Key

* Mark S Kelly Scholarship
# Hansen Music Fellow
^ Guest artist

A place that is yours

Nathan Stricker – horn 1
Tre Myers – horn 2
Alex Marbach - trumpet 1
Danielle Consolo – trumpet 2
Ben Sallard – trombone 1
Bill Lommel – trombone 2
Noah Laabs - tuba
Emma Zemancik, Cadence Miller, Jacob Koch, and Nick Bahr, percussion
Hannah Levinson, viola

Bladed Stance (2013)

Flute – Eunha Kim
Clarinet – Ricky Latham
Trumpet – Alex Marbach
Violin – Janice Shieh
Viola – Sujin Ki
Cello – Joshua Lyphout
Whistlers – Thomas Johnston, Matthew Reed, Joshua Burke

Smelly Tubes (2019) 

Flute – Eunha Kim
Oboe – Kathryn Swanson
Clarinet – Ricky Latham
Saxophone – Jacob Loitz
Horn – Nathan Stricker
Trumpet – Alex Marbach
Trombone – Ben Sallard
Guitar – Cadence Miller
Percussion – Jacob Koch
Violin 1 - Janice Shieh
Violin 2 - Antonia Suarez
Viola – Sujin Kim
Cello - Joshua Lyphout
Double Bass – Joey Miller

A place that is yours is a fanfare-chorale in memory of composer Steven Stucky, for brass, percussion and viola or flugelhorn soloist, commissioned by Cornell University with support from Syracuse University.

Director's note: Steven Stucky (1949-2016) was a Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and longtime member of the composition faculty at Cornell University. For many years, he was a friend and supporter of the MidAmerican Center for Contemporary Music and the Bowling Green New Music Festival, serving as its guest composer in 2009. The College of Musical Arts family still misses him terribly, and we are glad we can present this short tribute to our friend.

Smelly Tubes
The piece aims to explore the unusual sonic possibility, noise, and parodic culture of “main instrument” of each instrumentalist and “secondary instrument” (tubes) where both instruments/object are becoming a “tool” for “instrumentalist". Performers' target is to design and create the ugliest and annoying noises in order to shape them as the most beautiful of unusual color, gesture, and sonority in a creative way. Sound productions have 3 processes: 1) playing the main instrument (normal playing) 2) playing the main instrument with the attached secondary instrument (tube) 3) playing the secondary instrument All 3 sound productions give performers the opportunity to question the ideology of "instrument" and to challenge their own instrumental cultures with the idea of instrumental extension and deconstruction. The piece consists of three sections: firstly, the exploration of instrumental extension with circular movement. The performers are asking to produce the sound by their instrument with circulated gestures in which the sound direction has been disorientated. This section also creates a chaotic situation as well as a little theatrical moment of human gesture, sound, and body. The second section offers the parodic theatrical scene of instrumental culture, which is marching band-like where performers are asked to perform unorganized noises and oscillated sound/gestures in marching band situations instead of the clarity of melody, harmony, or rhythm. The final section is the destination of the total theatre where all instruments, sounds, the human body are becoming as one which expressed through the motion of tubed slapping on the stage, following by the conductor whereas, the leader of the group in orchestral culture.

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Mech Mania captures the wild, uncontrollable spirit of the A.I. race and revolution during a time where A.I. has reaching a tipping point, and the only certainty is change. The piece was commissioned by Kenneth Thompson at BGSU, with additional support by Glen Adsit, Hartt School of Music at University of Hartford, Dan Belongia, Arkansas Tech University, Scott Lubaroff, University of Central Florida, Andrew Mast, Lawrence University Conservatory of Music, and Scott Teeple, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

When we say someone has moxie, we imply that they have a surprising amount of confidence or nerve, especially for someone of their stature or age. By orchestrating an extremely simple musical line into something much bigger and bolder than itself, Moxie sets out to prove that, with enough nerve, the simple can sound complex, the small can sound mighty, and, most importantly, a whisper can actually scream. This last idea is carried out as the piece comes to a close and music distills itself to its core; even though this final texture thins out dramatically, I feel the energy is only heightened by doing so. Ultimately, the piece has the moxie to believe that sometimes the simplest move is right. Moxie was originally composed for the Curtis Symphony Orchestra in 2018.

Symphony no. 4
In late 2022, I was approached by Tom Riccobono to compose a new work for the adults who performed as part of the Interlochen College of Creative Arts, and to be premiered the following August. We discussed many ideas, mostly surrounding an exciting 5-8 minute work. At some point during the conversation, I mentioned that I really preferred digging into larger scale works. Tom also seemed excited by that concept, and before we knew it, the idea became a reality, and my Symphony No. 4 was to be born. There was just one caveat: I told Tom to be patient with me, as I wouldn’t even be able to begin working on such a piece until the summer of 2023, and would have to deliver it just a month before the premiere. Never one to back down, Tom agreed, and the project was in my hands to deliver.

Anything created for Interlochen takes on special meaning for me.

I was a camper there first at the age of 10, and then attended three years of high school, and then even two summers teaching scattered in as well. I’ve written several works for various occasions there as well. So, to put it mildly, Interlochen has been a huge part of my life.
In writing this piece, I reflected back upon my earliest memories of attending camp. I recall showing up for one of my first orchestra rehearsals, and Gliere’s “Russian Sailors Dance” being put on our stands, and then us little bunch of 10 year-olds eagerly clawing our way through this unknown music. I remember loving my trumpet part, and thinking to myself: “This piece rocks!”. I was hooked, and have never looked back.
Away from the music part, I also clearly remember showing up in my cabin, the very first day – not at all knowing anyone – and fellow camper Hank Hauke asking me if I wanted to play tennis. I quickly abandoned my parents to do the unpacking, and I ran to the courts. Again, I was hooked. Therefore, in starting this piece, I wanted to capture that excitement: that eagerness (featuring trumpets, of course), and the mystery and youthful anticipation of a new world being discovered. The first movement’s opening melody is childlike and mischievous (like I was), with an unending drive from beginning to end.
The 2nd movement shows more of the reverence that grew within me for the place I continued to return to. It uses a recurring theme, growing and growing, with sustained anticipation of something wonderful happening. It is also distinctly American sounding.
The 3rd movement scherzo is simply nothing but fun.
The 4th movement is where we return to the Gliere inspiration of my 10 year-old self. I decided to copy his idea of a Theme and Variations though mine uses an original, almost funereal theme (no metaphor intended), where each variation gets just a bit more and more exciting, until we finally “rock out”, with themes and variations all occurring simultaneously in large fashion. One thing to be noted: upon doing research AFTER I finished my work, I discovered that Gliere and I both used the same amount – 12 – of variations on our themes. It’s almost as if Interlochen is still working its magic…

Thank you so much to Tom Riccobono for joining me in this adventure. Thank you to Interlochen for assisting in its coming to fruition. And thank you ever so much to the donor – also a trumpet player! – who supporting the creation of this work, of which I am very proud.

~ Jim Stephenson; July 9, 2023