I've had some exciting times the last couple of months:
The Gulf Coast Symphony performed my Quiet Heroes, with my pal Wilford Brimley, narrating. From there, Tish and I went to Youngstown, Ohio where the Youngstown Symphony, Maestro Randall Fleischer, brought Travels in Time for Three into the world, featuring the group Time for Three, with Zachary DePue and Nicolas Kendall on violins and Ranaan Meyer on doublebass. "ClevelandClassical" reviewed the piece, writing:
On Saturday evening (March 20), Youngstown was privileged to host the world premiere of Christopher Brubeck’s Travels in Time for Three, a concerto for two violins, string bass and orchestra composed at the suggestion of Youngstown Symphony music director Randall Craig Fleischer. The work was written for the amazing Time For Three trio who were the featured soloists. The trio (Nicolas Kendall and Zachary DePue, violins and Ranaan Meyer, double bass) has virtuosic technique, sensitive musicianship, and a versatile knowledge of multiple styles of music, all of which came into play in the concerto.
Travels in Time for Three evolved from jam sessions with the performers and composer. Starting with a pert, short melodic idea, the group evidently improvised in various musical languages all the while giving the composer not only compositional ideas, but also a feel for the interests and capabilities of the trio. As a result we heard some very expressive bowed bass solos from Meyer, some rapid bluegrass interpolations from DePue, and some pyrotechnics from Kendall all woven into an intricate, dynamic musical fibre.
The first movement, “Thematic Ride,” started with a jazzy presentation of the tune and ended in a Baroque-style language. Each of the soloists was featured at some point amid tricky unison rhythms, pizzicato sections, and dialogue with the orchestra. The second movement, “Irish Folk, Odd Times,” opened with a slow, sustained introduction by the trio, and then moved into a rollicking Celtic sound (frame drum and bass) with irregular or changing meters. DePue overlaid a fiddling line which took the music on a different turn.
Slow, sustained strings started the third movement, “Suspended Bliss,” accompanying an expressive bass solo. A romantic-style violin duet soared over the orchestra’s slow-moving chords, which, at times, were a bit heavy for the soloists. The final movement, “Clouseau’s Mardi Gras, Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler,” started with Kendall in a moderate tempo answered by DePue. A pizzicato solo by Meyer picked up the tempo and turned the movement into a lively, New Orleans beat with full orchestral accompaniment. Above this, the violins tossed Baroque passages back and forth, then joined together in a dazzling virtuosic display. The work built to a climax of brilliance, much like a large fireworks display.
The enthusiastic Youngstown audience gave performers and composer a memorable round of applause with a spontaneous standing ovation, cheers, and whistles. The audience was rewarded by an encore by the trio, Philly Funk, and was even more delighted when Brubeck walked on stage with his trombone in the middle of the encore and joined them.
The day after Travels premiered, we went to Philadelphia for the Temple University Orchestra's performance of Ansel Adams: America at the Kimmel Center. It was a fantastic performance, and I was honored when Dean Robert Stroker gave me awarded me, and my dad in absentia, The Boyer College Inspiration Award for myself and on behalf of my Dad. Temple University repeated their excellent performance a few weeks later at Lincoln Center. The New York performance was the first time that Dave and Iola were able to see Ansel Adams: America, and they were thrilled! May 1st was the last performance of Ansel Adams: America by a commissioning orchestra, and I flew down to Abilene, Texas to be part of it. The concert was terrific, with the 2100 seat auditorium sold out to an enthusiastic audience. The community of Abilene really came together to support the Symphony and the Grace Museum had arranged to have an exhibit of rare Ansel Adams photos on display. These particular photos are only allowed to be on exhibit once every four years due to their sensitivity to light and humidity. It was a fantastic time. Several other orchestras have booked Ansel Adams for next season. We'll post these dates on my Calendar page, so check back!
I was also very honored that the International Trombone Association Journal published a 10-page profile on me and my contributions to the trombone repertoire and community. I wish I could link to that Journal article, but you have to be a member of the ITA to read it online. I'll have to see if there's a way I can scan it and include it here.
I've got some other interesting projects coming up, including a commission to write a new trumpet concerto for my friend Jan Hasenohrl with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra. That piece, which I'm tentatively calling "The Trumpet Extravaganza" will be in 3 movements, one movement Jan will play piccolo, one movement he will play flugelhorn and the other movement he will play trumpet. He's got some serious chops, I can tell you! The piece will premiere in Prague on December 15th.
I'll keep you posted. Meanwhile, hope you're all enjoying this beautiful Spring!