SONOKLECT 105- 106 A Concert Series of Modern Music

Terry Vosbein, Director

JAMES BUNTE, saxophone

DAVID RILEY, piano

Washington and Lee University

Keller Theatre • 8:00 p.m. • 4 February 2006

PROGRAM

Brilliance (1974) Ida Gotkovsky I. Declame

II. Desinvolte-avec humour Ill . Dolcissimo IV. Final

Concertina for Saxophone and Electronic Sounds Josaph Lukasik (1992)

I. A Few Opening Remarks II. Nocturne

Ill. Mato Perpetuo

Village Scenes (2005) Terry Vosbein

- INTERMISSION -

Prelude, Cadence et Finale (1956) Alfred Desenclos

GRAB IT! (1999) Jacob ter Veldhuis

For tenor saxophone and ghettoblaster

Village Scenes (2005) Terry Vosbein

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PROGRAM NOTES

Ida Gotkovsky won first prizes in counterpoint , compos ition, and music theory at the Conservatoire National Superieur du Musique in France as a student of Nadia Boulenger . Gotkovsky is considered one of the most prominent composers for saxophone ; her most important works being Brilliance , Concerto and Variations Pathetiques . Her stylisti c traits include additive rhythms, meter changes , virtuosity and a tonal logic which permeates her compositional techniques . Gotkovsky is currently professor of music theory at the Conservatoi re National Superieu r du Musique in France.

Joseph Lukasik received degrees in composition from the Eastman School of Music and the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor where his teachers included Joseph Schwantner , Gunther Schuller , Christopher Rouse , Leslie Bassett , William Balcom and William Albright. He served on the faculty of the University of Colorado as Director of Music Technology and as a member of the theory and composition faculties . He is active as a Jazz composer and tenor saxophonist. In 1993, he was awarded first prize in the Barlow International Composit ion Competition for Ho Hiyuwaye .

Concertina for Alto Saxophone and Electronic Sounds was written specifically for Tom Myer who premiered the work at the World Saxophone Congress in Pesaro , Italy in 1992. The Concertina requires a command of the altissimo register and knowledge of the jazz idiom since sections of the piece are based on improvisation of John Coltrane.

"A Few Opening Remarks" is meant to grab the listener's attention from the start with its aggressive syncopated rhythms , extreme dynamic contrasts , and virtuosic pyrotechnics for the soloist. A respite follows with the opening of the second movement , "Nocturne ," where a simple vocalise-like melody entices the listener into the composer 's interpretation of the night world . The final movement , "Mota Perpetuo," in a lighter mood , finishes the work in a lively fashion reminiscent of the opening .

New Orleans born composer Terry Vosbein writes a lot of music and has a lot of fun doing so. Village Scenes was commissioned by Bunte and Riley for this tour that will culminate at New York's Carnegie Hall in just a few days . It was written while living in New York's Greenwich Village during the summer of 2005 , and that is the subject of this composition. You can hear more of his music at www .vosbein .com.

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Born in Porte! (Pas-de-Calais) in 1912, Alfred Desenclos began his musical studies with the academy of Roubaix and completed them with the Paris Conservatory , winning the Premier Prix in 1942. He is one of the many Conservatory composers to write graduation pieces for the saxophone. The Prelude Cadence et Finale is full of syncopation, large leaps, and advanced harmonic devices which still sound fresh today (i.e. tritone scales, upper extension triad pairs).

Jacob ter Veldhuis began his career in rock music, studied composition and electronic music at the Groningen Conservatory and was awarded the Dutch Composition Prize in 1980. From his past as a rock musician he kept his interest in sound and a lively stage presentation as means of expression. He is a virtuoso in using electronics and sampling techniques involving items like the Gulf War , Chet Baker or the Jerry Springer Show, as can be heard on his new CD Heartbreakers , a colorful mixture of "high and low culture ."

GRAB IT! (from the composer's website) "The saxophone reminds me of the recent American history of music that I grew up with, and which had such a strong impact on my own music. Out of a fascinating mixture of influences from black and white cultures, musical genres like blues, jazz, rock'n'roll, soul and rap came into being during the last century . The roots of all these different musical styles can be found in the American language, in the spoken word. In my opinion , spoken word is one of the origins of music. So I decided to write a piece in which the saxophone is confronted with American slang. I recorded an American documentary called Scared Straight about juvenile delinquency , in which life-sentenced prisoners played an important role. Their world, on the fringe of society with its heartbreaking verbal assaults, moved me deeply and inspired me. The vitality and the sound of the shouting men formed a perfect unity with the harsh and powerful sound of the tenor saxophone . GRAB IT! is a kind of duet, a duel if you like, for tenor and tape, the latter being reproduced by a ghetto blaster. The tenor competes unisono with an almost endless rage of syllables, words and sentences, demanding a lot of endurance of the performer. The meaning of the lyrics becomes gradually clear during the piece, as well as the hopeless situation for the prisoners . Suicide is not uncommon: 'He tied one end around the pipe, and he hung himself. So he went out the back door rapped up in a green sheet with a tag on his toe.you lose everything!' That last line goes for everyone: death row as a metaphor for our earthly lives. Yet the piece is meant to have a positive meaning, that can be understood as a kind of ememento viverei . Life is worth living: Grab it!"

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James Bunte, assistant professor of saxophone and jazz studies, holds a master of music in performance from the University of Cincinnati College­Conservatory of Music and expects to receive his doctor of musical arts from CCM in 2006. His undergraduate degrees from the University of Colorado at Boulder are a BME with K-12 instrumental emphasis and a BM in performance. He previously taught at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Northern Kentucky University , and the University of Oregon . He has performed with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra/Cincinnati Pops (principal), and other Tri-State organizations including the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra; and nationally with the Colorado Music Festival. Bunte has five compact discs on the Telarc label, two with the Cincinnat i Symphony Orchest ra and three with the Cincinnati Pops. His jazz credits include tours with the Glenn Miller Orchestra and Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, recordings with Manhattan Transfer , John Pizzarelli , and playing for many artists including: Ray Charles, Tommy Dorsey Orchestra , Nelson Riddle Orchestra , Conrad Herwig , Dick Hyman and Byron St ripling. Upcoming projects include a world premier performance of the Concerto for Saxophone and Wind Ensemble by Mike Mower, performances at the North American Saxophone Alliance Symposium and the World Saxophone Congress. James Bunte is a Vandoren™ artist.

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Pianist David Riley has received rave reviews throughout the U.S. and Canada , including "Absolutely exquisite technique" (New York Concert Review), "A soloist's dream, star quality , gifted and sensitive ... " (Billings Gazette) . He has extensive experience as a professional recitalist , frequently performing at many of North America's most prestigious venues such as the National Art Gallery in Washington DC, Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall with the New York Philharmonic Chamber Players, the Dame Myra Hess Series in Chicago, the Gardner Museum in Boston, the Phillips Collection in Washington DC, the 92nd St. Y in New York City, Bellas Artes in San Juan P.R., the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival, and Salle de Concert Pollack in Montreal , among others . Mr. Riley has been featured on dozens of radio broadcasts throughout North America, including NPR Performance Today & Morning Edition, CBC National Radio, and WQXR and WNYC in New York City. Along with violinist Jasper Wood, he received the 2004 East Coast Music Award "Best Classical Recording" for a CD of works for violin and piano of Igor Stravinsky . Reviewers have stated, "beautiful recording of lush and nimble Stravinsky , a first-class product and a strong recommendation. "(Gramophone); "absolutely exquisite accounts of these works" (Ottawa Citizen); "his one gets the full five stars" (CBC Sound Advice) . Other violinists with whom Mr. Riley has concertized include Juyoung Baek, Jennifer Frautschi, llya Gringolts, Phillipe Quint, and Giora Schmidt, along with cellists Denise Djokic and Jesus Morales, and clarinetists Alex Fiterstein and Ricardo Morales.

David Riley is Assistant Professor and Director of Accompanying and Chamber Music at the University of Oregon, where he joined the music faculty in 2004 . He holds degrees from the Cleveland Institute of Music and the Eastman School of Music, where he studied with Dr. Jean Barr.

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2005-2006 SONOKLECT Season

SATURDAY, 8 OCTOBER

Richard Grimes Collective

SATURDAY,4FEBRUARY James Bunte, saxophone

David Riley, piano

SATURDAY, 11 MARCH Toots Thielemans, harmonica

Kenny Werner, piano

FOR INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT SONOKLECT HEADQUARTERS