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 11th 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.
