August 2024 Update
Since the return to playing after the pandemic shutdowns, I have been trying to progressively challenge the musicians of the Rouge River Winds with progressively more difficult repertoire, from Robert Buckley’s Symphony No. 3, to Arturo Márquez’s Danzon No. 2, to James Curnow’s Nulli Secundus. But back in June, I threw them an even sharper curveball by programming not only Roger Cichy’s quirky entomological suite Bugs, but also especially Eric Whitacre’s fascinating perpetual-motion piece, Equus. Featuring polyrhythms and oddly-grouped ostinatos that often render the meter ambiguous, Equus demands a level of focus and sophistication of musical awareness that challenges even professional players. The RRW folks did a fabulous job of maintaining the integrity and excitement of the work in performance! Listen below:
In other news, I had a blast performing with the Milton Philharmonic Orchestra in my trial concert in early May, a program which included a suite of music from the score to the docuseries Great Lakes Untamed, composed my friend Erica Procunier (a score which earned her a nomination for a Hollywood Music in Media award). The concert also featured other music from the stage and the screen, including the overture from Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia and music from Star Wars. A few weeks after the concert, the MPO’s board of directors decided to offer me the position of music director, and I have accepted - so I will be commencing in that new role beginning in September!
Meanwhile, if you’re around on Saturday, the Rouge River Winds will playing music of Katahj Copley, Manuel de Falla, and the Beatles in a concert called “Summer of Love”!