Jenni Brandon will be in residency at Middle Tennessee State University School of Music November 14-16, 2023 to give workshops and talks about her career as a composer and conductor, as well as offer music business students workshops on the business of music as well as commissioning and contracts.
She’ll also work with the MTSU Wind Ensemble as they prepare her work Double Concerto for Oboe and Bassoon with Wind Symphony for performance on Thursday, November 16th, 2023. Conducted by Dr. Reed Thomas, this ensemble is the premier performing ensemble for wind, brass, and percussion students at the university. The Wind Ensemble is recognized as one of the outstanding university ensembles in the country and abroad having performed on concert tours of South Korea, China, Costa Rica, and Panama.
DETAILS:
Double Concerto for Oboe and Bassoon with Wind Symphony performed by the Middle Tennessee State University Wind Ensemble
Dr. Reed Thomas – Conductor, Director of Bands
Keith Sorrels – Oboe
Mingyuan Myles Yang – Bassoon
Thursday, November 16, 2023
7:30 pm Central
WMB 174, WMB HINTON MUSIC HALL
ABOUT THE WORK:
This piece tells the story of our Galaxy, of the great unknown and what lies beyond, and where we belong within this vastness of space. The soloists and the ensemble paint a picture of this great mystery of the universe, taking us on a journey through the Spiral Galaxy, the Milky Way, and onto our own arm in the galaxy, the Orion Spur, where we dance the waltz of the Blue Planet. Being pulled toward the Supermassive Black hole, the djembe lends a rhythmic background of mystery to this journey. The bassoon, then joined by the solo oboe, begins to tell us a story of Dark Matter, “…an elementary particle that pervades the universe.” We then travel to the place where stars are born in “The Orion Nebula,” quoting Carl Sagen from his book Cosmos that, “we are made of star-stuff.” Finally, we begin to leave the orion nebula to continue our journey again through the spiral galaxy, exploring the vastness of space as thematic material returns to carry us on this ever-continuing journey of exploration.
It was an honor to write this work for Scott Pool and to have him premiere it with Rogene Russell on oboe and the University of Texas at Arlington Wind Symphony under the direction of Doug Stotter in February 2013. It is a thrill to have the European premiere of this work given by the Banda Simfònica Municipal de Madrid under the direction of Rafael Sanz–Espert with Víctor M. Ánchel, oboe and Enrique Abargues, bassoon.
This work is in one movement and is approximately 18 minutes.
I. The Spiral Galaxy
II. Travelling through the Milky Way
III. The Orion Spur: The Blue Planet Waltz
IV. Supermassive Black Hole: Falling into the abyss…
V. Dark Matter: “…an elementary particle that pervades the universe
VI. The Orion Nebula: “We are made of star-stuff.”
…Flying through the Spiral Galaxy
Version for Oboe, Bassoon, piano, and optional percussion also available