Tickets: $25 online, $30 at the door, $15 Student
Jack Gramann, artist
Tromba lontana – John Adams
Fratres: For Chamber Ensemble – Arvo Pärt
Concerto Grosso – Philip Glass
Tuba Concerto – Tony Zilincik
(New Commission and World Premiere)
Concerto Grosso No. 1 – Ernest Bloch
A number of music styles, including gospel, blues, rock, and jazz, find their roots in the American culture. Minimal music, a Western art music tradition that originated in the New York Downtown scene during the 1960s, can be added to that list. American composers credited with developing the style are La Monte Young, Terry Riley, Steve Reich, Philip Glass, and John Adams. Characteristics of the style include consonant harmony, steady pulse, stasis or gradual transformation, repetition of musical phrases or smaller units, and phase shifting.
This exciting and forward looking program features John Adams’ Tromba lontana, Arvo Pärt’s Fratres, Philip Glass’ Concerto Grosso, and Ernest Bloch’s Concerto Grosso No. 1. Composer and tubist, Tony Zilincik, joins us for the world premiere of his Tuba Concerto written for the McConnell Arts Center Chamber Orchestra.
John Adams’ Tromba Lontana “distant trumpet” was written at the request of the Houston Symphony. The work features two solo trumpets, placed at the back of the stage, that intone gently insistent calls while the orchestra provides a pulsing continuum of serene ticking. Arvo Pärt’s Fratres is a set of variations on a six-bar theme and reflects Pärt’s observation that “the instant and eternity are struggling within us.” Philip Glass’ Concerto Grosso is written for a distinctive group of instruments – the wind, brass, and strings, which together make up a symphonic ensemble. Ernest Bloch, founding director of the Cleveland Institute of Music, wrote his Concerto Grosso No. 1 to show his skeptical students that old techniques such as tonality and classical form did not need to be abandoned in the 20th century but could be used in a modern way.
– Dr. Antoine T. Clark