Concerto for Wind Ensemble

The "Concerto for Wind Ensemble" takes inspiration from similarly titled works for orchestra by Lutosławski and Bartók in a sense that the work is a virtuosic tour-de-force for every performer in the ensemble. The piece does not have a program or set out to convey a singular idea, but the purely musical trajectory and interaction of motives moves the dramatic nature of the work from beginning to end. Cast in three continuous movements, the first movement opens with a musical flourish that contains the musical DNA for everything that follows. Characterized by quick shifts in mood and tempo, the opening movement is quite propulsive and often employs a rhapsodically darker tone than the other movements. The second movement is a calm balance to the frenetic energy to the first. This movement is a slow-moving musical tapestry where textural and harmonic changes occur organically. To move the musical pacing forward, woodwind and brass soloists are employed to present the main melodic material throughout the movement. The final movement begins with an extended section devoted to the percussion. The opening ethereal sounds soon gives way to a much faster music that establishes the main tempo for the rest of the work. A great deal of musical material used in this movement is suggestive of both jazz and rock genres. To link each movement together, an electronic track has been created that takes on the energy of the music at hand. The only non-segue electronic music is found at the very end of the work, which is added to enhance the already wild and hectic environment as the music sprints to the end! "Concerto for Wind Ensemble" is the winner of the 2014 Walter Beeler Memorial Composition Prize from Ithaca College. The work was commissioned by the Baldwin Wallace Conservatory Symphonic Wind Ensemble and was premiered by the group on March 28, 2014 with Dwight Oltman conducting.