Featuring a selection of celebrated works for winds and brass.
Thursday
November 21
7:30 PM
Rialto Center for the Arts
“Dance” from Othello Suite
SAMUEL COLERIDGE-TAYLOR | 1875-1912
ARR. FRANK WINTERBOTTOM / ED. ROBERT J. AMBROSE & BRAEDEN WEYHRICH
Braeden Weyhrich, graduate conductor
Guillaume de Machaut (c. 1300 – April 1377) was a medieval French poet and composer. According to Daniel Leech-Wilkinson, Machaut was "the last great poet who was also a composer". Well into the 15th century, Machaut's poetry was greatly admired and imitated by other poets, including Geoffrey Chaucer.
This piece contains strong pedagogical undertones; aside from introducing high-quality music from [nowadays] lesser-known composers to younger players, it allows numerous opportunities for brief discussions about aspects of Medieval music. - Program Note from publisher
Andrew Boss is an American composer, pianist and conductor. Recipient of the 2013 Otto Ortmann composition award, composer Andrew Boss continues to be recognized in expressing his creative voice. His works have been well-received throughout the country, offering captivated listeners “something that has never been heard before.” (FMTA) Mr. Boss has been the recipient of many awards in his academic career as a composer, including the Virginia Carty Delillo Composition Award for the finale movement of his Symphony for Quintet, the Florida Young Artist Award from the Florida State Music Teachers Association (FSMTA), and The Johns Hopkins career development grant. He was a national finalist of the Young Artist competition southern division for the Music Teachers National Association. He also received the Gayler Music Award (2011), the Presser Award (2010), and the Young Composers Award (2009).
Scenes from “The Louvre”
NORMAN DELLO JOIO | 1913-2008
I. The Portals
Julianna Pinero, graduate conductor
II. Children’s Gallery
Meeka Sivilay, graduate conductor
III. The Kings of France
Braeden Weyhrich, graduate conductor
IV. The Nativity Paintings
Robert J. Ambrose, principal conductor
V. Finale
Rachel Breaux, graduate conductor
Scenes from "The Louvre" comes from a 1964 television documentary produced by NBC News called A Golden Prison: The Louvre, for which Dello Joio provided the soundtrack. The documentary tells the history of the Louvre and its world-class collection of art, which is in many ways inseparable from the history of France.
Norman Dello Joio (born Nicodemo DeGioio) was an American composer, born to Italian immigrants. In 1941, he began studies with Paul Hindemith, the man who profoundly influenced his compositional style. It was Hindemith who told Dello Joio, "Your music is lyrical by nature, don’t ever forget that." Dello Joio states that, although he did not completely understand at the time, he now knows what he meant: "Don’t sacrifice necessarily to a system; go to yourself, what you hear. If it’s valid, and it’s good, put it down in your mind. Don’t say I have to do this because the system tells me to. No, that’s a mistake." - notes from Wind Repertory Project
á la Machaut
ANDREW BOSS | B. 1988
Meeka Sivilay, graduate conductor
Lincolnshire Posy is a musical composition by Percy Grainger for concert band commissioned in 1937 by the American Bandmasters Association. Considered by John Bird, the author of Grainger's biography, to be his masterpiece, the 16-minute-long work has six movements, each adapted from folk songs that Grainger had collected on a 1905–1906 trip to Lincolnshire, England.
Percy Aldridge Grainger (born George Percy Grainger; 8 July 1882 – 20 February 1961) was an Australian-born composer, arranger and pianist who moved to the United States in 1914 and became an American citizen in 1918. In the course of a long and innovative career he played a prominent role in the revival of interest in British folk music in the early years of the 20th century.
Grainger was an innovative musician who anticipated many forms of twentieth century music well before they became established by other composers. As early as 1899 he was working with "beatless music", using metric successions (including such sequences as 2/4, 2½/4, 3/4, 2½/4).
In December 1929, Grainger developed a style of orchestration that he called "Elastic Scoring". He outlined this concept in an essay that he called, "To Conductors, and those forming, or in charge of, Amateur Orchestras, High School, College and Music School Orchestras and Chamber-Music Bodies".
In 1932, he became Dean of Music at New York University, and underscored his reputation as an experimenter by putting jazz on the syllabus and inviting Duke Ellington as a guest lecturer. Twice he was offered honorary doctorates of music, but turned them down, explaining, "I feel that my music must be regarded as a product of non-education."
PERSONNEL
Robert J. Ambrose
Director of Bands
Conductor Robert J. Ambrose enjoys a highly successful and diverse career as a dynamic and engaging musician. His musical interests cross many genres and can be seen in the wide range of professional activities he pursues. Dr. Ambrose studied formally at Boston College, Boston University and Northwestern University, where he received the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in conducting.
Dr. Ambrose has conducted professionally across the United States as well as in Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan. His interpretations have earned the enthusiastic praise of many leading composers including Pulitzer Prize winners Leslie Bassett, Michael Colgrass and John Harbison. Dr. Ambrose is considered an authority on Arnold Schoenberg’s landmark piece Pierrot Lunaire, having conducted it several times in three different countries. He has conducted over two dozen premiere performances including works by Michael Colgrass, Jonathan Newman, Joel Puckett, Christopher Theofanidis and Joseph Turrin. In addition, a recent performance of Igor Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms under his direction has been given repeated airings on Georgia Public Radio.
Dr. Ambrose is founder and music director of the Atlanta Chamber Winds a professional dectet specializing in the promotion of music by emerging composers as well as lesser-known works of established composers. Their premiere compact disc, Music from Paris, was released in 2009 on the Albany Records label and has received outstanding reviews in both Fanfare and Gramophone magazines.
As a guitarist, Robert Ambrose has performed in dozens of jazz ensembles, combos, rock bands and pit orchestras. His rock band “Hoochie Suit,” formed with members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, received rave reviews throughout the Chicago area and performed for such distinguished guests as Yo-Yo Ma and Daniel Barenboim.
Dr. Ambrose currently serves as director of bands, associate professor of music and associate director of the School of Music at Georgia State University, a Research I institution of 32,000 students located in Atlanta, GA. As director of bands he conducts the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, maintains a highly selective studio of graduate students in the Master of Music in wind band conducting degree program, and oversees a large, comprehensive band program comprised of four concert ensembles and three athletic bands. He lives in Peachtree City, GA with his wife Sarah Kruser Ambrose, a professional flute player, and daughters Isabelle and Hannah.
Rachel Breaux
Graduate Teaching Assistant & Wind Band Conducting Student
Rachel Breaux, a native of Temple, GA, is pursuing the Masters of Music degree in Wind Band Conducting. She is a recent graduate of the University of West Georgia where she earned the Masters of Music degree in Flute Performance. While at UWG, Rachel took advantage of conducting opportunities with the Wind Ensemble under the direction of Dr. Joshua Byrd. She also holds a Bachelors of Music degree in Music Education from West Georgia.
As a performer, Rachel has studied privately with Elisa Lyle, Candance Keach, and Dr. Tammy Evans, and actively runs a private and sectional studio consisting of students within Carroll, Paulding, Fayette, and Coweta counties. She also participates in marching band instructional staff, flute sectional clinics, beginning and advanced conducting graduate teaching assistant instruction, theatre orchestra pits, and local church orchestras; including the Tabernacle Baptist Church, Roopville Baptist Church, Douglasville Baptist Church, and East Newnan Baptist Church.
On the side, Rachel specializes in social media and marketing for local organizations and honor bands. Her professional affiliations include the Georgia Music Educators Association, National Association for Music Education, and the National Band Association.
She currently resides in Temple, GA with her 5-year old forever puppy, Oscar.
Julianna Pinero
Graduate Teaching Assistant & Wind Band Conducting Student
Julianna Pinero is an alumna of Georgia State University where she earned the Bachelor of Music degree with a concentration in Instrumental Music Education. At Georgia State, Ms. Pinero was a member of several ensembles including the University Orchestra, Panther Band, Panther Basketball Band, Concert Band, and Choral Union. She is a 2019 graduate of Mill Creek High School where she performed in various ensembles.
Ms. Pinero’s teaching experience includes pre-school instrument with Jumpstart Education, strings instruction at Drew Charter School in Atlanta, student teaching in Gwinnett County, and marching band instruction at Cambridge High School in Milton, GA and North Gwinnett High School in Suwanee, GA. In addition, she has served as a visual educators for the Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps in Denver, Colorado.
Julianna was selected as a Conducting Fellow for the Atlanta Summer Conducting Institute hosted by Georgia State University in both 2023 and 2024.
Meeka Sivilay
Graduate Teaching Assistant & Wind Band Conducting Student
Meeka Sivilay is currently pursuing the Master of Music in Wind Band Conducting degree at Georgia State University under the guidance of Robert J. Ambrose. As a Graduate Teaching Assistant for the University Bands, she conducts and coaches a variety of ensembles, assists with undergraduate conducting instruction, and supports the operations of a large, comprehensive band program.
Prior to her move to Georgia, Ms. Sivilay served as a band director in the Mountain Home (AR) School District, where she conducted the junior high band, taught beginning woodwind classes and assisted with all aspects of the high school band program. Along with her official duties, she assisted with the guard programs and trained marching band student conductors.
Meeka graduated Cum Laude from Arkansas Tech University with the Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education. Her primary teachers were Dan Belongia and Karen Futterer. During her tenure at Arkansas Tech, Meeka served as a student conductor for various ensembles, was as an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant, and served on local and district-wide executive boards of the Tau Beta Sigma music fraternity.
Braeden Weyhrich
Graduate Teaching Assistant & Wind Band Conducting Student
Braeden Weyhrich is a Master of Music student and graduate assistant at Georgia State University, where she studies wind band conducting with Dr. Robert Ambrose. Before graduate studies, she was the Band Director at Hinton Community School in northwest Iowa, where she taught and administered all aspects of the band program for students in grades 5-12. She was also the Associate Conductor of the Siouxland All-America Concert Band, Librarian for the Sioux City Municipal Band, and a member of several district and state-wide committees of the Iowa Bandmasters Association. Braeden is a part of The Access Collective, a program piloted in Iowa and soon to expand nationally which works to assist band directors in connecting their students to other people and cultures through music.
Braeden holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education and an Honors College Degree from Oklahoma State University, where she graduated magna cum laude and was recognized as an OSU Alumni Association Outstanding Senior. Her organizational affiliations include Tau Beta Sigma, Sigma Alpha Iota, and Women Band Directors International.
Credits:
Created with images by • Philippe - louvre • Chris Chambers - Lincoln, UK. Cathedral and City at sunset. Aerial view of the British city of Lincoln United Kingdom. Steep Hill and historic church