BLUE RIDERS
Concerto for Wind Ensemble
2026-27 Consortium Commission
Two years after my second symphony and twenty-two years since my first wind band commission, I am hoping to create my most ambitious and virtuosic piece to date for this medium that has been so supportive of my work. The uniquely modern genre of a concerto for large symphonic ensemble has long appealed to me with numerous favorites by the likes of Joseph Schwantner, Karel Husa, Witold Lutoslawski, Jennifer Higdon, Steven Bryant, and most importantly, Béla Bartók. This will be my first sabbatical project as a full professor and I aim to create something truly special!
The second album I ever bought was this Decca compilation of Pictures at an Exhibition and Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra performed by the Chicago Symphony during one of their golden eras led by Solti. To say it had a significant impact on my teenage ears would be beyond an understatement! The fantastical imagery of Mussorgsky and Ravel paired with the bristling virtuosity and vibrancy of the concerto still hold me transfixed and my new Concerto for Wind Ensemble will owe much to both works. This new work will be inspired by the paintings of Franz Marc, Paul Klee, and Wassily Kandinsky, all of whom are closely associated with the exhibitions and almanac Der Blaue Reiter or "The Blue Rider" which was active from 1911 to 1914.
Consortium Details
- Consortium Lead: Dr. Michael Hancock, Director of Bands, Frost School of Music, University of Miami
- World Premiere: Frost Wind Ensemble, University of Miami, Fall 2026
- Consortium Membership: limited to 10-15 consortium associate members
- Cost: $1000 per ensemble, can be paid in multiple installments on request
- Anticipated completion: September 2026
- Consortium associate member performance exclusivity: January 1, 2027 - October 1, 2027
- Duration: ca. 25-30 minutes
- Difficulty: grade 6 (advanced collegiate)
- Instrumentation: standard advanced wind symphony
- Includes bound 11x17 score with conductor's name and institution on title page
- Composer will travel to consortium premieres based on availability and funding
- Composer will provide feedback from rehearsal recordings and/or participate in video rehearsals without additional compensation
Contact: [email protected] for invoicing or other questions
Something Borrowed, Something Blue
My new work will draw from five different paintings by these three iconic artists of the early 20th century. Utilizing the famous five-movement arch form that Bartók made so compelling, techniques from the Second Viennese School will be employed, although in a vibrant and appealing broadly tonal aesthetic. This owes to the philosophical and aesthetic similarities that Kandinsky, Klee and Marc shared with their musical counterparts and Arnold Schoenberg's contributions to the Almanac itself. Given my own jazz background, references to blues and early jazz also feel thematically appropriate. Finally, a "fictional synesthesia" will be created to represent the relationship between color and pitch since the work of Alexander Scriabin was also included in the almanac. Reflecting on the turbulent period during World War I and the following decade, my work will seek to comment on the similar challenges felt by artists in our current fractious age.
I. Black Spot I (Kandinsky, 1912): Allegro Barbaro - This striking early abstract work utilizes intense contrast of color, shape, and form. Pesante low reeds and brass contrast with timpani and drums in a dissonant and violent opening movement.
II. They’re Biting (Klee, 1922): Giuoco delle coppie - A playful and sparse work depicting two fisherman and two fish, this utilizes the many duets of Bartók's "Game of Pairs" as well as found percussion instruments and aleatoric techniques.
III. The Fate of the Animals (Marc/Klee, 1913/16): Elegia/Notturno - This haunting and powerful work depicts the power and brutality of nature. Damaged in a fire, Franz Marc's friend Paul Klee restored the work but left some of the canvas in its burned state. Here the stark colors of Bartók's many "night pieces" are heard with a quotation from his melancholic Notturno from Mikrokosmos.
IV. Fish Magic (Klee, 1925): Intermezzo interrotto - Another delightful work from Klee, this kaleidoscopic aquarium will use running woodwinds and resounding bells with occasional snapping jaws from muted brass. Again, found percussion and aleatory play a chaotic role.
V. Fall Silent (Kandinsky, 1924): Allegro molto - An incredibly dramatic geometric composition, Kandinsky depicts a solitary figure looking upon a hushed crowd waiting in anticipation. The frenzied energy of Bartok's finale will be present alongside the intense brass of the first movement. A "dancing out of the earth" builds to a rapturous end only to dissipate into shards of light at the last moment.