Compositions
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ComposeYourself!

An interactive, educational and entertaining show designed to introduce children of all ages to the instruments of the symphony orchestra.

The 45-minute presentation combines humor and information throughout its narrative to maintain the students' interest right to the thrilling conclusion.

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Concertos

  • Tributesconcerto for orchestra with solo violin

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    Premiere performance 4/11/12 by the Minnesota Orchestra

    Information

    Tributes  [2009]

    Violin concerto for violin and orchestra

    Duration: 25:00

    Instrumentation: *3*3*32 - 4331 - t+3 - hp - pf - str - solo violin

  • Fantasie for Violinconcerto for orchestra with solo violin

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    Premiere performance 2/25/12 by the Rhode Island Philharmonic

  • Liquid Melancholyconcerto for orchestra with solo clarinet

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  • Duels and Dances   New in 2011 concerto for orchestra winds + 3 saxophones with solo oboe

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    piano red.

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    Performance notes

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    Duels and Dances  [2011]

    Oboe concerto for oboe and orchestral winds + 3 saxes

    Duration: 13:00

    Instrumentation: *30*31 - 2231 - t+5 - hp - pf - solo oboe

  • Concerto #1 for Trumpetfor chamber orchestra with solo trumpet

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    Jeffrey Work, trpt
    w/ Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra, Boston

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    Concerto for Trumpet  [2003]

    Concerto for trumpet and chamber orchestra

    Duration: 21:30

    Instrumentation: 1222 - 2100 - t+0 - str - solo trumpet

  • Rextreme: Concerto #2for orchestra with solo trumpet

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    Rextreme  [2010]

    Concerto for trumpet and orchestra

    Duration: 16:00

    Instrumentation: *3*3*32 - 4231 - t+4 - hp - pf - str - solo trumpet

  • The Russian concertofor string orchestra with solo trumpet and piano

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    Marc Reese, trpt
    Lisa Leonard, piano

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    The Russian  [2007]

    Concerto for trumpet, piano and string orchestra

    Duration: 22:00

    Instrumentation: str - solo trumpet + solo piano

  • Pandora's Waltz   New in 2011 concerto for orchestra with solo flute

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    Pandora's Waltz  [2011]

    Concerto for flute and orchestra

    Duration: 16:30

    Instrumentation: *12(Ob. + E.H.)11 - 1111 - t+3 - kybds. (pf + cel.) - hp - str - solo flute

  • Cousinsconcerto for orchestra with solo trumpet and saxophone

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    Rodney Mack and Branford Marsalis with the Interlochen World Youth Symphony conducted by Jung Ho Pak

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    World Youth Symphony, guests shine

    By JOE RICE

    Special to the Record-Eagle

    Sunday evening's World Youth Symphony Orchestra concert was a particularly rare one for performers and audience alike.

    Celebrated saxophonist Branford Marsalis was the featured soloist "" a first for him at Interlochen. Marsalis made his mark first as a cutting-edge jazz musician, but like his equally well-known brother Wynton, Branford plays music all across the spectrum.

    In this concert, he was featured soloist in music by classical composers Giacomo Puccini and Gustav Mahler. Then the focal point of the evening was a world premiere composition by Interlochen alumnus James Stephenson, "Concerto for Saxophone and Trumpet." This work also featured trumpeter Rodney Mack, who is a second cousin to Branford and one of Stephenson's best friends.

    Mack is a formidable virtuoso. He's studied with his cousin, soloed with the Boston Pops and a number of other orchestras around the world and is principal trumpet for the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia.

    One of the strengths of conductor Jung-Ho Pak is his more adventurous way of programming for the WYSO. The concert opened with Igor Stravinsky's "Greeting Prelude," an angular version of "Happy Birthday" to celebrate the 80th season of the Interlochen Arts Camp (originally called the National Music Camp). Then Marsalis was invited on stage to perform the two classical works Puccini's "Denaro! Nient'altro che denaro!" the lovely aria for mezzo soprano from the opera La Rondine, and Mahler's "Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen" ("I was misplaced in the world"), the moving melody Mahler took from the five Ruckert lieder. Here, Marsalis played soprano saxophone with great subtlety and sensitivity. The Puccini work in treble meter was sweet and lyrical. His entrance in the Mahler came out of nowhere, blending into the softness of the strings so that his tone emerged out of the violin sound. His vibrato and the purity of his tone showed another side to this remarkable musician "" and in contrast to his hard-driving jazz style.

    Then, without further comment from the conductor, Marsalis and Mack entered the stage, each loaded with instruments "" Marsalis with alto and tenor saxes and Mack with a C trumpet, a B-flat cornet and a piccolo trumpet.

    Stephenson's composition is built in three sections, quick, slow and quick. In it, I heard rhythms and harmonies that echoed the music of Paul Creston and Frank Martin. Those were, I think, tips of the hat to composers worthy of acknowledgement, but the music in this piece stands on its own. While it may not be considered groundbreaking in form or style, it is quite original. Each section includes conversational moments between sax and trumpet and other moments of delicious solo work that required virtuosic technique from both soloists. The opening section dances along in jaunty fashion with soloists exchanging comments, then coming together in harmony. The middle section is quite lyrical, offering each one ample time for melodious expression. The third section is a lively dance, which calls for a high level of skill.

    The solo parts throughout the piece are well thought out, and offer both musical and technical challenges to each. And the orchestra accompaniment provides a subtle but solid backdrop for the solos, but also has its moments in the sun. The work is very listenable, and as these two soloists continue their collaborations, this concerto will be a favorite. There is a very short list of good double concerto works for trumpet and saxophone. Branford and Mack complement each other musically, and I'm certain that when they collaborate again, it will include this work.

    It was annoying and disappointing that no mention of the composer's background, his connection to the soloists or his importance to Interlochen was made in the printed program and, at the end of the performance, he was not brought up on the stage to share in the well-deserved standing ovation. Stephenson is one of many alums of the Interlochen Arts Camp and graduates of the Interlochen Arts Academy who have distinguished themselves as world-class artists. He has established himself as an arranger, composer and professional trumpet player, and this world premiere performance certainly deserved recognition for him every bit as much as the two soloists, conductor and orchestra. All he got was a handshake at the foot of the stage, so only a few people in the audience even saw who he was.

    The WYSO closed the concert with Leonard Bernstein's Symphonic Dances from "West Side Story." To say the least, it was electric and thrilling. Maestro Pak is an energetic conductor, and the orchestra responds with equal amounts of energy. The alternating moments of quiet intensity and passion and the fiery, sometimes vicious times where the Sharks and Jets are in conflict, were powerful.

    The soloists in the orchestra were worth noting. Xylophone, timpani, drumset, the principal strings (violins, viola and cello), each member of the brass and the principal woodwinds all stood out. Bernstein's music is always a handful, especially if you're a high school musician, and these young people were up to the task. It meant the audience stood in loud and enthusiastic appreciation once more at the end.

    Joe Rice, of Traverse City, is a former high school band and orchestra director and current member of Encore Wind Symphony

    Information

    Cousins  [2007]

    Concerto for trumpet, sax and orchestra

    Duration: 16:00

    Instrumentation: *3*3*32 - 4331 - t+3 - hp - pf - str - solo sax +solo trumpet

    Marsalis, Mack, Pak and Stephenson
    Marsalis, Mack, Pak and Stephenson

    Rodney Mack, Branford Marsalis, Pak and Stephenson
    at the July 15, 2007, premiere of 'Cousins'

  • La Grande Vitesse trio concertofor orchestra with solo trumpet, horn and trombone

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    Trumpeter Charley Lea, hornist Erich Peterson and trombonist Daniel Mattson with the Grand Rapids (MI) symphony

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    . . .

    The real . . . star was composer James M. Stephenson, whose Triple Concerto for Brass was premiered. Trumpeter Charley Lea, hornist Erich Peterson and trombonist Daniel Mattson each rose from their respective second chairs for a solo spot.

    It's 17 minutes of propulsive music, often syncopated a la Bernstein, orchestrated with far-out combinations of instruments, almost always tuneful. It packs a punch, though not as often as you might think with three brass players, who each enjoyed solo turns of matching musicality.

    Stephenson, visiting from Chicago, declared that the piece he titled "La Grande Vitesse" is not a programmatic piece of music. I disagree.

    Its form is ambiguous with unexpected twists and turns. It's unpredictable when the next curve will start, and it's anybody's guess where it might go and how it might end.

    It matters not whether you see orange/red, it sure strikes me as Alexander Calder's stabile etched in sound.

    What's more, Stephenson so wrote it for this orchestra, I wouldn't be surprised if he skipped the names of the instruments and just wrote each player's name on the parts.

    . . .

    By Jeffrey Kaczmarczyk
    The Grand Rapids Press

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    La Grande Vitesse  [2009]

    Trio concerto for trumpet, horn and trombone with orchestra

    Duration: 17:00

    Instrumentation: *3*3*32 - 3221 - t+3 - hp - pf - str - solo brass trio

  • Chamber Concerto for chamber orchestra

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    Chamber Concerto  [2009]

    Concerto for chamber orchestra

    Duration: 11:30

    Instrumentation: 1111 - 1110 - t+1 - str

  • Concerto Brazilianofor orchestra with solo trombone

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    Nitzan Haroz, trombone
    Alex Klein, conductor

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    Braziliano  [2007]

    Concerto for trombone and chamber orchestra

    Duration: 16:30

    Instrumentation: 2222 - 2100 - t+1 - str - solo trombone

Concert Pieces

Educational and Themed

Novelty

  • Concerto for Cell Phonefor orchestra with cell phone

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    . . .  The Grand Rapids Symphony opened the concert with 40 minutes of music that Lockington told the audience had "nothing to do with Ellington whatsoever."

    "But they're a lot of fun," he added.

    Sure enough. A romp through Rossini's Overture to "William Tell" and a sober reading of Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings were crowd pleasers. A bit of string virtuosity was called for with Russell Peck's "Signs of Life," an adventurous bluesy number for strings.

    Best of all was a novelty number, "Concerto for Cell Phone," featuring the dry and delightful Steven Brook as soloist in the piece by James Stephenson.

    Wielding a battery of Motorolas and Nokias, and primping as musicians are wont to do on stage, Brook had the audience in stitches.

    For once, hearing a cell phone go off in a concert hall was a genuine pleasure. The difference here was they were going off on cue.

    Next time you're at a concert, do not try this on your own. Brook is a professional.

    by Jeffrey Kaczmarczyk
    The Grand Rapids Press
    Saturday November 15, 2008

    Information

    Concerto for Cell Phone  [2006]

    Concerto for cellphonist and orchestra

    Duration: 4:30 (plus introductory comments)

    Instrumentation: 3332 - 4331 - t+2 - str - cellphonist

  • Bassoon It Will Be Christmas  for orchestra with two or three solo bassoons

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    Bassoon It Will Be Christmas

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    information

    Bassoon It Will Be Christmas

    Commissioned by Michael Krajewski.

    The most famous bassoon orchestral excerpts meet the most famous Christmas carols in this clever adaptation.

    Duration: 4:45

    Instrumentation: 3*3*3* 3 SOLO BASSOONS 4331, timp. 3 perc. harp strings

    Also available for 2 solo bassoons.

    Performance record: Houston Symphony, Bloomington Pops, more...

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    Bassoon It Will Be Christmas  []

    Novelty piece for 3 (or 2) solo bassoons with orchestra

    Duration: 4:40

    Instrumentation: 333+(3 solo bassoons) - 4331 - t+2 - hp - str

  • Diaper Ragfor chamber orchestra

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    Diaper Rag  []

    Novelty piece for chamber orchestra

    Duration:

    Instrumentation: 1111 - 1110 - t+1 - str