2009-03-13 Society of Composers, Inc. [recital program]

              School of Music
U N C G
Southeastern Composerʼs League
58th Annual
Composerʼs Forum
March 13, 2009
Recital Hall, School of Music
Concert I
3:00 pm
Recital Hall
Two Moods (5:00) Karen McNeely
I. Mood 1
II. Mood 2
Aaron Craven, bass
Darrelle Green, bass
Infamy… for Tuba and Audio CD (6:00) Joe L. Alexander
Joe L. Alexander, tuba
Suite No. 3 for Piano (4:00) Kenneth R. Benoit
I. Prelude
II. Invention
III. Chorale
IV. Waltz
V. Scherzo
Kenneth R. Benoit, piano
3R for Solo Cello (8:00) Mark Prince Lee
Paul Christopher, cello
Music for Cello (7:00) Gregory W. Pinney
Paul Christopher, cello
Intermission
Intermezzo (6:00) Mark Francis
Mark Francis, guitar
Seven Preludes for Piano (12:00) Peter Blauvelt
Peter Blauvelt, piano
Program Notes
Infamy . . . was realized at the Scream Studio at the University of Alabama during the fall of
1996. It uses the first line of Franklin D. Roosevelt immortal speech which ushered the United
States into World War II. All of the sounds are derived from manipulations of certain words from
the speech and sampled tuba sounds. The Sound Designer II program was primarily used to
construct the piece. The composer premiered the work in Tuscaloosa, Alabama on December 3,
1996.
Suite No. 3 for Piano is a collection of movements written as exercises in trying to create pieces
which last 60 seconds or less. The first two movements, “Prelude” and “Invention”, use the same
melodic material. “Chorale is a study in quartal harmony. The “Waltz” is there because the
composer likes waltzes. The suite ends with a “Scherzo”.
Solo # 3 for Cello is part of a larger work entitled Quintet for Winds and Strings, a work for flute,
clarinet, viola, guitar, and cello in five movements. The entire quintet opens the work in the first
movement and closes in the fifth. The inner three movements are trio, quarter, and duet
respectively. Between the five movements, each instrument has a solo whose pitch content is
derived from the previous and following movements, the solos serving as bridges connecting the
five movements. Solo # 3 for Cello is longer and structurally more elaborate than the other four
solos, and functions as the centerpiece for the entire quintet. The pitch content is ordered by
groups, which are affixed to register, tempo, duration, dynamic, and articulation.
Music for Cello “The composer feels that program notes are not necessary for this piece.
Comments on the quality of the work are welcome at ʻgwpinney@gmail.comʼ – thank you.”
Intermezzo was written in 1985. It uses an unusual scordatura tuning of e-flat on the sixth
string. Its ternary form reflects the influence of the Brahms piano pieces I was studying at the
time. Like the Brahms the middle section contrasts with the outer sections in tempo and texture.
The outer sections are exercises in free invertible counterpoint with the middle section alternating
between arpeggios and single lines.
Seven Preludes for Piano is a collection of relatively short and contrasting movements that can
each stand on their own. The movements are - by and large - more challenging musically than
technically, in contrast to the bulk of piano pieces written in a similar style. So the idea of not
making every piano piece a technical challenge was the motivation behind writing the seven
preludes.
Concert II
7:30
Recital Hall
Two Pieces for Brass Quintet (5:00) Kevin Paul
I. Air
II. Danse
The Roanoke Chamber Brass
Steve Hedrick, trumpet
Jeff Kresge, trumpet
Dawn, horn
Erik Stegall, trombone
Charles Krause, tuba
The Frog, He Fly… Almost (5:00) Roger Vogel
Ellen Ritchey, voice
Lisa Hanson Bartholow, flute
FANTABELJIN (5:00) Tayloe Harding
Clifford Leaman, alto saxophone
Sonata for Violin and Piano (15:00) Gregory Carroll
I. Dance Episodes
II. Ariosa
III. Scherzo
Fabián López, violin
Ināra Zandmane, piano
Intermission
Le Sens (10:00) Bruce Mahin
The Smith-Placilla-Turner Trio
Andrew Smith, violin
Christina Placilla, viola
JW Turner, cello
Aurora Borealis: A Green Arc Appears (7:00) Ken Davies
Two-channel audio CD
Sonata No. 1 for Alto Saxophone and Piano (15:00) Charles W. Smith
I. Moderately fast graceful
II. Very slowly
III. Very fast
Randall Allan Smith, alto saxophone
Janet Bass Smith, piano
Program Notes
The Frog, He Fly . . . Almost
What a wonderful bird the frog are--
When he stand he sit almost;
When he hop, he fly almost.
He ain't got no sense hardly;
He ain't got no tail hardly either.
When he sit, he sit on what he ain't got almost.
Anonymous
Sonata for Violin and Piano was completed in January 2008 and is dedicated to my performing
colleagues Fabian Lopez (violin) and Inara Zandmane (piano). The outer movements are rooted
in pitch material generated by the octatonic scale, giving the work a strongly Eastern European
flavor.
The first movement, Dance Episodes, is a ternary form comprised of a habanera bearing the
danceʼs defining sultry rhythm. The middle section is a tarantella. Debunked legend had it that
tarantula victims would sweat out the toxin by dancing the tarantella—a fast dance in compound
time. Arioso, with its prominent quartal and often-diatonic pitch material, is in sharp contrast to
the outer movements: it is atmospheric, colorful, and possesses a liquid-like luminescence.
Arpeggios in the piano support lyrical lines in the violin. Harmonic shifts move between shades of
light and dark, sun and clouds. The opening three-note gesture in the violin governs much of the
thematic material of the movement. The final movement, Scherzo, is compulsively driven, having
an even greater sense of urgency than the first movement. Its “serious” character is more aligned
to the scherzos of Brahms. A violin cadenza provides a moment of relief from the intense
rhythmic activity.
Le Sens (Fr. literally sense of sensitivity) refers to the preoccupation with olfactory experiences
one might find in Paris, a place where people delight in life and all things living. This piece
attempts to capture the exuberant richness of life, the multi-faceted experience one gains when
all senses are open to all that the world brings to us every day.
Aurora Borealis: A Green Arc Appears from CD Floating Galaxy (Pattisan Records)
Northern lights sometimes begin with a green glow slowly rising from the horizon before evolving
into colorful moving shapes that paint the night sky. They can range from vertical streaks
resembling rays of the sun to large zig-zag shapes like slow-motion lightning bolts. The show
eventually settles down to a calm visual cadence. The pitch material, initially structured in Finale,
includes drones and rapid melodic gestures based on pitch sets and sounds designed on a
Kurzweil K2600. The Finale file was then transferred to Digital Performer and Mach Five for
additional tweaking, spatial panning and effects.
Sonata No. 1 was written in the spring of 1989 as a birthday present for the composerʼs son,
Randall Allan Smith, who at the time was a graduate student at Indiana University—Bloomington.
Pitch materials in all three movements are based on four pitch class sets presented in the first
tem measures of the first movement. An admixture of homophonic and contrapuntal textures
provides ample opportunities for both performers to interact within a tonal framework.
Composer Biographies
Joe L. Alexanderʼs music has been performed throughout the United States, Ecuador and
Germany. Performances include recitals/presentations at conferences of the Birmingham Art
Music Alliance; the Louisiana Composersʼ Consortium; National Association of Composers, USA;
the Society of Composers, Inc.; the College Music Society; the Southeastern Composers League
and at the 2008 International Tuba Euphonium Conference. His music has been featured at
Bowling Green State Universityʼs annual New Music & Art Festival, and New Music for Young
Ensemble Composers' Competition. In 2002, the Monroe (Louisiana) Symphony Orchestra
commissioned him to compose Louisiana Blue (baritone voice, flute, piano with orchestra
accompaniment). His Two Bryant Songs (soprano, Bb clarinet and piano) are recorded on the
CD, Winds and Voices, by Living Artist Recordings. Alexander teaches Theory, Composition and
Low Brass at Louisiana Tech University. He recently served as Secretary-Treasurer for the
Southern Chapter of the College Music Society and Secretary for the Southeastern Composers
League. Currently, he is the Vice-President of the Southeastern Composers League. Alexander
holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of North Texas and studied composition
with Newel Kay Brown, Douglas Knehans, Martin Mailman, Cindy McTee, and James Riley.
Kenneth R. Benoit (b. 1952) holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Composition from
Louisiana State University, Master of Music in Music Theory/Composition from the University of
Miami, Master of Science in Library Science from Florida State University, Bachelor of Arts in
Music Education from the University of West Florida, and Associate in Arts in Music Education
from Miami-Dade College. He has completed commissions from the Louisiana Sinfonietta, LSU
New Music Ensemble, Miami Beach Community Symphony Orchestra, and Dr. Michael M. Krop
Senior High/Magnet School for the Arts. Part of Kenʼs Overture in Black and Silver, which he
wrote for the Krop commission, has been adopted as the schoolʼs Alma Mater.
Dr. Benoitʼs works have been performed throughout the U. S. and in Austria, Britain, Canada,
France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Puerto Rico, Spain, and Switzerland. He has published
articles in Encyclopedia USA and 20th Century Music. His Five Flags Suite for band has been
published by Imagine Music. Kenneth R. Benoit is a member of the Southeastern Composersʼ
League; Society of Composers, Inc.; American Music Center; and ASCAP. He is on the faculty of
Broward College in Coconut Creek, Florida. He and his wife live in Hallandale Beach, Florida.
Peter Blauvelt was born in France and grew up in Germany where he began his studies in
composition and piano. In 1975 he came to the U.S. where he studied at Harvard University in
Cambridge, AM. There he received three degrees - including a doctorate in composition - and
taught theory, composition and piano.
Since 1968 he has often given recitals - not only of his own pieces - in the U.S., France and
Germany in public and on the radio, and has received numerous prizes for both composition and
piano. Meanwhile, his pieces have also been performed in other European and North American
countries.
After leaving the Boston area for Florida in 1984, he co-founded the “Tamp Bay Composersʼ
Forum” in 1989 and served as treasurer, vice-president and president. He also founded “Creative
Arts and Tutoring Services” in 1990. To date, he has written over 135 compositions, mostly
chamber music, and has had over 100 of them performed in public. A number of compositions
are also available on CDʼs.
Gregory Carroll (Associate Professor) holds a B.A. in music from St. Johnʼs University (MN), and
an M.M. and Ph.D. in Composition/Theory from the University of Iowa. Prior to coming to UNCG
in 1981, he taught at The University of Iowa and Indiana State University. His compositions have
been performed at national and international conferences. Other performance venues include
Canada, Alaska, Europe, and Australia. He has frequently served as finalist judge for state,
regional, and national composition contests. He has published theoretical articles in state and
national journals, and is frequently sought after as a guest clinician and lecturer. Dr. Carroll
currently serves as President of the Southeastern Composers League.
A Wisconsin native, Ken Davies holds an M.A. in trombone from Middle Tennessee State
University at Murfreesboro and an M.M. in composition from the University of Colorado at Boulder
where he was an Effinger Fellowship composition student. During the 1970s, he was trombonist
with Gabrielʼs Brass, a 12-piece jazz-rock show band based in Orlando, Florida and often
appearing at Walt Disney World. He has worked as a commercial arranger and session producer
for nationally broadcast record and television projects. Since 2002, he has resided in south
Mississippi where he teaches brass, composes, and runs his publishing company, Kenvad Music.
His works include acoustic and electronic pieces that have been performed nationally at Society
of Composers national and regional conferences, Southeastern Composers League, International
Trombone Festival, and several concerts. His electronic ambient CD, Floating Galaxy, and
downloads are available at CD Baby and iTunes. His works are available from
KenDavies.net/kenvad and from Theodore Front Music Literature. Honors include ASCAP
awards and grants from National Endowment for the Arts and Mississippi Arts Commission. He
received the 2006-2007 Mississippi Performing Artist Fellowship in Composition, is currently on
the Mississippi Artist Roster and the Southern Arts Federationʼs SouthernArtistry.org artist
registry.
Mark Francis (b. 1958) has served as Director of Education and Community Outreach for The
Florida Orchestra and as Director of Education and Librarian for the Mississippi Symphony
Orchestra. He has taught at Mississippi State University, Louisiana School for Math, Science and
the Arts, Centenary College, Northwestern State University and Power Academic and Performing
Arts Complex. He holds a D.M.A. in composition from the University of Kentucky. A recipient of
10 ASCAP Standard Awards and 4 ASCAP Plus Awards for his compositions which include
chamber, orchestral, choral and electronic works as well as over 70 art songs. His compositions
are frequently performed at prestigious festivals such as the Society Of Composers, Inc. National
Meeting, Resolution 2000 New Music Festival, The Corcoran Gallery Contemporary Music Series
in Washington, DC and the North American Saxophone Association. His compositions and
arrangements are published by Conners Publications, Carillon Music from Albany Little Piper
Publications, Gold Branch Music and Imagine Music. He is a past Board Member for Composition
of College Music Society, South Chapter and past President of the Southeastern Composers
League and a frequent contributor to 21st Century Music.
Tayloe Harding is a composer and music administrator currently serving as Dean of the School
of Music at the University of South Carolina. A passionate advocate for advancing the impact of
higher education music study and experience on American communities and national society, he
is devoted to an array of organizations whose missions are consistent with this advocacy. As
President of the College Music Society from 2005-2006, he led the creation of the Engagement
and Outreach Initiative where the efforts of the music professoriate are articulated with a variety
of national constituencies, including other higher education disciplines and populations, music
businesses and industries, and general audiences all in an effort to meet common musical and
civic goals. He has been a founding member of the leadership teams for the Brevard Conference
on Music Entrepreneurship (BCOME), the Round Top Roundtable: The Next Generation of Music
Leadership in America and the independent National String Project Consortium (NSPC). As
Dean at South Carolina he has brought a bold idea to fruition: to more fully prepare tomorrowʼs
professional musicians by combining conventional professional music study with a systematic
curricular and co-curricular exploration of music advocacy, music entrepreneurship, and
community engagement in music by forming the Carolina Institute for Leadership and
Engagement in Music, the first such entity of its kind in American higher education.
Mark Prince Lee received his B.M. in composition from Florida State University, and his M.M. in
composition from Memphis State University. Dr. Lee also holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in German
from Vanderbilt University. Dr. Lee did post graduate study in composition for two summers at the
Ferienkurse in Darmstadt, Germany where he studied with Brian Ferneyhough, Michael
Finnissey, and attended the master classes of John Cage. Dr. Lee was also a participant in the
composition and analysis seminars given by Karlheinz Stockhausen in the summers of 2002,
2003, and 2004, in Kürten, Germany (near Köln). Dr. Leeʼs works for a wide variety of acoustic
and electronic media have been performed throughout the eastern half of the U.S. including
performances in Miami, New Orleans, Atlanta, Washington D.C., New York City, and Toronto. In
Europe his works have been performed in Amsterdam, London, Paris, Vienna, and throughout
Germany. Most recently his music was performed in the summer of 2005 in Morelia, Michoacán,
Mexico, and site of the first music conservatory established in the Western Hemisphere. In July of
2007 premiere performances of his works were given at the Universidad Complutense, the largest
university in Madrid, and at the Akademie der Künste in Berlin. Dr. Lee is Associate Professor of
Music and German at Columbia State College (near Nashville, Tennessee), where he teaches
Theory, Composition, Piano, German Literature, directs the Student Performance Ensemble, and
serves as the Music Department Chair.
Bruce P. Mahin is a Professor of Music and Director of the Radford University Center for Music
Technology. He received the B.Mus from West Virginia University, M.Mus from Northwestern
University and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Peabody Conservatory of The Johns
Hopkins University. Mahin is a former president of the Southeastern Composers League, a
former co-chair of Society of Composers Region 3, a former research fellow at the University of
Glasgow (Scotland), and the recipient of awards from the Virginia Commission for the Arts, Meet
the Composer, Annapolis Fine Arts Foundation, Res Musica, Southeastern Composers League
and others. His works are available on compact disc through Capstone Recordings (CPS-8747,
CPS-8624 and CPS-8611) and published in score by Pioneer Percussion, Ltd, and in the Society
of Composers Journal of Musical Scores.
Karen McNeely is an active composer, arranger, and performer, currently residing in Winston-
Salem, North Carolina. She was recently awarded a grant from the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for
the Arts to compose a new work for the Women and the Arts Exhibition (April 2007), and was also
invited to arrange Fauréʼs Cantique de Jean Racine for the Wake Forest University Clarinet
Ensemble (premiere: spring 2009). Ms. McNeely received the Master and Bachelor of Music
Theory & Composition and a Spanish Minor from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. She
initiated and organized the first “New Music Concerts” at UT in 2004, which helped to showcase
new works by mainly student composers and help bring exposure to the composition studio at
UT. These concerts continue successfully today. Receiving a School of Music Graduate
Teaching Assistantship at UT, Ms. McNeely taught music theory courses for two years,
performed with the UT Symphony Orchestra and UT Horn Ensemble, Concert Choir & Womenʼs
Ensemble, was the audio technician for the UT Singers, was an on-air host for Knoxvilleʼs
classical music/NPR station (WUOT 91.9 FM), and interned with the Buffalo Philharmonic
Orchestra in 2001. She also helped found two professional woodwind quintet ensembles:
Southerly Winds (Knoxville, TN) and West End Winds (Winston-Salem, NC). Ms. McNeely is
currently the Operations Manager for the Winston-Salem Childrenʼs Chorus.
R. Kevin Paul earned his B.M. degree in Education from Radford University in 1993 where he
conducted several university ensembles and performed as a trumpeter in most, including a
nominated undergraduate honors recital.
Mr. Paul earned the first M.M. degree in Conducting Performance from Virginia Commonwealth
University in 1996 where he served as Director of the University Band and Pep Band, graduate
teaching assistant for the Wind Ensemble, interim graduate teaching assistant for the Choral Arts
Society, and principal trumpet of the VCU Symphony & Opera Orchestras.
Mr. Paul served the Richmond, Va. community as a trumpeter in several brass quintets and was
Principal Trumpet of the Richmond Philharmonic, Assistant Principal Trumpet of the Richmond
Symphonic Winds, and trumpeter with the Petersburg Symphony and other chamber ensembles.
He founded the Richmond Brass Consort, Richmondʼs only large brass & percussion ensemble,
and was its Conductor/Music Director until he left Richmond in 2000.
Since 1989, Kevin Paul has been teaching music to students at all levels, from elementary to
graduate school, both publicly and privately. He was the trumpet instructor for the RU Community
Arts School and the VCU Community School for the Performing Arts. Mr. Paul has also served as
a middle school Band Director in the Virginia Public School and has conducted several high
school and middle school bands and has adjudicated many festivals, competitions, and auditions.
He has composed works for Concert Band and Brass Ensemble, and has arranged over 65 works
for Brass Ensemble.
Gregory W. Pinney, born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida, has music degrees from Florida
State University (with Roy Johnson) and The University of Alabama (with Fred Goossen/Marvin
Johnson). While pursuing his PhD in NYC he became a founding member of the composersʼ
collective Friends and Enemies of New Music, through which many NYC premiers were
performed. The group is still thriving to date, and its Board of Advisors includes David del Tredici,
Charles Dodge, and Thea Musgrave, among others. In 1992 he received a Meet the Composer
grant which allowed him to address an audience on the topic of the ʻdramaʼ in his music prior to a
premier his Piano Studies 2A & 2B performed by Christopher Oldfather. He now works and
resides in his home town.
Charles W. Smith, Professor Emeritus at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green,
received the B.M., cum laude, from the University of Wyoming, the M.A. from New York
University, and the D.M.A. from Peabody College, with postgraduate study at the Eastman School
of Music. His teaching career included ten years in public school instrumental/choral music and
thirty-four years at the college level, primarily in theory, composition, and woodwinds. He was
also active as author, conductor, editor, and professional flutist. His compositions, of which many
are published, have brought him consecutive ASCAP awards since 1995 for performances at
home and abroad. Since 2003 Charles has been Composer-in-Residence for the Bowling Green
Chamber Orchestra.
Roger C. Vogel was born on July 6, 1947 in Cleveland, Ohio and received his Ph.D. in Music
Theory and Composition from the Ohio State University in 1975. He is currently Professor of
Music at the University of Georgia. Since he joined the faculty in 1976 he has written and
published over 100 works. His compositions have won prizes in national contests and have been
performed at conventions and festivals throughout the United States, Europe, and South America.
Performer Biographies
Lisa Hanson Bartholow is flute instructor at Georgia College & State University, Clayton State
University, and Toccoa Falls College. She has played flute, piccolo, and baroque flute with
classical and popular ensembles in St. Louis, Chicago, and Atlanta, and other cities. She has
performed as a guest artist with the Chester String Quartet, is a member of the Peachtree
Consort and Peachtree Symphonic Winds, and maintains a private flute studio. She earned her
Bachelor of Music at the St. Louis Conservatory of Music, and her Master of Music at DePaul
University.
Dawn Chernault (Roanoke Chamber Brass), Horn, graduated from VA Tech with a Bachelor of
Arts in Music Education. After her first year of teaching she moved to the beautiful Roanoke
Valley to teach in the Roanoke County Schools. She is currently the Band Director at William Byrd
Middle School. In addition to playing in Roanoke Chamber Brass, Dawn also plays as a freelance
musician and has performed with the Roanoke and Lynchburg Symphony Orchestras, Opera
Roanoke, Opera on the James, New River Valley Symphony, and the Shenandoah Symphony.
Paul Christopher, Assistant Professor of Music Theory and Low Strings, received his Bachelor
of Music Education from the New England Conservatory of Music and his Master of Music in
Cello Performance from the University of Memphis. Currently Mr. Christopher is Principal Cello of
the Longview Symphony Orchestra. In the summers he performs as Assistant Principal Cello with
the Peter Britt Festival Orchestra in Jacksonville, Oregon. Mr. Christopher has appeared as
soloist with orchestras in Colorado, Indiana, Louisiana, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas. He has
also performed guest artist recitals in Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee and Texas. Mr.
Christopherʼs articles have been published in the Jacques Offenbach Society Newsletter, Strings
and American String Teacher, the latter, a peer-reviewed journal. He has given presentations at
the 2003, 2004 and 2007 Louisiana Music Teacher Association conventions and serves as Chair
of the String Committee. In August 2007 Mr. Christopher was recognized as a Nationally Certified
Teacher of Music in Cello by the Music Teachers National Association. Mr. Christopher has
appeared on numerous recordings as a member of the Nashville String Machine with artists such
as Faith Hill, Ricky Skaggs, Bruce Springsteen and George Strait. He has also recorded three
CDs devoted to the cello duos of Jacques Offenbach on the Human Metronome label.
Born in Indiana, Pennsylvania, Aaron Craven graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania
summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree in music education K-12 with an emphasis in string
bass performance and a minor in piano performance. While at IUP, Aaron studied double bass
with Jeff Mangone. Aaron graduated summa cum laude from the University of Tennessee with a
master's degree in double bass / electric bass performance, studying primarily with Harold
(Rusty) Holloway, who has been a featured bass player with leading U.S. jazz artists including
Woody Herman, Dizzy Gillespie, and Stan Getz. Currently Aaron is the Director of Orchestras at
Forsyth Country Day School. Aaron has performed with the Symphony of the Mountains in
Kingsport, Tennessee, the Knoxville Opera, and was assistant principal bass of the Johnstown
Symphony Orchestra in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Aaron currently performs with the Western
Piedmont Symphony and around the Triad with the Brent Davis Quartet.
Darrelle Green is a native of Greensboro and started playing bass at the age of 13. Through
playing the bass she found a passion for music, she attended UNC School of the Arts High
School and College. There she studied with Paul Sharpe and Lynn Peters. Currently Darrelle is a
member of the Western Piedmont Symphony in Hickory, NC and an active freelance musician in
the Triad area
Steve Hedrick (Roanoke Chamber Brass), Trumpet, received his Master of Music Education
Degree from the University of South Carolina, and Bachelorʼs Degree in Music with a
Performance Certificate from Elon University. He is a member of the Shenandoah Symphony
Orchestra and has performed with the South Carolina Philharmonic Orchestra, Columbia Lyric
Opera, Charleston (SC) Symphony, Roanoke Symphony, Opera Roanoke, and Lynchburg
Symphony. Steve was a band director for eleven years and has recently published two volumes
of the Band Fundamentals Book. He currently teaches music at The Bandroom Studios in
Roanoke and is adjunct professor of trumpet at Roanoke College.
Charles Krause (Roanoke Chamber Brass), Tuba, received his Bachelor of Music Education
degree from Virginia Commonwealth University with an emphasis in piano and tuba. He then
taught public school music for the Richmond City Schools. In 1971 he moved to Roanoke and
was the manager of Boykinʼs Music Shop. In 1977 he received his Master of Church Music
degree from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He was the first
graduate of the school to serve in a full-time capacity as director of a church orchestra and was
also the first graduate to complete 25 years as a Minister of Instrumental Music in a church. For
the past three years he has served Grandin Court Baptist Church as their Minister of Discipleship
and Senior Adults. He was the principal tubist with the Roanoke Symphony for 36 years.
Jeff Kresge (Roanoke Chamber Brass), Trumpet, received his Master of Music in Trumpet
Performance from Boston Conservatory and Bachelorʼs Degree in Music Education from SUNY at
Fredonia. He is currently a member of the Roanoke and Shenandoah Symphony Orchestras and
has performed with the Lynchburg and Charleston (WV) Orchestras as well as Opera Roanoke.
Jeff also enjoys freelance work throughout southwestern Virginia and is currently adjunct
professor of trumpet at Hollins University.
Critics have hailed Clifford Leaman “an artist of the first order…intuitive, exciting, and
enthralling." (Paul Wagner, The Saxophone Journal) Leaman reveals himself to be “an artist of
technical brilliance and emotional commitment.” “The range of colors is impressive...” (Jack
Sullivan, American Record Guide). Professor of saxophone at the University of South Carolina,
Dr. Leaman is in great demand as a soloist and clinician and has performed and taught
throughout the United States, Canada, Italy, Spain and China, where he was a featured guest
artist for the 2004, 2005 and 2006 Yantai International Winds Art Festival and the 2005 Xiʼan
International Arts Festival. In collaboration with pianist Derek Parsons, Dr. Leaman formed the
Ambassador Duo in 1990; together, they have released three critically acclaimed compact discs
on the Equilibrium label entitled Brillance (EQ-21), featuring the works of Bassett, Bolcom,
Lennon, Kilstofte, and Gotkovsky, and Excursions (EQ-55), featuring works of Heiden, Maurice,
Whitney, Schumann, Rachmaninoff, Vaughan Williams, and Demersseman; and their most recent
disc, Illuminations (EQ-77. He is also featured on a variety of recordings of solo and chamber
works for Redwood Records, CRS, and the University of Arizona Recordings as well as with The
RoseWind duo with percussionist Scott Herring. An avid supporter of contemporary music, Dr.
Leaman has commissioned and given the world premiere performances of numerous works,
including chamber pieces by Reginald Bain, John Fitz Rogers and Tayloe Harding, as well as in
concertos by Pulitzer Prize-winning composers, Leslie Bassett and Michael Colgrass. His
recording of the Bassett with the University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra is available through
Equilibrium Records (EQ-63). Dr. Leaman is an artist-clinician for the Conn-Selmer Company,
Inc. and performs exclusively on Selmer saxophones.
Fabián López, Assistant Professor of Violin, is a native of Málaga, Spain. He started playing
violin at the age of eleven. Upon graduation from the Conservatorio Superior de Música de
Málaga, he received a scholarship from the Hispanic-American Joint Commitee/Fullbright
Commission, to study further at Colgate University. This was the beginning of an ongoing process
that has lasted for ten years. His principal teachers have been: Nicolae Duca, Laura Klugherz,
Kevork Mardirossian, and Camilla Wicks.Fabián has appeared as soloist with orchestras such as:
Royal Symphony Orchestra of Seville, Orquesta Ciudad de Córdoba, Chamber Orchestra of
Andalucía, Orquesta Filarmónia de Málaga, Orquesta Ciudad de Almeria, “Manuel de Falla”
Chamber Orchestra, etc. In the pedagogical terrain, Fabián has given courses and master
classes for the Youth Orchestra of Andalucía (O.J.A.), and in Granada, Adra, Cartagena, West
Virginia University, Mercer University, Louisiana State University, and Hebert Springs. As a jury
member he has been in the I International Violin Competition “Violines por la Paz”, in Jaen,
Auditions for Violin Professors in Spanish National Conservatories, and The Concerto
Competition of the Superior Conservatory of Music of Granada. Fabián taught at the Royal
Conservatory of Music “Manuel de Falla” of Cádiz, Spain (1999-2004). During his studies at the
San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Fabián had the opportunity of playing a concert with the
Guarnerius del Gesu that belonged to J. Heifetz. He is the lucky owner of a violin by Ioan
Guillami, 1726, which is called “little strad” among friends. He graduated from Baylor University
(M.M.), studying with Bruce Berg, and from The University of Michigan (D.M.A.), studying with
Andrew Jennings. He is happily married and lives with his wife, Sinthia Pérez, a terrific harpist,
and his dog Max.
Ellen Ritchey, soprano, joined the faculty of the School of Music at The University of Georgia as
an Instructor of Music Therapy in 2004. She holds Masters degrees in Music and Music Therapy
from Southern Methodist University and received the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in vocal
performance from The University of Georgia. She frequently performs as a guest soloist with
university and civic performing organizations in Athens, Georgia.
The Roanoke Chamber Brass quintet has been part of the arts culture in southwestern Virginia
since the dawn of the new millennium. Its members are established educators as well as
musicians. Roanoke Chamber Brass is the quintet-in-residence at Hollins University and also
performs frequently in various church programs. They have accompanied the Salem Choral
Society and appear yearly at the Drum Corps International Competition in Salem, Virginia, to
open the festivities. Since its inception in 2000, the Roanoke Chamber Brass has solidified its
reputation as one of southwestern Virginiaʼs finest chamber ensembles. They are performing R.
Kevin Paul's Two Pieces for Brass: Air & Danse
Janet Bass Smith holds the D.M.A. from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Conservatory of
Music, the M.M. from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, and the B.M., summa cum
laude, from the University of Wyoming. She has also done advanced study at the Juilliard School
of Music and the Eastman School of Music. She has been on the faculty of four universities,
teaching piano and music theory, and currently maintains an independent piano studio in Bowling
Green, Kentucky. Dr. Smith performed as a solo pianist and accompanied her husband, Charles,
a flutist, when they toured the United States and Europe in 1998. In 2003 she performed a
Mozart concerto with an orchestra in St. Petersburg, Russia. She is a church organist, an
amateur cellist, an avid caver, and a prize-winning oil painter and poet. For the past sixteen
summers she has been a seasonal park ranger at Mammoth Cave National Park where she
guides all of the cave tours, including the six-hour wild cave tour.
Randall A. Smith has been Professor of Saxophone and Music Theory at Truman State
University, Kirksville, Missouri, since 1987. Prior to that, he taught instrumental music at Three
Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. He received the B.M. and B.M.E., magna
cum laude, from Southeast Missouri State University, and the M.M. and D.M. from Indiana
University. While at I.U. he was winner of the Saxophone Concerto Competition, an Associate
Instructor of Saxophone, and a member of the Indiana Saxophone Quartet. Dr. Smith has
performed throughout the Midwest, Puerto Rico, and Europe. In 2003 he premiered two
saxophone compositions, dedicated to him, at the 13th World Saxophone Congress in
Minneapolis. In 2003 he was Visiting Professor of Saxophone at the Universidad de Costa Rica.
At the 14th World Saxophone Congress (2006) in Ljubljana, Slovenia, he premiered a composition
for alto saxophone and band that he had commissioned of Eric Ewazen. He also performed the
piece with the composer at the piano at the Juilliard School of Music. In May 2008 Dr. Smith
served as Visiting Professor of Saxophone at the Musical College in Rivne, Ukraine, and
performed/conducted a master class at the conservatory of Music in Lviv, Ukraine.
The Smith-Placilla-Turner Trio. Andrew Smith, Christina Placilla, and JW Turner first came
together through their shared commitment to new music, to perform Le Sens by Bruce Mahin in
2008. Smith was formerly a colleague of Placillaʼs at the Hart School in Connecticut, while Turner
and Placilla are currently colleagues at Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina. Thus,
their performances reflect not only their zeal for discovering and presenting powerful modern
masterpieces, but also the warmth of old and new friendships. When they are not performing
together, Smith, originally a founding member of the Rubicon Ensemble, currently performs with
the Castillon Trio and teaches at Valapariso University in Connecticut. Placilla performs with the
Ensemble Argos, conducts the orchestra and serves as coordinator of string studies at Winston-
Salem Sate. Finally, Turner performs annual installments of his “Meditations” recital series,
directs the New Music Revelations concert series featuring WSSU faculty, and serves as
coordinator of music theory at Winston-Salem State.
Erik Stegall (Roanoke Chamber Brass), Trombone, is an alumnus of Elon University. He
served as a tenor and bass trombonist in the United States Navy Band performing a variety of
musical genres. Some highlights of his 20 years as a professional trombonist are performing with
Joe Williams, Clark Terry, Joe Henderson, J.J. Johnson, Slide Hampton, Art Farmer, John
Fedchock, Phil Woods, Percy Sledge, The Impressions, Jerry Butler, Eddie Floyd, Archie Bell,
North Carolina Jazz Repertory Orchestra, Jay Thomas Big Band, Roanoke Symphony and Opera
Roanoke. As an active freelance trombonist, he appeared on “Good Morning America” with Percy
Sledge on the morning of his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with a
performance at Lincoln Center in 2005.
Born in the capital of Latvia, Riga, Ināra Zandmane started to play piano at the age of six. Dr.
Zandmane holds BM and MM from Latvian Academy of Music, MM in piano performance from
Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, and DMA in piano performance from the University of
Missouri at Kansas City. She has been the staff accompanist at the University of North Carolina
at Greensboro since 2003, performing up to fifty recitals per year. Ms. Zandmane is frequently
invited to serve as an official accompanist at national competitions and conferences, among them
the North American Saxophone Alliance conference and the MTNA National competition since
2004. Ms. Zandmane has been presented in solo recitals in St. Paul, Kansas City, Cleveland, St.
Louis, and New York, as well as in many Republics of former Soviet Union. In April 2000, she was
invited to perform at the Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto. Inara Zandmane has appeared as a
soloist with the Latvian National Orchestra, Liepaja Symphony, Latvian Academy of Music
Student Orchestra, SIU Symphony, and UMKC Conservatory Symphony and Chamber
orchestras. She has performed with various chamber ensembles at the International Chamber
Music Festivals in Riga, Vilnius, Tallinn, Helsinki (Finland), and Norrtelje (Sweden). Ms.
Zandmane has collaborated with such musicians as Martin Storey, Paul Coletti, Branford
Marsalis, Michel Debost, Kelly Burke, Steven Stusek, and Susan Fancher. For a few last years,
Inara Zandmane has worked together with Latvian composer Peteris Vasks. She has given
Latvian premieres of his two latest piano pieces, Landscapes of the Burnt-out Earth and The
Spring Music, and recorded the first of them on the Conifer Classics label. Solo recordings
include the piano works by Maurice Ravel, recorded together with her husband, Vincent van
Gelder, and the complete Sonatas for piano by Alexander Scriabin. She also can be heard on
various chamber music CDs.