Concerts Feature Music of Composer David Maslanka
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- , (859) 257-1754, x229
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 21, 2008) – The University of Kentucky Bands program will
feature the music of noted composer and champion of contemporary wind music David Maslanka in two upcoming concerts. To close its
annual Fall Concert scheduled for Nov. 23, the UK Symphony Band will perform one
of Maslanka’s most recent compositions. A second concert on Nov. 24 will bring
Maslanka to the Bluegrass stage and feature the UK Wind Ensemble performing two of
the noted composer's works. Both concerts at the Singletary
Center for the Arts are free and open to the public.
The UK Symphony Band Fall Concert will feature the 15-minute work "Give Us This Day: Short Symphony for Wind Ensemble" originally inspired by the writings of Vietnamese Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh. Hanh wrote, "The future of our planet is only possible if individuals become deeply mindful of themselves; deeply connected to who they really are."
Through his music, Maslanka connects Hanh's idea with the need for a more peaceful world. This powerful symphony closes with a modal setting of choral melody "Vater Unser in Himmelreich," known in English as "Our Father in Heaven," from the four-part chorales of Johann Sebastian Bach.
The Sunday concert featuring the UK Symphony Band, conducted by Associate Director of Bands George R. Boulden, will also showcase the talents of Grammy nominated artist and Professor of Jazz Studies and Saxophone Miles Osland at the UK School of Music. Osland and vibraphone soloist Brian Nozny, a doctoral candidate in percussion, will perform a suite titled "Escapades" by John Williams from the 2002 movie "Catch Me if You Can." The program will also include music by famous composers Richard Strauss, Fisher Tull and Leonard Bernstein, as well as "Undertow" by John Mackey. The UK Symphony Band Concert will take the stage at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 23, in the Singletary Center for the Arts Concert Hall.
The following day, Maslanka will join in concert the noted UK Wind Ensemble, conducted by Director of Bands John Cody Birdwell. This concert will feature a performance of Maslanka’s "Concerto for Marimba and Band," conducted by Carl Collins, assistant director of UK Bands, and featuring a marimba solo by Kyle Forsthoff, a doctoral candidate in percussion.
In addition to the concerto, the UK Wind Ensemble will also perform Maslanka's Symphony No. 8, completed this fall by the composer. This symphony, while in three distinct movements, suggests a single large-scale panoramic vista.
"This music is a celebration of life. It is about new life, continuity from the past to the future, great hope, great faith, joy, ecstatic vision, and fierce determination," writes Maslanka.
The UK Wind Ensemble concert featuring Maslanka and his work is at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 24, in the Singletary Center for the Arts Concert Hall. Prior to this concert, Maslanka will host a Q&A session earlier that day from 10 a.m. to noon, in the Niles Gallery at the Lucille C. Little Fine Arts Library and Learning Center. The Q&A session is sponsored by the Theta Epsilon Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi, a national honorary band fraternity.
For more information regarding the UK Symphony Band and the UK Wind Ensemble concerts featuring the music of David Maslanka, call the UK Bands program at (859) 257-BAND or by e-mail.
The UK Symphony Band Fall Concert will feature the 15-minute work "Give Us This Day: Short Symphony for Wind Ensemble" originally inspired by the writings of Vietnamese Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh. Hanh wrote, "The future of our planet is only possible if individuals become deeply mindful of themselves; deeply connected to who they really are."
Through his music, Maslanka connects Hanh's idea with the need for a more peaceful world. This powerful symphony closes with a modal setting of choral melody "Vater Unser in Himmelreich," known in English as "Our Father in Heaven," from the four-part chorales of Johann Sebastian Bach.
The Sunday concert featuring the UK Symphony Band, conducted by Associate Director of Bands George R. Boulden, will also showcase the talents of Grammy nominated artist and Professor of Jazz Studies and Saxophone Miles Osland at the UK School of Music. Osland and vibraphone soloist Brian Nozny, a doctoral candidate in percussion, will perform a suite titled "Escapades" by John Williams from the 2002 movie "Catch Me if You Can." The program will also include music by famous composers Richard Strauss, Fisher Tull and Leonard Bernstein, as well as "Undertow" by John Mackey. The UK Symphony Band Concert will take the stage at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 23, in the Singletary Center for the Arts Concert Hall.
The following day, Maslanka will join in concert the noted UK Wind Ensemble, conducted by Director of Bands John Cody Birdwell. This concert will feature a performance of Maslanka’s "Concerto for Marimba and Band," conducted by Carl Collins, assistant director of UK Bands, and featuring a marimba solo by Kyle Forsthoff, a doctoral candidate in percussion.
In addition to the concerto, the UK Wind Ensemble will also perform Maslanka's Symphony No. 8, completed this fall by the composer. This symphony, while in three distinct movements, suggests a single large-scale panoramic vista.
"This music is a celebration of life. It is about new life, continuity from the past to the future, great hope, great faith, joy, ecstatic vision, and fierce determination," writes Maslanka.
The UK Wind Ensemble concert featuring Maslanka and his work is at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 24, in the Singletary Center for the Arts Concert Hall. Prior to this concert, Maslanka will host a Q&A session earlier that day from 10 a.m. to noon, in the Niles Gallery at the Lucille C. Little Fine Arts Library and Learning Center. The Q&A session is sponsored by the Theta Epsilon Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi, a national honorary band fraternity.
For more information regarding the UK Symphony Band and the UK Wind Ensemble concerts featuring the music of David Maslanka, call the UK Bands program at (859) 257-BAND or by e-mail.