Omaha Symphonic Winds Performs Premiere

An AMERICAN MUSICAL PREMIERE is coming to Omaha!

At 3:00 PM, on Sunday, October 21, 2012, OMAHA SYMPHONIC WINDS will present the American Premiere of Houston Dunleavy's concerto for viola and wind ensemble "A Kiss Before the World's End" at St. Andrew's United Methodist Church (15050 W. Maple) in Omaha, Nebraska. The violist is international soloist Brett Deubner who performed the world premiere in Melbourne last December.

Houston Dunleavy, composer of the concerto, was a visiting composer at James Madison University, The Cleveland Institute of Music, Ball State University, the University of Florida, and Georgia State University, and now is a university music instructor and composer in Melbourne, Australia.

While at American University in Washington, DC, Dunleavy was journalist Daniel Pearl's voice teacher. Houston writes, "When the news of Danny’s death came through in 2002, I, like thousands of musicians and journalists around the world, was rocked. It took me a long time to think about placing my reactions to all of this into music. At first, I wanted to write a work for violin, as Danny had been a violinist. However, when I was approached by violist Brett Deubner for a new work, I thought that a concerto for viola might have a timbral quality that could be just as exciting as the violin, but with an extra somberness that only the viola could convey."

The concerto, a juxtaposition of ethnic musical elements, begins with a keening melody on the penny whistle, while the second section of the work, played by viola, bongos, and the entire ensemble, presents constant interjections from a harsh, even barbaric set of chords which represent the intrusion of barbarism into Danny’s life. This instability of rhythm comes to an end with a lament for viola and brass chorale. Over descending chords, one can hear the piccolo’s keening and the Middle Eastern scales in the viola, bringing the work to a quiet close.

The title, "A Kiss Before the World's End," Dunleavy says, "reflects the premature end of something more than the life of a good man, as tragic as that was. Instead, it acknowledges the end of a world for those left behind as well, and the pain and loss such an end leaves in its wake." The American Premiere is a registered event of the 11^th annual Daniel Pearl World Music Days.

Brett Deubner, soloist for the American Premiere, is one of this generation’s most accomplished violists, and has inspired worldwide critical acclaim for his powerful intensity and sumptuous tone. He has performed across the United States, in nine countries on four continents. Recent performances include concerto appearances with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, the Knoxville Symphony, the Filharmonic del Quito, the New Symphony of Sofia and the Kiev Camerata in Ukraine. Brett Deubner’s commitment to extending the repertoire for the viola is made evident by collaborations with some of today’s greatest composers such as Samuel Adler, Lalo Schifrin, Andrew Rudin, David Del Tredici and several of this generation’s leading young composers. To date, over 25 viola concerti and numerous solo and chamber works for viola have been written for him.

OMAHA SYMPHONIC WINDS is a select group of adult musicians from the Omaha metropolitan area whose concerts feature outstanding original band compositions and orchestral transcriptions. The ensemble was founded in August 2009 and is a 501c3 tax-exempt public benefit corporation. OSW presents three regular season concerts yearly, and has performed at the 2010 Nebraska Music Educators Association Professional In-service Conference and the 2012 Nebraska State Bandmasters Association Convention. Most recently, OSW premiered the wind band version of Jonathan Russell’s “Double Concerto for Two Solo Bass Clarinets and Concert Band" at the 2012 International Clarinet Association ClarinetFest in Lincoln.

OMAHA SYMPHONIC WINDS is led by its founder and conductor Dr. William Hall, a former member of The United States Army Band (“Pershing’s Own”) and Director of Bands at Dana College. The fifty-five member musicians of OSW are drawn from area band directors, music teachers, retired military musicians, and area professionals.

"Presenting a new work for viola and wind ensemble to the American audience is indeed a privilege for us," said Hall. "We are so excited to collaborate with an artist like Brett Deubner, and anticipate an incredible musical experience that will not only enrich the lives of the Omaha community, but will have reverberations throughout the country. Following our performance, I expect many other ensembles to program Houston Dunleavy’s concerto." 

Admission for this important musical event is $10.00 adults, $5.00 seniors and students, and $25.00 for families of 3 or more. Tickets are available by calling 404.575.8220 or at the door. For more information go to www.omahasymphonicwinds.org.