Happening NOW

• Trumpeters! Get your February "Day-TUDEs" here!

  Stephenson is writing and publishing an etude each day in February.   You can purchase them here 10 minutes after they're written. $1 each.

  The somewhat low-tech procedure is:   After you have clicked on the cart(s) and have paid for the item(s), the composer will send you an email within 24 hours with an attachment that contains the appropriate Day-TUDE PDF file(s).

  
  

     Feb 1:   "A Minor Reminder"

     Feb 2:   "2/2 Tango - Beyond a Shadow of Doubt"

     Feb 3:   "The Storm Before the Calm"

     Feb 4:   "Who do we appreci-ine?"

     Feb 5:   "Read Between the Lines"

     Feb 6:   "Reliving a Fantasie"

     Feb 7:   "Simple Super-Sunday Song"

     Feb 8:   "Brag Time"

  
  

     Subscribe to all 28 for $25      

  Here are some recent comments about Day-TUDEs:

  "the Tudes are awesome! Great idea. How about we record them? I'll volunteer to do a couple."

  Michael Anderson  (Assoc. Prof. of trumpet, Oklahoma City University)

  "These Day-Tudes are terrific! They are just "in the style" enough to lull one occasionally into a false impression of what's about to happen next and then BAM the music takes a great turn away from the predictable and forces one back into deep focus and concentration. An excellent couple of pieces to challenge yet not totally overwhelm people. I'm eager for the next 26 of them!"

  David Bailey  (trumpeter/composer/conductor)

  "The etudes are fun, and there's enough variation in level to make them playable by a broad range of abilities. I'm going to put them in a notebook and add them to my shelf of method books and etudes, which I am constantly going to when I have time to practice."

  Steve Weisse  (Boston area free-lancer)

• Stephenson has announced that his violin concerto, "Tributes," will be premiered by the Minnesota Orchestra under the direction of Music Director Osmo Vanska. Details will be announced soon.

• Stephenson has been commissioned by Gustavus Adolphus College to write a new work for Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Douglas Nimmo. The work, tentatively scheduled for performance in Orchestra Hall, Mineapolis, in 2012, will be a part of Gustavus-150, a year-long celebration of the college's 150th anniversary.

• February 28 - Jon Bisesi and Brandon Eubank are perfoming "Vignettes" for trumpet and percussion on a Marine Band Chamber Concert.

• February 24 - 26 - The Southern Division of the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) has selected "American Fanfare" as a "Chosen Gem" to be disected and performed at their annual conference held on the Ole Miss campus.

  The 2010 CBDNA/NBA Southern Division Conference will be held on the campus of the University of Mississippi in Oxford (better known as Ole Miss). It will be hosted, with much enthusiasm, by band directors David Willson and Bill DeJournett, as well as a team of highly motivated students. Concerts will be held in the stunning Ford Center for the Performing Arts.

  One of the sessions is entitled, “Chosen Gems” is a concert session where conductors submit literature and composers that “should be discovered” or “rediscover music from established wind band composers”. Dr. Bill DeJournett, Director of Bands at the University of Mississippi, has selected the submission of American Fanfare for the “Chosen Gems” session at the CBDNA Southern Regional Conference in February. The work will be rehearsed and performed by the University of Mississippi Symphonic Band under the baton of Dr. Patrick K. Carney, Director of Bands at Clayton State University who submitted the outstanding fanfare for consideration. This is one of only a handful of selections that was considered a “Chosen Gem”!

• February 16 - The premiere of "Remember Forward" will occur at the "Sound Off for Sarcoma" benefit recital to be performed by Robert Sullivan, Principal Trumpet of the Cincinnati Symphony. The work was written specifically for the event.   · · ·   You can click here to purchase "Remember Forward."   All revenue from such purchases made between now and February 16th will go the the "Sound Off for Sarcoma" fund.

• January 31 - Doug Wright, principal trombone of the Minnesota Orchestra, is performing "Sonata" for trombone and piano on "Trombone Day" at the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater, WI.

• January 29 - The Interlochen Arts Academy music division is presenting a special live webcast on Friday, January 29 at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. This full-length concert begins with the Academy Percussion Ensemble and concludes with the Academy Brass Ensemble. The program will include Stephenson's "Fanfare and March."

  To watch visit the Interlochen Arts Academy homepage at http://academy.interlochen.org/ shortly before the scheduled beginning of the webcast. You will see a large orange button on the left side of the screen that you can click to launch the webcast. You must have a high-speed/broadband internet connection.

• January 26-28, 2010 - Robert Sullivan, principal trumpet of the Cincinnati Symphony, will be performing and recording Stephenson's "Trumpet Concerto" with the Columbus State Wind Ensemble. Robert Rumbelow conducts.

• January 22 - "La Grande Vitesse" is being performed performed by the Grand Rapids (MI) Symphony as part of the Michigan Music Conference at Ann Arbor, MI.

• January 21 - February 3, 2010 - "American Fanfare" will open every program for the Gustavus Adolphus College (St. Peter, MN) Wind Orchestra European tour. Douglas Nimmo will conduct. These performances represent regional European premieres. (American Fanfare has previously been played in Croatia and also Russia.)

  Programs will occur in the following cities: Prague, Czech Republic;
  Wroclaw, Poland;
  Krakow, Poland;
  Kety, Poland;
  Pomaz, Hungary;
  Vienna Austria;
  Salzburg, Austria; and
  Munich, Germany.

• January 20 - "Trombone Sonata" is being performed Wednesday evening (1/20) at Eastern Kentucky University (Richmond, KY) by trombonist Tim Anderson,

• January 19 - The Auston (TX) Symphony Orchestra is performing "Cell Phone Concerto" this week in a series of outreach concerts for high school students.

• January, 2010 - Conductor Gordon Johnson will make a presentation on Stephenson's "Rush!" (for orchestra) during the Conductors Guild New Music Project at the Annual Conference in Copenhagen January 5 - 9, 2010. Maestro Johnson, music director of the Great Falls Symphony, commissioned and premiered "Rush!" in Great Falls in April, 2009.

• December - The Indianapolis Symphony's Yuletide Show running in December includes three arrangements by Stephenson. The shows are conducted by Jack Everly.

• December - In their holiday shows, the Cincinnati Pops is playing Stephenson's "Christmas Song" - originally created for and recorded by Erich Kunzel.

• December - 45 orchestras to perform Stephenson's holiday arrangements this season.

  See the list for 2009.

  Listen to audio clips.

  View the catalog (pdf file).

• December 1-11 - USAF Band of Liberty, conducted by Captain David Alpar premieres the newly arranged wind band versions of "Concerto for Cell Phone" and "Holiday Fanfare Medley" on their northeast holiday tour.

• December 1 - Stephenson conducted a recording session of music all of which he had composed or arranged. The featured solo ensemble was the Axiom Brass.

  Stephenson with members of Axiom Brass quintet (l. to r.): Colin Oldberg , tpt;  Brett Johnson , trombone;  Kevin Harrison, tuba; Matthew Oliphant, horn;  Dorival Puccini, tpt

  Stephenson conducts the orchestra in a video recording session

• November 19 - "Trumpet Concerto" is being performed and recorded by Terry Everson with the Boston University Wind Ensemble.

• November 14 - "Salsa Metales" premieres this weekend. Spectrum Brass is featured with the Bozeman (MT) Symphony.

• November 8 - "Glimmers of Hope" for organ and trumpet is being played at the 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. worship services of the Naples United Church of Christ, Naples, FL. Organist is Dr. Becky Weese and trumpeter is David Dash, assistant principal trumpet with the Naples Philharmonic.

• November 7 - "Vignettes" for trumpet and percussion is being performed in a trumpet and brass studio concert at Montreal's McGill University. The trumpet soloist is Peter Schiller and teacher and concert organizer is Edward Carroll.

  The concert is in Redpath Hall, 861 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, and occurs on Saturday, November 7, 2009, at 8:00 p.m.

• October 29 & 30 - "La Grande Vitesse" --- trio concerto for trumpet, horn and trombone with orchestra --- is being premiered by the Grand Rapids (MI) Symphony. The conductor is John Varineau.    Click here for more information.

  After the premiere on Thursday evening, soloists Erich Peterson (horn), Dan Mattson (trbn) & Charlie Lea (trpt) pose with conductor Varineau and composer Stephenson.

  Here is a link to a review of the concert, and here is a link to an NPR interview with conductor Varineau and composer Stephenson.

  

• October 17 - "Bold, Blue and Bright" is performed by the Shenandoah University trumpet ensemble. From Carl Rowe: "I performed this wonderful piece again with the SU trumpet ensemble at 'Maryland Trumpet Day' in Bel Air , Md. We played last Saturday the 17th of Oct."

• Stephenson's "Trumpet Concerto" for trumpet and concert band is a featured part of the program on the Marine Band's current concert tour. Click here for a review of the October 22nd concert in Porterville, CA.

• October 5 - "Bold, Blue and Bright" is being performed at Towson University near Baltimore, MD, with soloist Rene Hernandez.

  Luis Engelke, conductor

  Rene Hernandez, soloist

  Towson University Trumpet Ensemble:

  Steven Bailey, Casey Burnett, Jenny Cirri, Josh Fields, David Hamm, and Danielle Merson, trumpet

  Click here and scroll down to 'Faculty Trumpet Recital' for more information.

• October 4 - Louis Fred is the soloist in a performance of "Trombone Sonata" in Puerto Rico.

• October 1-21 - "Compose Yourself!" - Stephenson's highly successful Young Audience showpiece - is being performed by the Naples Philharmonic 20 times in the month of October.

  October performances by the Naples (FL) Philharmonic:

  Oct 1-2     (4 performances)

  Oct 5-7     (6 performances)

  Oct 12-15 (6 performances)

  Oct 20-21 (4 performances)

• September 27 - "Glimmers of Hope" is being played at 3 pm at the Methuen Memorial Music Hall. Richard Watson, trumpet and Douglas Major, organ.

  This is the third and final event of the Centennial Celebration (hall built 1909) Weekend. Please click here for complete information on the event(s).

• September 26 - "Festive Toccata" for brass and organ is being played at the Patronal Feast, St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, Mission, Kansas

  "The brass players like the piece and I am looking forward to hearing it. So nice to have new pieces for brass and organ."

  Ken Walker, Director of Music and Arts, St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, Mission, Kansas

• September 26 - Stephenson conducts two performances of "ComposeYourself!" at Lynn University, Boca Raton, FL.

  From Ellen Kirbert, Associate Professor, Early Childhood Education -

  I thought it was an excellent way to introduce children to music and musical instruments! The students and I loved the performance!!

  Here are some specific comments:

  It was a great experience for the children, it was educational as well as entertaining!

  I liked the way the children were involved.

  I liked how each musician explained his/her instrument, and then played it.

  The colors as well as the sounds were very appealing!

  The involvement of the children when composing a “new” song was very creative and got the children’s attention.

  Audience participation kept the children interested.

  It was fun and the use of humor kept everyone engaged.

• September 16 - Charles Saenz, trumpet, and Solungga Fang-Tzu Liu, piano and organ, perform "Sonata for trumpet and piano" at Bowling Green State University.

  Click here for more information.

• September 12 - Fairbanks, AK, is the location for a performance of "Croation Trio" for flute, trumpet, and piano.

  Click here for more information.

• September 9 - Stephenson's "Euphonium Sonata" has been chosen to be part of the distinguished Leonard Falcone Tuba/Euphonium 25th anniversary competition next year for Euphonium players at the "Artist level" - Sem-final round

  Click here for more information.

• September 1 - Stephenson announced that Jered Montgomery is the recipient of the 2009 Stephenson Music 'Dollar Downloads' scholarship.

  

  Jered Montgomery's biographical information in his own words:

  My name is Jered Montgomery. I'm 22 years old. I'm a first semester graduate student studying Trumpet Orchestral Studies at Roosevelt University's Chicago College of the Performing Arts. My current trumpet teacher is Mark Ridenour, 3rd/Assistant Principal of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

  I grew up in Mulkeytown, Illinois, pop. 200. My father is a farmer/landscaper who has polio and my mother is a homemaker/babysitter. I started playing the trumpet in 5th grade. My first teacher, who I proceeded to study with through my undergraduate degree, was Dr. Robert Allison at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. I started lessons with Dr. Allison in 7th grade (1999).

  During high school, I was very fortunate to meet Charlie Schlueter, retired principal trumpet of the Boston Symphony. Charlie bought a trumpet for me during my sophomore year of high school because my parents couldn't afford a professional quality instrument.

  During my career at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, I had the opportunity to play at Domaine Forget in Quebec, the Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro NC, the Southern Illinois Music Festival, and Carnegie Hall. Academically, I was on the Dean's List for 8 semesters, received the Theodore Presser Scholarship, the SIUC Provost Scholarship, and the School of Music Talent Award. I graduated Magna Cum Laude from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and was offered a full tuition scholarship to Roosevelt for my master's degree.

  Currently, I'm playing principal trumpet in Roosevelt's first orchestra concert and will be performing the Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 with Collegium Musicum at Roosevelt's Ganz Hall on December 10th.

• July 23 - Premieres of "Vignettes" and "Strike Up the Band" (arr. Stephenson) at the Grand Valley State International Trumpet Seminar.

  New versions of "Vignettes" for 5 trumpets & percussion and "Strike Up the Band" for 6 trumpets & percussion are being performed at the Grand Valley State University International Trumpet Seminar on July 23rd.

  Richard Stoelzel is executive director of the Seminar.

• July 3 - "Festive Toccata for organ and brass" premiered at the Boston Regional AGO conference.

  "Festive Toccata" for organ and brass was premiered on July 3rd at the Regional AGO Conference in Boston, MA. The performance, which occured in Boston's Trinity Church, featured organist Barbara Bruns and the Majestic Brass led by Eric Berlin. The conductor was Nicholas White.

  Click to hear a recording of the premiere.

• Stephenson's music is being played at two concerts (June 23rd & July 3rd) at the Concert Hall of the London Royal College of Music.

  "Bold, Blue and Bright"
  6:00 pm, Tuesday, June 23rd

  "Fanfare and March" in a brass concert
  5:00 pm, Friday, July 3rd

• June 19 - "American Fanfare" opens the Hollywood Bowl 2009 Gala concert. Conducted by Thomas Wilkins.

  Additional summer 2009 performances of "American Fanfare"

  Grand Teton Music Festival, July 4th, Thomas Wilkins, conductor.

  Plano Symphony, July 4th, Hector Guzman, conductor.

  San Angelo Symphony, July 3rd, Hector Guzman, conductor.

• June 13 - "Chamber Concerto" performance by Sunflower Music Festival, Topeka, KS. Conducted by Alex Klein.

  Click here
  to listen to a live performance.

• June 8-13 - "Symphony No. 1 for Wind Ensemble" recorded by USAF Band of Liberty. Captain David Alpar, Commander.

  Click to listen to:

  Movement 1

  Movement 2

  Movement 3

  Movement 4

• April 26 - On the lighter side . . . check out this YouTube video of the "Concerto for Cell Phone" by the Louisville Youth Orchestra with cellphonist/congressman John Yarmuth.

  From the LYO website:

  And They’re Off!

  Apr. 26 / 3:00 / Iroquois Amphitheater

  Come enjoy the outdoor beauty of the Iroquois Amphitheatre as the LYO performs a variety of entertaining pops music for you in our annual end-of-the-season pops concert. For the second year in a row, this concert will be featured as a Kentucky Derby Festival event. We’ll also have a very special guest collaborating with us in the profound “Cell Phone Concerto” – you won’t want to miss it! This is also the concert where we say goodbye to our 50th anniversary seniors – and they’re off!

Currently working on

• Bass Trombone Concerto: "Road Not Taken," for Matthew Guilford (National Symphony) and the Washington Trombone Ensemble. Premiere date: March 19, 2010, at the Eastern Trombone Workshop, Washington, D.C.

Upcoming Projects

• Re-scoring my Violin Fantasie for Flute/Piano Premiere date: 4/6 with Suzanne Kirton/Richard Bosworth in Naples, FL.

• Sweet Georgia Brown arrangement for Matthew Savery/Bozeman Symphony. April, 2010. Will be fun!!

• Arranging A White Shade of Pale for noted Pops conductor Michael Krajewski.

• Trumpet Concerto for Internationally acclaimed trumpet phenom, Rex Richardson. Premiere date: July 6, 2010, in Sydney, Australia

• Brass Quintet Concerto w/ Wind Ensemble. Commissioned by 10-university consortium with Spectrum Brass and more. Premiere date: fall, 2010

• Re-scoring Trombone Concerto: Concerto Braziliano to be with Wind Ensemble. Premiere with Mark Hetzler in fall, 2010.

• Bass Trombone Sonata for Gerry Pagano (St. Louis Symphony).

• Surprise commission. (can't spill the beans here!)

• Trombone quartet for St. Louis Symphony trombone section.

• Hot club de Paris Pops show for Bozeman Symphony. A la Reinhardt/Grappelli. Featuring Glenn Basham, violin and Kevin Mauldin, bass. Guitar TBA. Premiere date: November 13, 2010.

• Brass Quintet Christmas Pops show for Axiom Brass and Idaho State Civic Symphony. Premiere: December, 2010.

• New Wind Ensemble work for Gustavus Adolphs College to celebrate the school's 150th anniversary. Premier 2012.

• Flute concerto for the Southwest Florida Symphony, Bill Larsen, soloist. 2010-11 season.

  "Flute concerto" will be premiered with Bill Larsen, flute, and the Southwest Florida Symphony Orchestra during the 2010-11 season. Michael Hall is the symphony's music director.

6 Premieres in 6 Weeks

• "Symphony No. 1 for Winds"

  NEC, Boston

  April 16, 2009

  "Symphony No. 1 for Wind Ensemble" was commissioned by the USAF Band of Liberty. The premiere was conducted by First Lieutenant David A. Alpar in Jordan Hall at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston.

• "Concerto for Trumpet (in one-movement format)"

  with Terry Everson, soloist

  April 16, 2009

  "Concerto for Trumpet" in one-movement format was premiered by the USAF Band of Liberty. First Lieutenant David A. Alpar conducted the Band of Liberty in Jordan Hall at the New England Conservatory of Music. Trumpet soloist was Terry Everson.

• "Rush!" for orchestra

  Great Falls. MT

  April 25, 2009

  This 7-minute new work for orchestra was written to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Great Falls Symphony. Gordon Johnson conducted the April 25th concert.

• "Trio for Flute, Trumpet and Piano"

  Music Festival, Croatia

  May 9, 2009

  The premiere date of "Trio" was May 9, 2009, at the Croatian Music Festival in Zagreb. Ana Butkovic (flute), Andrew Balio (principal trumpet of the Baltimore Symphony) and Tamara Jurkic Sviben (piano) are soloists.

• New work for trumpet & piano

  CSO principal trumpet: Chris Martin

  May 30, 2009

  This new work for trumpet and piano was premiered by Chris Martin, principal trumpet of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, with Rebecca Wilt, piano, at the ITG/2009 conference in Harrisburg, PA, on May 30th.

• New work for trumpet & piano

  Beijing trumpet soloist: Zhonghui Dai

  May 30, 2009

  This new work for trumpet and piano was also scheduled to be premiered at the ITG/2009 conference in Harrisburg, PA. The piece is written for Zhonghui Dai of the Beijing Conservatory who will be the soloist at the premiere with Gail Novak at the piano.

Other Recent Premieres

• "Remembering Our Fathers,"  commemorating the 200th anniversaries of the birth of Lincoln and Darwin and the death of Haydn

  February 13, 2009

  In a concert on February 13th, 2009, the Southern Illinois University Orchestra honored the 200th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln.

  The program included the premiere of Stephenson's new work written for three female voices and orchestra. The work commemorates the 200th anniversaries of the birth of Lincoln and Charles Darwin and the death of Haydn. The program was conducted by Edward Benyas.

  Click here to listen to the music as played on February 13th by the Southern Illinois Symphony Orchestra.

• "Concerto for Chamber Orchestra"

  January 14, 2009

  "Concerto for Chamber Orchestra" was premiered on January 14, 2009, at the St. Barts Music Festival in the Caribbean French West Indies. Click here to listen.

• "Trio for trombone, piano and percussion"

  November, 2008

  "Trio for trombone, piano and percussion" was commissioned by David Begnoche. The premiere occurred in November, 2008.

• "Solo for trumpet and concert band"

  August, 2008

  "Solo for trumpet and concert band" was commissioned by the Fischer/Long family. The premiere with the Spring Garden Concert Band was in August, 2008, with Chuck Long, trumpet soloist.

• "Sextet" for trumpet, clarinet, bassoon, violin, cello and piano

  July 4, 2008

  "Sextet" was commissioned by the Salmagundi Ensemble (Laura Garwin, trumpet) as lead commissioning source with a gift from the Charles Schlueter foundation. The premiere occured at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London on July 4, 2008.