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This work is based on two traditional dances from the coast of Peru: the Marinera and the Festejo. Thus, the two parts in which the piece can be divided have tempo indications that make use of those names. However, there has been no intention to follow the strict musical styles of these dances; the piece incorporates many of the characteristics of both, the Marinera and the Festejo, but the composer has used them freely and mixed them with his own musical ideas. The Marinera is often danced by a single couple and requires a rather large space to be performed. The woman dances barefoot, with a white handkerchief in her right hand while holder her skirt with the left hand. The man is dressed with a typical “chalan” clothing, which includes a poncho and a hat; he also holds a handkerchief in his right hand and sometimes uses this same hand to take off his hat while dancing. The dance is an elegant and stylized reenactment of a courtship, and the dancers never touch each other. The Festejo is a dance of African origin, developed by the slaves brought by the Spanish from Congo, Angola, and Mozambique. Contrary to the Marinera, it is usually performed by several couples. The women wear handkerchiefs on their heads and colorful dresses. Choreographies may be very elaborated, with men and women dancing barefoot in a festive-erotic dance that includes strong movements of their hips and torsos.

- Program notes from score

Havana was a wind ensemble piece that I started working on in 2017, got about 30 measures into writing, and then put on the shelf. I couldn’t think of what to do with it or come up with an idea, so I ended up just putting it aside until I could. I ended up forgetting about it and while I was searching through my music files on a night in September 2018, I stumbled on this work and found inspiration to write on what I had. I wanted to tell a story with the piece and make it authentic and so I spent a lot of time carefully writing the work. After messing with a few titles and feeling a good amount of frustration, I decided to go with “Havana,” despite there being a viral pop song already in existence with the same name (a song that is honestly a guilty pleasure of mine to listen to). This piece, however, has nothing to do with the Camilla Cabello mega-hit. It is, however, heavily influence on Cuban music, rhythms, and percussion. I wanted to highlight different dance genres such as Salsa, Mambo, and Cha-Cha, while also making the piece in my own voice. I have a strong love for Latin music and so this was incredibly fun to write. I sought to paint a mental picture of the city of Havana, the beautiful landscape, and the culture that is known and beloved for. There are many “Latin-influences” pieces for band already and so I wanted to make Havana stand out as one that is exciting and memorable. I hope that performers and audiences will tab their foot, bop their heads, and feel the music.

- Program notes written by Kevin Day

This work was inspired by the beauty of a small town, Stillwater, Minnesota. This town has a big lake in its center, and out of everyone’s backyard it could be seen. During the winter, the very top of the lake freezes and creates this tranquil effect that could not be seen, but heard. When stepping out into your backyard, you’d see this frozen mass, stuck into place and completely unmovable, but if you listened closely, you could hear that the water underneath continued to flow. Why is this important? We as people forget sometimes that we are so much more deep and vast beneath our hard surfaces. We work, we go to school, we take care of our families, we deal with the struggles of the day-to-day routine militantly. But if we just take a moment to listen within ourselves, we discover our passions, our longings, and our sense of belongings.

- Program notes written by Kelijah Dunton

San Antonio Dances was composed as a tribute to a special city, whose captivating blend of Texan and Hispanic cultural influences enriched my life during my three years as a young music professor at Trinity University. It has been 20 years since I lived in San Antonio, but the city still tugs at my heartstrings and lives in this music. The first movement depicts the seductively serene Alamo Gardens and its beautiful live oak trees that provide welcome shade from the hot Texas sun. A tango mood and lazily winding lines give way to a brief but powerful climax depicting the Alamo itself. The second movement’s lighthearted and joyous music celebrates San Antonio’s famous Riverwalk. Inspired by the streets and canals of Venice, Italy, architect Robert Hugman proposed his idea of converting the San Antonio riverfront into a beautiful urban park back in the 1920s. It took decades to complete, but the Riverwalk eventually became a reality -- a 2-1/2 mile stretch of stunningly landscaped waterfront lined with hotels, restaurants, night clubs and shops. Picture a group of friends seated at an outdoor patio of one of the Riverwalk’s many Tex-Mex restaurants, enjoying the scenery, the food, the company. In time, the evening settles in, the air cools, the mood brightens, the crowd picks up, and music is heard from every direction. Before you know it, the whole place is one giant fiesta that could go on forever. Viva San Antonio!

- Program notes written by Frank Ticheli

Reed was commissioned to write Russian Christmas Music a mere 14 days before it was scheduled to be performed and broadcast live on NBC. Originally written in November 1944, the work was first performed in December of that year in Denver, Colorado. Two years later, the piece was elaborated and revised, and in that form was one of the three prize-winning works in the 1947 Columbia University contest for new serious music for symphonic band. An ancient Russian Christmas carol (Carol of the Little Russian Children) is mixed with motives from orthodox liturgical music from the Eastern Orthodox Church. Though set as a single piece, the composer originally subtitled the four easily separated sections Children's Carol, Antiphonal Chant, Village Song, and Cathedral Chorus. Reed also utilized this theme as well as the “Cathedral Chorus” section as source material for Slavonic Folk Suite, a piece written for novice musicians.

- Program notes from score

FLUTE
Nawar Aboud
Emma Cardamone
Aaron Cowan
Brooke Delmage
Jamie Friedlander
Zoe Lisa
Gillian Nord
Cameron Ting
Dionisia Yanniotis, piccolo
Alan Zimmerman

OBOE
Anthony DeSando
Natalie Gilbert
Jamie Heskett

CLARINET
Brendan Blazier
Lillian Caccamo
Joseph Ha, bass
Raelin Meacham
Xavier Pagano
Sami Shone, E-flat
Emmie Sisack
Leah Trezza
EJ Tucker

BASSOON
Nearah Sanon
Milo Vinson

ALTO SAXOPHONE
James Baker
Nick Gilbert
Lindsey Green
Beckett Olson

TENOR SAXOPHONE
Alyssa Ayerle
Michael Scamacca

BARITONE SAXOPHONE
Daniel Edelman
Rebecca Wielhouwer

PIANO
Rohan Gupta

TRUMPET
Jayden Casey
Erik Figueroa
Larkin Hanna
Ian Manchester
Cameron Nocera
Anthony Reyes

OFFSTAGE TRUMPET
Juliet Arau
Bowie Beecher
Lizzy Carvell
Nathan Felch
Cal Fitanides
Camilo Mamani
Thomas Papke
Lamar Williams

HORN
Emma Bradley
Lucas Ferguson
Michael Mezzo
Joel Rivera

TROMBONE
Victor Chicas Caceros, bass
Ian Equinozzi
Alexander Little
Kyndra Williamson

EUPHONIUM
Patrick Hogan

TUBA
Seamus Buford
Wyndam Withington

DOUBLE BASS
Dylan Drannbauer

PERCUSSION
Thomas Anzuini
Willow Black
Jake Bloom
Aiden Dearborn
Oscar Donahue
Lindsey Green
Madie Krebs