Tuesday, April 15, 2025 | 7:00 PM
Prof. Tania Maxwell Clements, conductor
Garrett Clay, graduate assistant conductor
Musical Moments
from “The Lord of the Rings”
HOWARD SHORE | B. 1946
ARR. GARRETT CLAY | B. 2000
I. The Fellowship of the Ring
Garrett Clay, graduate assistant conductor
Howard Shore’s iconic score for The Lord of the Rings trilogy has become one of the most celebrated achievements in modern film music. In this arrangement, listeners are transported through the epic landscapes and emotional depth of J.R.R. Tolkien’s world. Featuring some of the most recognizable themes—such as the noble Fellowship theme, the hauntingly beautiful melody of the Shire, and the foreboding sounds of Mordor—this suite captures the essence of the journey, the bonds of friendship, and the looming presence of darkness. Shore’s masterful use of leitmotifs, orchestral color, and dramatic pacing makes this a compelling musical narrative in its own right.
When I Used to Cry
TIANA CAMPBELL | B. 2005
Garrett Clay, graduate assistant conductor
Molecules and Stars
MARTIN NORGAARD | B. 1963
Dr. Martin Norgaard, soloist
Tania Maxwell Clements, conductor
Jasmine Anderson, concertmaster
This gentle Latin piece features unusual and challenging harmonies. Though melodic, the piece does not have a common key center, giving it a sound reminiscent of Impressionistic composers such as Ravel or Debussy. Yet, following the jazz tradition, the piece is based on a Bossa Nova beat and includes individual solos that are written out or can be improvised.
MARTIN NORGAARD
Stringin’ the Blues
Tania Maxwell Clements, conductor
Jasmine Anderson, concertmaster
"Auld Lang Syne" is a traditional Scottish song, best known for being sung at New Year's Eve celebrations around the world. The lyrics, written by poet Robert Burns in 1788, are based on an older Scottish folk song. The title translates to "old long since," meaning "days gone by" or "times long past." The song gained international fame after it was sung at the first public New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square, New York, in 1907, solidifying its place as a beloved tune marking the passing of time.
Orchestra
Conductors
Professor Tania Maxwell Clements
Tania Maxwell Clements attained a BA in Music Performance (Viola) and a Certificate of Post-Graduate Studies (Viola Performance) from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, where she studied viola with James Durrant. During her studies at the RCS she won the prestigious Watson Forbes Prize for Viola Playing and the Viola Challenge Prize. Her studies continued in Switzerland at the International Menuhin Music Academy (IMMA) for two consecutive years, working intensively with Alberto Lysy and Johannes Eskar. During this time she performed regularly with violinist Yehudi Menuhin and artists such as Igor Oistrakh and Donald McInnes. She was principal viola and soloist with the Camerata Lysy and performed as soloist at the Menuhin Festival, Gstaad and at festivals in France, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Wales.
Upon leaving the IMMA, Tania was invited to become a founding member of the Seville Symphony Orchestra (ROSS) in Spain and from there was invited to join the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra in Manchester, England as Associate Principal Viola. Whilst working with the BBC, Tania also held the principal viola position with the Northern Symphony Orchestra and was invited to perform as guest principal with the Halle Orchestra and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. During this time, she was also a founding member of the Wralle flute, viola and harp Trio and the Puligny String Quartet.
Over the years she has performed with many other orchestras including the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Scottish Orchestra (formerly the SNO), the BP Scottish Ensemble, the Scottish Opera Orchestra, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the East of England Orchestra and the Royal Festival Orchestra. She has played at some of the world’s most prestigious venues including Covent Garden and the Royal Albert Hall in London, the Philharmonie in Berlin, Boston’s Symphony Hall, New York’sLincoln Center, La Scala Milan in Itay, the Musikverein in Vienna and Prague’s Dvorak Hall. After moving to Atlanta in 1998, she performed with the Atlanta Symphony, Charleston Symphony, Columbus Symphony, Savannah Philharmonic and Macon Symphony orchestras, the Atlanta Chamber Players, the Kopec String Quartet, Musica da Camera, the Lyra String Quartet, and the Vega Quartet.
Tania has a prolific recording career and appears on over one hundred CD’s (and hundreds more recordings) covering orchestral, solo and chamber repertoire. She is a strong supporter of new music for the viola and has personally commissioned many new works for her instrument.
She also has a very active career playing and recording with many rock bands and other artists, such as The Who, Bruce Springsteen, The Eagles, Natalie Cole, Common, and many Broadway artists.
Tania Maxwell Clements is also a master teacher. Before her distinguished career teaching at GSU, she taught orchestral techniques at Chethams School of Music (a Yehudi Menuhin School) and the Royal Northern College of Music in England and has also taught at the Junior Department of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Garrett Clay
GRADUATE ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR
Garrett Adam Clay is an incoming graduate student pursuing a Master’s Degree in Orchestral Conducting. From 2022 to 2024, Garrett was the orchestra and chorus director at Peachtree Middle School in DeKalb County, Georgia. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from Kennesaw State University in 2022. While at KSU, Garrett enjoyed performing as a cellist in the KSU Symphony as well as the Cooke Scholarship String Quartet. In 2020, he was awarded first prize in the university’s Symposium of Student Scholars, for which he conducted research on Shostakovich’s string quartets. Garrett is currently an active section player of the Georgia Philharmonic, which he joined in 2021, as well as a freelance cellist in the metro-Atlanta area.