Concertino David Wilborn

David Wilborn is Assistant Professor of Music at Texas A&M University in

College Station, where he teaches the low brass studio, coordinates small
TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY
ensembles, and serves as Director of the University Campus Band. Wilborn
holds the Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Texas at Austin, the
SCHOOL OF MUSIC
Master of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music, and the Doctor of
Musical Arts degree from the University of Texas. Wilborn is the author of in the
numerous articles dealing with music education and trombone pedagogy and he
has served as a clinician at numerous educational venues. As a bass trombonist,
COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS
Wilborn has achieved positions and performed as a soloist in many ensembles.
Wilborn is also the composer of several significant works for brass, with many
AND COMMUNICATION
awards in his trombone choir literature.
Wilborn provides this commentary about Concertino: presents
I wrote this piece early in my composition career just to see if I had the ability to
write for a solo instrument with piano accompaniment. Overall, my goal was to
explore the tonal expressions of the trombone. Some of the expressions were
delivered through constant changing key areas (thus creating tension and
release) and one expressive passage is delivered in a pseudo-jazz context. I also SENIOR RECITAL
experimented with quartal and quintal harmonies throughout the piece which
resulted in dissonant chords comprised of open intervals juxtaposed by KAITLYN DOUTHIT
major/minor seconds. The piano part was created to compliment the trombone
part as well as serve as a partner in the overall effect. Overall, Concertino is a EUPHONIUM
work designed to expose rhythmic complexities contrasted by emotional
lyricism. Writing this work was an adventure in the creative process. I never
knew what was coming up in the next few measures thereby allowing me to
freely experiment.
-Biography from Edwards-instruments.com
in collaboration with
SUZANNE PAGAN, PIANO
Love Life Wim Bex
At the age of ten, Wim Bex started playing trumpet, then four years later J FLORES, EUPHONIUM
switched to trombone. During his studies at the Lemmens Institute, he
completed his training with a bass trombone. Currently he plays as a freelance
JOSHUA ARENDT, TUBA
musician for various orchestras. As a composer, Wim Bex is entirely self-taught. WILL FETTIG, TUBA
Bex provides this commentary about Vademecum:
'Vademecum' was written between October 2007 and May 2008. It was
commissioned by the Metropole Brass Band and dedicated to Geert De Vos.
The concerto is an ode to three distinct facets of the bass trombone: its dark,
harsh, and aggressive character - its lyrical, melodious, and romantic nature - _______________________
and its playful, virtuoso abilities. It can be considered a translation into music
of the shared time the composer and the soloist spent during their studies SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2016
together. Love Life is an ode to the relationship between Geert and his wife
Katrien. It also describes the energy between a man and a women when love is 6 P. M .
dawning, and how the outside world reacts to it. Some people with joy, others
with questions, but in the end love prevails.
PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
-Biography from goldenrivermusic.eu RECITAL HALL
 PROGRAM NOTES

Rhapsody for Euphonium James Curnow Rhapsody for Euphonium James Curnow
(b. 1943) James Curnow was born in Michigan where he received his initial musical
Suzanne Pagan, piano training in public school and The Salvation Army Instrumental Programs. His
formal musical training was received at Wayne State University, B.M. and at
The Destruction Akira Toda Michigan State University, M.M, where he was a euphonium student of Leonard
Falcone, and a conducting student of Dr. Harry Begian. His studies in
(b. 1951) composition and arranging were with F. Maxwell Wood, James Gibb, Jere
J Flores, euphonium Hutchinson, and Irwin Fischer. He now resides in Nicholasville, Kentucky
Joshua Arendt, tuba where he is president, composer, and educational consultant for Curnow Music
Will Fettig, tuba Press, Inc., Composer-in-residence on the faculty of Asbury College, and editor
of all music publications for The Salvation Army in Atlanta, Georgia.
Written in four sections of slow-fast-slow-fast, Rhapsody for Euphonium
Concertino David Wilborn features an excellent balance of melodic playing and technical passages. The
(b. 1961) opening cadenza leads to a melodic statement characteristic of Curnows tonal
writing. The Allegro con spirito boasts an energetic accompaniment figure
Suzanne Pagan, piano before the euphonium enters on a stately theme. There is a brief restatement of
the lyrical theme before transitioning back into the high energy tempo.
Vademecum -Biography from curnowmusicpress.com
II. Love Life Wim Bex - Note from euphonium.com

The Destruction Akira Toda

Suzanne Pagan, piano
Akira Toda was born in Aomori-prefecture, Japan. He earned his Bachelors
Butterfly Kisses Bob Carlisle Degree of Music in Euphonium Performance from Kunitachi College of Music
in 1975. That same year he began his Certificate Diploma at Tokyo National
(b. 1956) University of Fine Arts and Music. He studied euphonium with Kiyoshi Oishi
Arr. Benjamin Felts and conducting with David Howell. Toda has appeared as a noteworthy
Suzanne Pagan, piano euphonium player since he was a student. In 1978 he made his first debut as a
conductor, and he has been an active clinician, composer, arranger, and
conductor to the present.
The Destruction was composed in 2006 during the time when North Korea was
doing many missile tests. Toda stated that during this time he, felt anxiety that
nuclear war would begin, that the worst state is inevitable, and that it would no
doubt lead to earths collapse. He and others in Japan felt that actions needed to
be taken in order to avoid global destruction. Just a few days after Toda
completed this piece, North Korea launched its first nuclear missile on July 5,
2006, where it landed in the Sea of Japan.
-Biography from bravomusic.com

Presented in partial fulfillment of

requirements for the Bachelor of Music degree