, Šulek also toured as first violin with the Zagreb Quintet and with a trio including pianist Ivo Macek and cellist Antonio Janigro. Šulek composed eight symphonies, two operas, ten concertos, four classical concertos for orchestra, a collection of vocal music, and many sonatas. While Šulek is recognized as a great composer in his home country of Yugoslavia, his works are not often performed outside of the country. Šulek is also the founder of today’s Zagreb Radio Chamber Orchestra. While Šulek is most famous for his piano sonatas, the Sonata for Trombone and Piano is highly acclaimed as a gemstone of standard trombone repertoire among trombonists. The work gained huge popularity after it was commissioned by the International Trombone Association in 1973. The Sonata has been performed and recorded by famous trombonists including Ralph Sauer, Christian Lindberg, and Alain Trudel.

Although Šulek’s works belong to the 20th century, the Sonata for Trombone and Piano could be described as a neo-classical work combining elements from different eras. Šulek was very much influenced by Baroque music style, placing emphasis on melodic elements in his works This characteristic follows through in the Sonata with soaring melodies rising above the dense harmonic textures in the piano. Many Romantic Era elements can also be found in the works of Šulek, as illustrated by the highly expressive nature of his music.

In this work, Šulek showcases the expressive nature of the trombone through dynamic and melodic extremes of the instrument, creating a challenging and satisfying work for both instrumentalists. Vox Gabrieli translates to “voice of Gabriel,” referring to the angel Gabriel from the Bible. In the Old Testament, Gabriel appears to the prophet Daniel to explain Daniel’s visions. Later, it is Gabriel who delivers the news to the Virgin Mary of the upcoming births of Jesus Christ and John the Baptist, major figures in the Christian faith. Šulek does not offer programmatic context for this work, but I believe this sonata tells a story of Gabriel delivering a message from God. The varying styles within the piece outline the ways in which Gabriel delivers his messages on earth, ranging from firm and authoritative statements to soft words filled with understanding and comfort. These are the ways in which listeners received the word of God from the angel, and Šulek has captured this rhetoric to produce a work that will truly speak to listeners.

Following traditional sonata form, the exposition begins in Bb minor with fiery and unrelenting melodic line in the trombone, punctuated against rolling sextuplets in the piano. As the melodic line eases into an echoing tritone call, the music moves into the development. Here, the music evolves into a light and somewhat rubato section with the melody passing back and forth between the trombone and the piano. Evolving once again, a lyrical melodic section ensues with the trombone voice soaring over a rich and pulsing piano accompaniment. Overall, the development is characterized by a singing tone, further enhanced by the playful interaction

between the trombone and piano, yet still authoritative in the melodic statements as if to reveal the persistence in the voice of Gabriel. Next, the piece enters into the transition with tumultuous melodies passing between the piano and trombone, building tension until the piano cadences back into Bb minor at the recapitulation. Finally, the piece recapitulates into the main theme from the exposition and ends with a powerful final statement to bring the listener full-circle. The Šulek Sonata is truly one of the most exciting pieces in all of trombone repertoire. [Rebecca Haines]

ASTOR PIAZZOLLA Oblivion & Libertango

Born in Argentina, raised in the musical melting pot of New York City before returning to his native country, Astor Piazzolla revolutionized the tango as a compositional form, incorporating jazz and classical idioms into what he called nuevo tango. He was also a virtuoso bandoneon player, an Argentine/Uruguayan instrument somewhat similar to an accordion.

Piazzolla was spotted playing bandoneon by renowned pianist Artur Rubenstein, who encouraged him to study composition with noted Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera. Ginastera, in turn, persuaded Piazzolla to enter a composition contest, and by winning, he was granted a scholarship to study with Nadia Boulanger in Paris. Boulanger quickly convinced Piazzolla to abandon his formal compositions, which she felt lacked originality, and explore his musical roots. He returned to Argentina, formed an octet, and developed his nuevo tango style of composition. Piazzolla lived in Italy periodically during the Argentine dictatorship of the 1970’s and 1980’s, and in 1984 composed Oblivion as music for a film by Mario Bellochio entitled Enrico IV. Oblivion is written in the style of a milonga, a song form that predates the tango. Libertango, another most popular work of Piazzolla’s, composed in 1973 with his statement: “Libertango stands for the freedom which I allow for my musicians. Their limits are defined solely by the extent of their own capabilities and not through any exterior pressure.” Both pieces remain very popular on stages and has been adapted for performance by a variety of solo instruments and ensembles. The version of today was arranged by Shachar Israel. [Steve Anthenien/Huai-En Tsai]

JEAN-BAPTISTE ARBAN Carnival of Venice

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. When Arban wrote this set of variations in the early 1860s, he may have been inspired, as well as challenged, by Niccolo Paganini’s twenty variations for violin on the same air. The folklike melody has been attributed to both Paganini and the German opera composer Reinhard Keiser (1674-1739). Arban would probably also be inspired and challenged if he could hear his “Carnival” variations played by contemporary virtuosos of the tuba, euphonium, trombone, and cornet – for example, as recorded by Wynton Marsalis with Don Hunsberger and the Eastman Wind Ensemble. The trombone solo version that we are hearing today was arranged by Don Hunsberger.

JAMES M. STEPHENSON Road Not Taken

The title for ‘Road Less Taken’ was arrived upon after completion of the score, and in a rather ‘wandering’ manner.

Much of the piece is based on off-beats, set in many different forms; therefore my working title was always “Off the beaten path”. This title didn’t really hold much water for me, and after a bit of stretching and re-working, I arrived at the current title, based obviously on Robert Frost’s famous poem. The more I thought about it, the more connections I began to realize between my musical life, this piece, and the title.

First of all, in my own life, I have chosen the less traveled path. Having been comfortably situated in two steady performing jobs for almost 20 years, my wife and I decided to quit, move to a completely different location, and follow my new-found passion for composing. One might argue also that composing a bass trombone concerto, in and of itself, is a ‘road less taken’. It is not the most common choice for a concerto. Lastly, it was my goal to allow for the solo bass trombone to be featured in a manner inconsistent with the often-misguided preconceptions: at the request of the dedicatee and co-commissioner, Matthew Guilford, the instrument is presented lyrically, and the upper range is displayed equally, if not more than, the lower. More technically speaking, the movements themselves are pretty standard in form, with themes, ideas and harmonies recurring and developed throughout the piece to form a consistent whole. An interesting device only used in the slow movement is the introduction of a separate trio of players, who interrupt occasionally with their off-kilter fragments, almost a skipping old record-player. The last movement is quite virtuosic, calling for much endurance, agility and extended range from the soloist. It is with much gratitude that I dedicate this score to the cocommissioners: the Washington Trombone Ensemble (Sam Woodhead) and Matthew Guilford, the latter of whom I am delighted to reconnect with after our paths again converge more than 20 years after our shared college years at the New England Conservatory. [Jim Stephenson]

RONN YEDIDIA Lullabye

Ronn Yedidia was born in Israel in 1960 and began his musical career as a child prodigy pianist, winning 1st Prize at the Young Concert Artists’ Competition of Israel at the age of eight. His main teacher and mentor was Israel’s “First Lady of the Piano,” Pnina Salzman, who herself was a protege of Alfred Cortot. In 1984 he entered the Juilliard School from which he holds a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in composition. During his studies there under David Diamond and Milton Babbitt he received all the major prizes in composition, including the Lincoln Center Scholarship, the Irving Berlin Scholarship, the Henry Mancini Prize, and the Richard Rodgers Scholarship.

This Lullabye was written as a farewell to his grandmother Pnina Yedidia so that the title of the piece end with “-bye.” It can be heard on Ahn Trio’s album “Groovebox” under EMI label. The version we heard today was adapted for trombone by Nitzan Haroz. [Ronn

Yedidia/Huai-En Tsai]

ALEXANDRE GUILMANT Morceau Symphonique, Op. 88

Felix Alexandre Guilmant (1837-1911) was a French organist and composer. He got his start in his hometown of Meudon before moving to Paris in 1871 as the organist at the Holy Trinity church. While occupying that position for for 30 years, he developed an international career as an organist, touring Europe (especially England), the United States, and Canada. He was also something of a scholar, helping to collect two multi-volume anthologies of early organ music by French and non-French composers. His compositional output is more copious than his opus count (he reached 94) suggests, since many of his individual compositions were in fact collections of many smaller pieces. His greatest contribution was to the organ repertoire, both as a composer and a scholar, but others of his works have stood the test of time as well.

Morceau Symphonique, Op.88 for solo trombone and piano was one of his most exceptional works. It was written in 1902 as an examination piece for the trombone students at the Paris Conservatory. It remains a beloved staple of the solo trombone repertoire, and thus it has been arranged several times for different accompaniments. [Andy Pease]

TROMBONE EXTRAVAGANZ A PROGRAM NOTES

JOSÉ DA SILVA DUDA Brazilian Dances

Mostly known as Maestro Duda (1935), composer José Ursicino da Silva Duda is a jazz composer, arranger and instrumentalist from Goiana, Brazil. He has conducted various Brazilian orchestras, and performed oboe with the Recife Symphony Orchestra since 1962. He was chosen by the Brazilian Memory Project in 1997 to be the awarded as one of the best twelve arrangers of the twentieth century.

Gizelle is a Brazilian waltz and is named after the granddaughter of Maestro Duda. At age twelve he composed the second movement, entitled Marquinhos no Frevo, which was originally for jazz orchestra and is dedicated to his grandson. Maestro Duda composed a series of “frevos,” which are dances and musical styles originating from Recifo, Brazil. These dances are mostly associated with Brazilian Carnival, which is Brazil’s annual celebration of the beginning of Lent. The sound of the frevo is supposed to make dancers feel as though they are boiling and bouncing from the ground. Both movements were arranged originally for trombonist Radegundis Feitosa by Maestro Duda. [Olivia Rodriguez]

ANG IT-HONG Taiwanese Folksong Medley

Ang It-hong, a.k.a. “King of Formosan Songs”, was one of the most celebrated Taiwanese pop song singers back in 1950s-1960s. Many of his songs became greatest hits in Taiwan during 60s-70s. This Taiwanese Folksong Medley was arranged for trombone quartet and piano by YunChao Lin, which contains three of his most popular songs: A Handsome Young Man on a Hilltop, Memories of an Old Love and The Dusk of Tamshui. Lin utilizes ideas from Shostakovich’s Festival Overture in tailoring the songs with a pleasant mood yet a western breeze.

A native of Taiwan, Yun-Chao Lin graduated from Soochow University with a degree in trumpet performance. He is a founding member of Gin La Ba Brass Quintet where he is also the composer/arranger in residence for the group. He has more than hundreds of arrangements ranging from classical music to pops, soundtracks, greatest hits to commercial music and Japanese anime.

concert program designed by ycArt design studio LLC