On October 11th, 2016, I went to the OSU Symphonic Band concert, conducted by Associate Director of Bands, Douglas Henderson. After the OSU Saxophone Octet opened for the concert, the Symphonic Band performed In This Broad Earth, composed by Steven Bryant, Danzon (from Fancy Free Ballet), composed by Leonard Bernstein and arranged by John Krance, Peace and Light Rising, composed by Edward Knight, and all four movements of Second Suite in F, composed by Gustav Holst. The Symphonic Band is the second group between the first group, Wind Ensemble, and the third group, Concert Band. Their instrumentation aligns with the modern concert band style of piccolo, flute, oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, bassoon, trumpet, French horn, trombone, baritone, tuba, and various percussion instruments to meet the piece’s requirements. The concert took place in the Seretean Center for the Performing Arts Concert Hall with a variety of college students and adults in the audience. The OSU Symphonic Band’s concert has allowed me to further understand and use the information I’ve learned in class from observing them play In This Broad Earth, Danzon, Peace and Light Rising, and Second Suite in F Major. The OSU Symphonic Band opened with In This Broad Earth by Steven Bryant. The brass started the piece off with a strong and warm contrapuntal welcome that signified the beauty of our home, earth. The winds stayed tonal throughout the entire piece and
The first piece that the GVSU’s University band performed was a piece called “Fusion” by Brian Balmages. The overture that was preformed (from the
East Carolina’s Concert band and Symphonic band performed on Tuesday, February 16, at seven thirty in the evening in Wright Auditorium. Being a duel performance it included over a hundred of my talented East Carolina peers led by outstanding band Directors Dr. Juchniewicz and Dr. Staub. Along with great students and Directors, the show incorporated a beautiful trombone solo performed by a fellow colleague. Although I have never attended a concert where such style of music was being performed, I did enjoy the music being played and most of them sounded as if I heard them before. The professionalism the students portrayed and maintain to the audience was breathtaking and made me honored to be their peers.
It’s amazing to listen to musicians who do not normally play with each other come together and leave the audience in complete awe. That is exactly what happened on the day of Thursday November 26th 2014. The Bill Crothers Varsity Winds comprised of grade eleven and twelve students along with a few, talented grade tens went to listen to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra play. We travelled via a typical yellow school bus that took us to Roy Thomson Hall where we went right to the top level and took our seats. The seating seemed rather helpful because from a distance you could hear every instrument when you focused on it. It was beautiful. The band presented well with their “Penguin” like attire that was kind to the eyes. They appeared very organized,
Next, the chamber orchestra quickly transitioned to a vivace song that was performed con fuoco and was named “Indiana.” In this song, every instrument was given an uptempo solo to showcase the performer’s immense talent. The dynamic throughout was forte in fashion and did not vary from beginning to end.
Saint Louis Brass began their set with a harmonious, traditional 1600s tune. I was amazed at how well all the sounds from the brass instruments melded together. Before hand, when I thought of brass instruments, especially trumpets, I thought of the sharp notes often played in jazz; however, the smooth sounds from the five instruments infiltrated the room, completely filling my body with a calm peace. The musicians sat, fully engaged in the music that buzzed from their lips. I really enjoy this antiquated piece of music far more than I anticipated.
On February 25, 2016, I was able to see the Mid-Year Band Concert in the PAC. The pieces I have chosen to review were performed by the Varsity, Symphonic II and Symphonic I Bands and conducted by Mr. Bailey and Mr. Hillhouse. “King Cotton,” “Amparito Roca,” and “Valdres” were among my favorites in the program and are all coincidentally, marches.
For my Cultural Event I had the opportunity to attend the UTEP symphony orchestra concert. This concert took place at the fine arts center in UTEP. I choosed to attend this event for a variety of different reasons. First of all, it was a fine arts event, and secondly, I love listening to classical music that orchestras typically perform. I was in orchestra for a number of years during my elementary and middle school education. Unfortunately, I stopped playing in High School in which I regret drastically. I enjoy hearing all the instruments play different parts of the music piece and at the end they all create a beautiful master piece.
On September 30th, I had the pleasure of attending the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra at the Fisher Auditorium. We walked in quietly to the back row of our section because the show had already started, so it would have been rude to walk up to where our actual seats were. As we took our seats the orchestra sat up there in the beautiful auditorium dressed in their all black formal attire holding their various instruments including the woodwinds, strings, brass, and percussions. The orchestra was in the middle of playing Symphony No. 8 in F major, Opus 93. This symphony included 5 compositions that were all very similar to each other. In most of the compositions they took the audience on a roller coaster ride. The rhythm of the compositions would
On Tuesday, April 11, I attended the University of Evansville’s Springs Classic Wind Ensemble production, which was performed in their Neu Chapel Sanctuary. The wind ensemble was composed of approximately forty-five performers. The various instruments included piccolo, bassoon, euphonium, as well as the typical wind and brass instruments such as clarinets, flutes, trumpets, and trombones. The University of Evansville’s wind ensemble was conducted by Kenneth Steinsultz.
On Feb. 28 2016, I attended the the concert, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, with my friends in UW Meany Theater. Antonio Vivaldi, “the red priest”, was the most representative composer of Baroque era. He was highly productive that wrote more than 500 concertos, including both solo and grosso, and The Four Seasons, four concertos for solo violin and strings, is Vivaldi’s most famous masterpiece. Under the leadership of Tekla Cunningham, Pacific Music Works Orchestra gave us a really pleasure enjoyment. In order to practice the idea of an orchestra soloists, orchestra members are featuring in a solo role, and the spirit of Vivaldi’s music is really appropriate to perform. The best players of the Northwest, Cunningham and colleagues Chloe Meyers, Emma
The musical I saw was the Philharmonia Orchestra at Rockwell Hall. I chose this musical because I was interested to know what a Philharmonic musical was. According to dictionary.com it means fond of or devoted to music; music loving: used especially in the name of certain musical societies that sponsor symphony orchestras. My perceived notion of the music was there would be different types of music being played.
On Wednesday, March 16, 2016 at 5:00 p.m., the Division of Music at Bob Jones University presented the Woodwind Ensembles and performed eight movements. Robert Chest and Esther Waite directed the performance in Stratton Hall at Bob Jones University. The program included Toccata in G Major for Flute Quintet by Theodore Dubois; Suite for Four Equal Clarinets by T. Stewart Smith; Trio in B-flat Major, Op. 51, No. 1 by Tranquille Berbiguier; Divertimento for Clarinet Quartet by Alfred Uhl; Trio in A Major, Op. 59, No. 6 by Kaspar Kummer; Adagio, K. 411 by W. A. Mozart; Scherzo Capriccio by Clair W. Johnson; and Stephen Foster’s America by Stephen C. Foster. Each of the eight movements were met with enthusiastic applause and praise.
During this concert was conducted by Jonathan Helmick and Danielle Kepple. In this concert, here were flute players, an oboe player, a bassoon player, Clarinet players, a bass clarinet player, Alto Saxophone players, a tenor Saxophone player, a Bari Saxophone player, Horn players, trumpet players, trombone players, euphonium players, 3 tuba players, percussion players, and a timpani player. Playing the flute was; Jamie Coniglio, Samantha Kochis, Frances Orteza, Jordan Lilly, Jennifer Kvortek, Kellie Delorenzo, Kalista Heidkamp, Rachael Kovaly, Cayla Schmolitz, and Emily Bensink. Noah Mariani was playing the Oboe while Caroline Brown was playing the Bassoon. Playing the clarinet was; Olivia Bazanos, Jenna Becker, Joey Caporali, Ashley Bodnar,
On Friday, October 30th at 7:30PM, I attended Western Kentucky University’s symphony. It was held in Van Meter Hall. The event was named “It’s time for a treat.” The symphony was conducted by Dr. Brain St. John. Before it began, I read over the program that was handed out to find out basic information about the concert. The history of the pieces helped in understanding them. The concert featured many well-known works of famous composers such as Camille Saint-Saens, Modest Mussorgsky, and Berlioz. The three pieces that are the most memorable in my mind are “Overture to La Cenerentola”, “Là ci darem la mano”, and “March to the Scaffold” from Symphonie Fantastique.
The concert I attended was called the Faculty and Student Recital, which took place in the Cisco Auditorium on April 11, 2017. The music that was on the program was mostly what is called “classical” music, as well as a Chinese Folk Song, an electronic composition, and variations on an Indian Tala. In the classical pieces, the instruments that were used were the violin, the piano, the cello, and the oboe. In the electronic composition, the computer was used to make music. In the Chinese Folk Song, the piccolo was used to imitate the unique timbre of a Chinese flute. In the Indian tala, drums from Ghana were used to imitate the rhythm and sound of Indian drums. The piano, the violin, the cello, and the piccolo all originate