Browsing by Subject "Wind ensemble"

Now showing 1 - 6 of 6

Concerto for percussion and wind ensemble
(2013-12) Ozley, Christopher John; Pinkston, Russell
This thesis is a musical composition featuring solo percussion with wind ensemble. It is in three movements with a cadenza linking the second and third movements. The performance time of this work is approximately 12’ 30”. The work will receive its world premiere in the spring of 2014 by Adam Groh and the Graceland University Symphonic Band.
Concerto for violin and wind ensemble
(2011-05) Camacho, Hermes; Grantham, Donald, 1947-; Sharlat, Yevgeniy; Pinkston, Russell; Freeman, Robert; Webb, Lauren
Concerto for violin and wind ensemble is a 25-minute virtuosic work for the violin and accompanying winds, brass, and percussion. As a trained violinist, among the first works I learned were the concerti of J.S. Bach. Thus, I pay special homage to Bach in this piece by using the famous B-A-C-H motive (each letter corresponding to a pitch) to generate much of the musical material in the work. The analysis of the Concerto details the processes in which B-A-C-H affected and shaped the melodic and harmonic language of the piece, while also touching upon the use of orchestration and the problems associated with balancing a single solo instrument against a large ensemble. I also discuss the several existing works for violin that were highly influential in composing the Concerto and the "anxiety of influence" associated with each model.
Kalos eidos for piano and wind ensemble
(2019-05-06) Yoon, Minho, 1986-; Welcher, Dan; Grantham, Donald; Sharlat, Yevgeniy; Drott, Eric; Roberts, Jason
Kalos Eidos is a twenty-minute concerto for piano and wind ensemble based on the operating principle of a kaleidoscope, and the image seen through it. It was premiered by the pianist Alexander Malikov and the conductor Pamornpan Komolpamorn at the University of Texas at Austin in April 2019. This piece represents systematic compositional processes and the use of organized musical elements to transform the features of the kaleidoscope into musical patterns. Two essential ideas appear throughout the piece: (1) the concept of specular reflection in symmetry, (2) the abstract and colorful images in geometric form. These are highlighted by various compositional techniques. The first chapter provides the origin of the piece, as well as my reason for the choice of genre and solo instrument. The second chapter examines the strategy for structural design and particular compositional techniques. Finally, the third chapter is the comprehensive analysis of the piece.
Long distance : for solo percussion, wind ensemble, and electronics
(2014-05) Snowden, Steven, 1981-; Pinkston, Russell
Long Distance is a work for solo percussion (marimba and vibraphone), wind ensemble, and electronics consisting of four movements and lasting approximately twenty minutes. Each movement is designed to be able to stand on its own and, when multiple movements are performed, their order is flexible. A version of this piece with no wind ensemble also exists and was commissioned by a consortium of 33 percussionists. From its inception, this solo version was composed with the possibility of expansion to a larger instrumentation in mind. In this paper, I will discuss and analyze many of the factors and influences involved in my composition process for this piece. This will include performance techniques, extracting and utilizing musical material from field recordings, audio processing techniques, orchestration, drawing musical inspiration from non-musical sources, and stylistic juxtaposition. In addition, I will provide some background on how this commission came about and how composition as a collaborative process shaped this piece especially in the context of working with such a large and diverse consortium.
Singularity for wind ensemble and live electronics
(2015-05) Fieldsteel, Eli; Pinkston, Russell; Pennycook, Bruce; Welcher, Dan; Hanna, Scott; Benedikt, Michael
The combination of wind ensemble with electronic sound has revealed great potential as an expressive medium for music composition. Yet many such works follow a fixed media paradigm, in which the electronic sound is fully realized prior to the performance, often posing unusual or difficult challenges to the ensemble. Additionally, a number of these pieces require that the conductor adhere to a strict rhythmic pulse for a majority of the piece, necessitating an in-ear metronome. This requirement greatly reduces the allowable tempo flexibility, often desired for musical expression. Singularity for Wind Ensemble and Electronics follows a fundamentally different approach, which hybridizes aspects of the fixed media and live electronic music methods. The electronic part is notated on staff paper and distributed alongside the instrumental parts, to be performed on a laptop computer by a musician within the ensemble. The electronic sound is conceived as a collection of triggered musical events whose timings are often flexible or directly controlled by the laptop player. This approach helps to overcome many of the inherent challenges of mixing electronic sounds with acoustic instruments and minimizes logistical obstacles.
Symphony #3 for wind ensemble
(2015-05) Mikulka, Michael; Grantham, Donald, 1947-; Junkin, Jerry; Carnochan, Robert; Sharlat, Yevgeniy; Pinkston, Russell; Glaser, Kyle
Symphony #3 for Wind Ensemble is a four movement composition for wind ensemble with a duration of roughly 35 minutes. This piece seeks to push back against the trend in wind band towards writing surface-heavy “festival music”. One of the main objectives of this symphony is that extremes (particularly of dynamics and tempo) must be earned: that there must be strong emotional or narrative content underlying each surface element of the piece. The opening measures of the symphony present a series of quartal block chords based in F and a fluttering unstable texture centered on concert A. The large-scale form of the piece is derived from these two motives, and the majority of the piece follows the development and interaction of motivic material influenced by the two initial motives. The individual movements of the symphony trace the emotional journey taken as the two main motives are eventually destined to combine.