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February 2023

Saturday February 4: Waterloo Cedar Falls Symphony  "La Creation du Monde"

A really fun set for chamber orchestra with my orchestra! Getting to play by myself in the section for: 

Milhaud: La Creation du Monde

Copland: Music for Theatre

Timo Andres: Paraphrase on a Theme of Brian Eno 

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Monday, February 13: Faculty Recital 

I share the stage with my wife for the premiere of a new version of a pieced dedicated to our son by Marta Ptaszynska, "Benjamin's Lullaby," and perform solo works including:

Joseph Schwantner: Velocities

Chen Yi: Jing Marimba

Jerod Tate: Taloowa' Hiloha

Olivier Messiaen: O Sacrum Convivium 

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Saturday, February 28: UNI New Music Festival 

We are thrilled to welcome decorated composer Chen Yi to campus for our 2023 New Music Festival! I'll be performing a solo piece and some chamber music with my colleagues: 

Chen Yi: Jing Marimba

Chen Yi: Qi for Flute, Cello, Piano, Percussion

Tania Leon: De Color for Violin and Marimba

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March 2023

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Saturday, March 4: Shostakovich and Schwabe with WCF Symphony:

The UNI Symphony joins the WCF Symphony for a performance of Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony, as well the world premiere of "In My Dreams I Became a Traveler" by UNI Composer John Schwabe

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Tuesday, March 7: Outreach Concerts with WCF Symphony: 

The percussion section of the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony does two performances for elementary school students in Waterloo

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Tuesday, March 7: 8 pm: Dr. Hannah Porter Occena's Faculty Recital 

Performing Chen Yi's "Qi" for Dr. Occena's faculty flute recital

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Tuesday, March 28: Children's Concerts for the WCF Symphony

A series of concerts for  elementary school students in Waterloo presented by the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony Percussion Section. 

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April 2023

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Tuesday, April 4: Premiere of Gillingham's "Spencer Variants"

To celebrate Dr. Andrew Spencer's retirement from Central Michigan University, a number of alumni commissioned David Gillingham to write a new percussion ensemble work in his honor. We will return to CMU to give the world premiere for his final percussion ensemble concert. 

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Tuesday, April 25: Masterclass at Iowa State University

I'm looking forward to working with the Dr. Jonathan Sharp's students at ISU!

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Friday, April 29: History of African-American Music with WCF Symphony

Works by William Grant Still, Florence Price, Scott Joplin, and others. 

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May 2023

 

Friday, May 19:  World Premiere of "Nick Adams Stories" at Hemingway's Birth Home

I'm very excited to premiere Griffin Candey's new solo marimba work written for me, based on "The Nick Adams Stories" by Ernest Hemingway, at Hemingway's Birth Home in Oak Park, Illinois! The program will include readings from the stories that inspire each movement, as well as a discussion and q and a with Griffin and myself. 

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This commission was funded by a generous grant from the Iowa Arts Council. 

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Tuesday, May 23 and Wednesday, May 24: Workshop with Princeton Composers

F-PLUS starts our residency with Princeton University's composition departments, workshopping sketches by graduate student composers that will become pieces for premieres in September. 

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June 2023

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Thursday, June 29: World Premiere of Mike Conrad's New Solo Marimba Work

My colleague, Dr. Mike Conrad, and I have collaborated on a new work for solo marimba ased on the poetry of Cedar Falls native James Hearst. This world premiere performance will take place in James Hearst's home in Cedar Falls, the Hearst Center for the Arts, and will include readings of the poems that inspired the movements as well as a q and a with Mike and myself. 

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This commission was funded by a generous grant from the Iowa Arts Council. 

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September 2023

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Sunday, September 10: F-PLUS at the DiMenna Center

F-PLUS does an evening of premieres at the DiMenna Center for Music in Manhattan. The program will include: 

Emma O'Halloran: Dream On

Matthew Ricketts: Air Variations

Jessie Montgomery: Trio

Patrick Thompson: New Work 

Zach Gulaboff Davis: New Work 

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Tuesday, September 12: F-PLUS at Princeton Sound Kitchen

F-PLUS premieres new works by Princeton composers on campus, including composers Bobby Ge, Gemma Peacock, Soo Yeon Lyuh, and others! 

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