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Bravado was written for the Tanglewood Music Festival 2023 orchestral readings and explores the many connotations of the word “bravado,” a descendant of the old Italian adjective bravo, meaning “wild” or “courageous.” Bravado opens with a lilting theme accented in unexpected places, punctuated by bell tones throughout the ensemble. After three statements of this melody, a whirling transition introduces a new theme in the French horn. This second theme starts with a gesture reminiscent of West Side Story — perhaps a nod to Leonard Bernstein, a fixture at Tanglewood for 50 years — before breaking into a series of intervallic leaps that propel the music forward. At the halfway point, marked “slyly, fearlessly” in the score, the interplay between flurries of notes in the woodwinds and rhythmic exclamations in the brass introduces a more somber mood. The Bernstein-like secondary theme reemerges from the texture, leading into a bold augmentation of the primary theme from the trumpets and horns. The work concludes with a final, jubilant statement of the lilting rhythm from the opening measure.

Gala Flagello (b. 1994) is a composer and educator whose work is inspired by a passion for lyricism, rhythmic vitality, and fostering meaningful collaboration. Her music, described as "at times endearingly whimsical, at times ominous, but always moving" (Cleveland Classical), resonates with audiences through its emotional depth and dynamic expression.

“His face white in the moonlight, his hands raised in horror, glaring helplessly at the frightful thing which was hunting him down.”
-Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Hound of the Baskervilles

When I was asked [to write a piece for Trombone Choir], I was in the middle of reading The Hounds of Baskerville from the Sherlock Holmes books. After having words of suspense and chase rattling around in my head, I settled on a piece that reflected the terrifying “hounds” that haunted the people of Baskerville before the mystery was solved. I use the leaps and glissandi at the beginning to represent the howls in the woods. A driving ostinato gives us a sense of chase and fear, while the floating melody inspires suspense as we wait anxiously for the answer to the question...What exactly is lurking in the woods behind Baskerville? (Program notes by composer)

Amber Sheeran (she/her) found a love for composition and arrangement in high school. She continued to study composition at Colorado State University and is currently a composer in residence for the Mile High Freedom Bands.

This piece is based upon the surreal world depicted in Salvador Dali’s painting The Elephants. Here, two massive creatures resembling elephants mounted with floating obelisks loom over a seemingly desolate area, with low hills in the background. The creatures stand on tall, spindly legs, casting long shadows on the ground below, where two human-like figures are seen standing in front of a square object with a circle in the middle. In this picture, it may be dusk or may be dawn, as all things appear just a bit different from their realistic counterparts. (Program notes by composer)

Andrew Markel is an avid performer, composer, and educator in the Columbus Area. In addition to teaching music, Andrew has spent the last 20 years studying trombone and composition. He has had original pieces performed by over 100 universities internationally, and multiple high schools.

Three Scenes for Antiphonal Trombone Choir and Wind Ensemble was made possible by a consortium, of which the Ithaca College Wind Ensemble and Trombone Troupe were members, organized by the Eastman Wind Ensemble and the Eastman Trombone Choir.

Anthony Plog draws attention to the different colors and options available within its unique orchestration, a choir of ten trombones combined with wind ensemble. The piece is framed by a statement made by the trombones alone which is taken up by the full wind ensemble and elaborated upon in the first movement. The central slow movement provides contrast, both in character and in the colors used. The final movement, more aggressive in character, features a return of the opening motive, bringing the piece to a satisfying close.


Plog has had a rich and varied international career in music—as a composer of operas, symphonic music, and chamber works; as an orchestral musician, soloist, and recording artist; and as a brass teacher and coach at some of the great music conservatories internationally and now online to students around the world. The music of Anthony Plog has been performed in over 30 countries, and he has been the recipient of numerous grants and commissions. After beginning his career writing extensively for brass, he now works in many different musical forms.

Symphonic Metamorphosis on Themes of Carl Maria von Weber was premiered by the New York Philharmonic on 20 January 1944, Artur Rodzinski conducting. It has since become one of Paul Hindemith's more popular and enduring works. It was inspired in part by choreographer and dancer Léonide Massine, who suggested to Hindemith that he compose a ballet based on Weber’s music. However, after watching one of Massine’s ballets and discovering that Massine intended to use sets and costumes designed by Salvador Dali (an artist whom Hindemith disliked), Hindemith decided to part ways with Massine, and the project was dropped. A few years later, Hindemith decided to salvage the music and write a set of variations or metamorphoses instead. The transcription for wind ensemble was completed at Hindemith's request by his Yale University colleague, Keith Wilson.

Born in Hanau, Germany in 1895, Hindemith began studying violin at the age of nine and composition at the age of 14. He performed in several professional orchestras and chamber ensembles and was appointed to the composition faculty at the Berlin School of Music. In the mid-1930s, Hindemith refused to stop performing with Jews, and thus his music was banned by the Nazi Party. Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s propaganda minister, publicly denounced him as an “atonal noisemaker” and his music was labeled “degenerate.” He then fled to the United States, where he joined the faculty at Yale University and became an American citizen in 1946. Two years later, Hindemith returned to Europe on tour and was appointed to the music faculty at Zurich University in Switzerland, where he lived until his death in 1963. Although he is best known for his chamber music, sonatas, and concertos, Hindemith’s works for winds significantly influenced the course of wind literature in the mid-20th century.

Following in the rich tradition of Patrick Conway and Walter Beeler, the Ithaca College Wind Ensemble presents some eight concerts annually both on and off campus, including such venues as Lincoln Center. The Wind Ensemble presented a highly successful tour of England and Ireland in 1998, and returned to Ireland in the spring of 2007. Through a demanding schedule of concerts, tours, and recordings, the ensemble has developed a broad reputation for performing excellence, innovative programming, and commitment to new music. Concert programs include a wide variety of music including wind band classics, chamber works from a variety of historic periods, new commissions, and those newer works that serve to expand the evolving repertoire for the wind ensemble. The wind ensemble has been invited to perform at the national conventions of the country’s two most distinguished band organizations; The American Bandmaster’s Association and the College Band Directors National Association. Guest conductors and composers from around the globe who have worked with the ensemble include Samuel Adler, David Amran, Frank Battisti, Warren Benson, Michael Colburn, Michael Colgrass, John Corigliano, Travis Cross, Viet Cuong, Richard Danielpour, Michael Daugherty, David Dzubay, Lukas Foss, Arnald Gabriel, John Harbison, Karel Husa, Libby Larsen, Cathy Likhuta, Timothy Mahr, John Mackey, David Maslanka, Ron Nelson, Larry Rachleff, Timothy Reynish, H. Robert Reynolds, Gunther Schuller, Joseph Schwanter, Roberto Sierra, Carl St. Clair, Richard Strange, Steven Stucky, Frank Ticheli, John Whitwell, and Dana Wilson. Membership in the ensemble is determined by audition in the fall of each academic year. The wind and percussion players in the Wind Ensemble are among the most talented in the Center for Music.

Daniel Cook serves as Director of Bands and Assistant Professor of Music Performance at Ithaca College. In this capacity, he is the conductor of the renowned Ithaca College Wind Ensemble, teaches courses in conducting and music education, and administers the historic IC Band Program. Prior to his appointment at IC, Cook was on faculty at the University of North Texas faculty, where he conducted the Wind Ensemble, taught courses in wind band literature, graduate and undergraduate conducting, and was the Director of the 435-member Green Brigade Marching Band. Cook earned Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees in Conducting from Northwestern University, where he studied with Mallory Thompson, and a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Georgia.

Cook’s ensemble performances have received acclaim, most recently by such composers as Bryant, Daugherty, Del Tredici, Gotkovsky, Higdon, and Schwantner. Ensembles under his direction have performed at the Florida, Texas, New York, and New Jersey state music conferences, as well as at the Music for All National Concert Band Festival. The UNT Wind Ensemble has won first-place recognition for the collegiate American Prize in Wind Ensemble Performance. In addition to his work in higher education, Cook is honored to have held educational positions with the Dallas Brass Band and Santa Clara Vanguard. He is published in the Teaching Music Through Performance in Band series and has contributed to various albums published via Naxos, GIA, and independent release.

Benjamin Rochford joined the Ithaca College School of Music in 2016 and currently serves as the Associate Director of Bands. At IC, Rochford conducts the Wind Symphony and Concert Band and teaches courses in instrumental conducting and brass pedagogy. Prior to his appointment at Ithaca College, Mr. Rochford was a Doctoral Conducting Associate and PhD candidate at the University of Florida and also served as Director of Bands at the Valley Grove School District in Franklin, Pennsylvania.

Mr. Rochford completed a bachelors degree in Music Education from Mansfield University of Pennsylvania and a Masters degree in Instrumental Conducting from Youngstown State University in Ohio. Mr. Rochford served as Director of Bands at the Valley Grove School District in Pennsylvania where he was responsible for overseeing the entire 5-12 instrumental music program. At Valley Grove, Mr. Rochford directed the district's athletic bands, jazz combo, and elementary, middle, and high school bands. He hosted and managed the PMEA District III Jazz Festival in 2012. He has also given presentation in Pennsylvania, New York, and Florida on a variety of topics including jazz improvisation, rehearsal techniques, student motivation, and authentic student self assessment within the paradigm of Harvard Project Zero and Arts PROPEL.

The Ithaca College Trombone Troupe is one of the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance’s most active chamber ensembles. In addition to regular recitals, the group frequently collaborates with other performers and hosts public events such as IC Trombone Day and Frühling Posaunen. Since the late 1980s, the Troupe has performed at numerous conferences, including the International Trombone Workshop, six NYSSMA Winter Conferences, and six Eastern Trombone Workshops. Ithaca College also hosted the International Trombone Festival in 2004. Recent appearances include recitals at the American Trombone Workshop in Washington D.C. (2023) and the International Trombone Festival in London, Ontario (2025).

Originally from the United Kingdom, Dr. Will Porter (he/him) joined the faculty at Ithaca College in 2022 as Assistant Professor of Trombone. Previous teaching engagements have included Eastern Illinois University, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Will has performed with orchestras throughout Europe, South America and North America, including the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Orquesta Filarmónica de Santiago and Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester. Since moving to New York, Will has performed with the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra, Syracuse Orchestra, and Binghmaton Philharmonic. Having grown up playing in British brass bands, Will also played Solo Trombone with the Fountain City Brass Band in Kansas City from 2021-2023, winning multiple championships, including the North American Brass Band Championships. Will has commissioned and premiered numerous works for solo trombone, performing them at events such as the International Trombone Festival and the American Trombone Workshop, and in 2022 was named winner of The American Prize for the performance of American music.


Will's research examines the relationships between music education and social development and has included projects in Mozambique, Tanzania, and Ethiopia. He regularly works with court-involved youth, leading music workshops at juvenile detention centers and youth shelters in the US and Africa. A first-generation student, Will is a graduate of the University of Leeds, the Royal Academy of Music, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Will is an Edwards Trombone Artist.

FLUTE
Mad Andrus*
Emily Dupuis
Gianna Gassira
Stephen Kim
Sydney Tomishina

OBOE + ENGLISH HORN
Reid Canham*
Natalie Gilbert
Cole Trenkelbach

BASSOON
Griffin Harrel
Abbie Harrison*
Rebecca Williams

CLARINET
Anthony Angelillo
Kaitlin Barron
Phoebe Donaghy-Robinson
Amanda Haussmann
Liam Kearney
Christian Laughlin*
Will Lesser
Sami Shone
Toag Wolf

SAXOPHONE
Lauren Bradbury
Leah Kilkenny
TJ Lanks
Allyson Lauth*
Bryson Sauer

PERCUSSION
Audrey Diddle
Jack Foley
Rebecca Muller
Elliot Liberty
Jillian Mihalik
Olivia Okin*

BASS
Garrett Jorgensen

PIANO
Dmitri Novgorodsky

TRUMPET
Juliet Arau
Cal Fitanides*
Alessio Vega
Nathan Felch
Camilo Mamani
Lamar Williams

HORN
Sarah Griffin
Kate Martin*
Hope Massey
Simon Stainbrook

TROMBONE
Thomas Burkum
Estelle Kamrass*
Elvis Lazo
Meghan Liang
Ilan Medwed
Will Shanton

EUPHONIUM
Jamie DiSalvo*
Tyler Phoebus

TUBA
David Castro*
Noah Smith

TROMBONE TROUPE
Thomas J. Burkum
David A. Castro
Victor A. Chicas Caceros
Ian D. Equinozzi
Estelle C. Kamrass
Elvis Lazo
Meghan E. Liang
Alex Little
Miguel A. Lopez
Ilan Medwed
David M. Miller
Isiah Owens
Tyler J. Phoebus
Gabriel A. Ramos
Damian W. Simmonds
Kyndra M. Williamson
Akane Z. Wong