Friday December 5, 2025
Williams Center for the Arts
8:00 pm
Program
Vesuvius (1999)
Frank Ticheli (b. 1958)
Mt. Vesuvius, the volcano that destroyed Pompeii in A.D. 79, is an icon of power and energy in this work. Originally I had in mind a wild and passionate dance such as might have been performed at an ancient Roman bacchanalia. During the compositional process, I began to envision something more explosive and fiery. With its driving rhythms, exotic modes, and quotations from the Dies Irae from the medieval Requiem Mass, it became evident that the bacchanalia I was writing could represent a dance from the final days of the doomed city of Pompeii.
Notes by the composer.
Only Light (2021)
Aaron Perrine (b. 1979)
Soloists:
Nolan Sirgany, trombone
The melodic material for Only Light originally came from Beneath a Canvas of Green, a recently composed large-scale work of mine written for wind ensemble. At the time, I was not quite comfortable with how this music fit within the larger work (it passed by much too quickly), and I knew it was something I would eventually like to revisit.
In the fall of 2012, one of my best friend’s mother lost her battle with cancer. A year later, while thinking of ideas for what was eventually to be Only Light, I found myself thinking of him and his family quite often. At about this same time, I was on social media late one night — procrastinating rather than composing — and discovered a post written by another friend, written in reference to his wife. Here is an excerpt:
A timeline. Oh, the dark places I’ve dwelt this morning. The “hows,” “what ifs,” and “whys” pouring over me. But, I digress. There is no timeline at this time. There is only, “we aren’t done with you yet.” There is, “we’ve got more things to try.” There is, in a word, hope. I need me some of that. Toni has pointed out that there are times that I can find the dark cloud behind any silver lining. (Had you only known me before I met you, young lady. Now that Tim could really find darkness where there was only light.) The medical team is set to battle on.
In an instant, I was reminded of how delicate life is and how things can change at a moment’s notice. Reflecting upon these events inspired me to expand upon and ultimately finish this previously composed music. Only Light is meant to convey a sense of hope and healing.
Notes by the composer.
Deciduous (2023)
Viet Cuong (b. 1990)
Soloists:
The Percussion Section
For a long time after my father passed away, I felt like I had “lost my leaves.” In the way that leaves harness light to create energy for trees and plants, I felt like I had so little left to harness creatively. Many days I feared those leaves would never grow back. After struggling for months to write, I finally found some healing while creating Deciduous. This involved revisiting chord progressions that brought me solace as a child and activating them in textures that I have enjoyed exploring as an adult. The piece cycles through these chord progressions, building to a moment where it’s stripped of everything and must find a way to renew itself. While I continue to struggle with this loss, I have come to understand that healing is not as much of a linear process as it is a cyclical journey, where, without fail, every leafless winter is following by a spring.
Thank you to the Florida Bandmasters Association for commissioning Deciduous in 2023.
Notes by the composer.
–Intermission–
Suite no. 1 in E-flat (1936)
Gustav Holst (1874 – 1934)
I. Chaconne
II. Intermezzo
III. March
Soloists:
Andrew Bauer, Euphonium
Corey Stein, trumpet
Andrew Manni, saxophone
Will Hoelzel, bass drum
The First Suite in E-flat is generally considered to be the first masterpiece in the wind ensemble repertoire. Composed in 1909 (but not performed until 1920), the work was scored so that it could accommodate the variety of instrumental combinations that made British military bands. Its clever orchestration, however, helped standardize the core instrumentation of the modern wind ensemble, and was so efficient and effective that Frederick Fennell (himself the father of the modern wind ensemble) remarked that Holst must have had prior experience with the medium. Holst was indeed a formidable trombonist, but there are no extant works in his catalog which indicate prior experimentation with the military band.
The work itself is in three movements and shares stylistic similarities with other great British works for bands, such as Grainger’s Lincolnshire Posy or Vaughn Williams’s Sea Songs. Notably, the melodies used (particularly the opening chaconne which is thought to have been derived from the Agincourt Song of 1415) present the pastoral qualities of English folksong combined with the pomp and circumstance one might associate with the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. In each of the final two movements, two contrasting themes are introduced separately and later presented simultaneously; while in the first movement, a chaconne, the melody introduced by the low brass (and present in various guises throughout the movement) is decorated with a variety of different variation techniques.
Notes by Kirk O’Riordan
D’un matin du printemps (1918)
Lili Boulanger (1893 – 1918)
transcribed by Henri Braincard
Soloists:
Andrew Manni, saxophone
Corey Stein, trumpet
It was in her final winter days, in 1917-1918, that Lili Boulanger imagined a piece, brimming with life, for violin, cello and piano. This bouncy morning reminder, contemplating soft spring sunshine, was performed for the first time in February 1919 at the Societe Nationale de Musique. This posthumous act was sister Nadia’s initiative (1887-1979) who herself played the piano part. The little sister of the “Boulangerie” would live decades perpetuating her sister’s memory via the transmission of legacies of this older sibling who died much too soon, and worked throughout her lifetime scrupulously on the publication of different versions of D’un Matin de Printemps.
The piece presents a traditional A-B-A format with an obstinate rhythm, using an energetic theme notes as gay and light, followed by a mysterious episode in which we see the sun piercing through, blazing and happy, then concluding with a triumphal return of the first episode. Looking with a close eye shows a great deal of subtleties and rich harmonies in this miniature, astounding for the work of a young 24-year-old woman. Her older sister Nadia championed this work and eventually worked an orchestration for symphonic orchestra in the final days of Lili’s short life. However, this orchestral version was not published until 1993.
In 2008 François Branciard, while studying with Denis Cohen at the Paris conservatory, took up a proposal directed at Denis’s students to write orchestrations for French piano and chamber music. Branciard imagined a brilliant and luminous version of Lili’s work. It was a work perfectly in line with the great transcriptions of the French school. His orchestration is tailored with great finesse and draws inspiration from the sparkling colors of the Fetes or de la Mer from Claude Debussy, showcasing the woodwind and saxophone parts in this whirling sound of the reveille.
Notes by Jeff Girard
Danzón No. 2 (1994)
Arturo Márquez (b. 1950)
transcribed by Oliver Nickel
Soloists:
Corey Stein and Kaylee Williams, trumpet
Jamie Lin, piccolo
Samuel Owens, piano
The idea of writing the Danzón No. 2 originated in 1993 during a trip to Malinalco with the painter Andrés Fonseca and the dancer Irene Martínez, both of whom are experts in salon dances with a special passion for the danzón, which they were able to transmit to me from the beginning, and also during later trips to Veracruz and visits to the Colonia Salon in Mexico City. From these experiences onward, I started to learn the danzón’s rhythms, its form, its melodic outline, and to listen to the old recordings by Acerina and his Danzonera Orchestra. I was fascinated and I started to understand that the apparent lightness of the danzón is only like a visiting card for a type of music full of sensuality and qualitative seriousness, a genre which old Mexican people continue to dance with a touch of nostalgia and a jubilant escape towards their own emotional world; we can fortunately still see this in the embrace between music and dance that occurs in the state of Veracruz and in the dance parlors of Mexico City.
The Danzón No. 2 is a tribute to the environment that nourishes the genre. It endeavors to get as close as possible to the dance, to its nostalgic melodies, to its wild rhythms, and although it violates its intimacy, its form and its harmonic language, it is a very personal way of paying my respects and expressing my emotions towards truly popular music. Danzón No. 2 was written on a commission by the Department of Musical Activities at Mexico’s National Autonomous University and is dedicated to my daughter Lily.
Notes by the Composer
From the Conductor
Our band is many things: a musical performance ensemble that strives to perform professional-quality music at the highest possible level; a rigorous academic course that presents a holistic approach to music study, including lessons in music theory, music history, aural skills, and applied performance; leadership training, in which our student leaders are expected to set the bar for the members of their sections and lead by example; and a laboratory for learning the professionalism and personal accountability that will enable success in a student’s post-Lafayette life.
But more than that, it is a family…a thriving community built on dedication to the excellence and well-being of the people sitting next to you. The experiences our students share bind them together permanently.
We have a motto: “there is always a chair for you.” We welcome former students who maintain their performance skills and can attend a rehearsal back for performances with the ensemble–this time we have seven LCCB Alumni returning. Among those we now have two members of the 16-Concert Club: tonight, Alex Kmetz ’19 joins his wife Ashley (who, by the way, he met in LCCB) as the second person to have completed two full undergraduate cycles of concerts with the ensemble. Next semester, two more LCCB legends will join that exclusive club, and there are a handful of others with more than ten concerts with us.
It is profoundly moving to me that our band programs have had such an impact on these students–so much so that they keep dedicating their time and energy to the band. They are helping to ensure that the current students have the best possible experience. I truly believe that this is the result of having a collection of wonderful human beings who care about playing music well and about the the shared experiences of the hard work it takes to achieve that.
I am incredibly grateful to have the good fortune to work with such people.
The Lafayette College Concert Band
Assistant Conductors
William Hoelzel
Madeline Paguia
—–
Flute
Brian Morris, Principal
Emily Kozero
Emma Martin
Owen Rudolph
Iris Peluso
Jamie Lin, piccolo
Oboe
Suni Yoo
Kaia Frazier
Clarinet
Aram Ramsay, Principal
David Broczkowski
Emily Rice
Benjamin Alter
Lily Hoogius
Ashley Kushner-Kmetz
Kaitlin Brill
Christopher Ruebeck
Jennifer Blair
Bass Clarinet
Peter Rice
Bassoon
Katie Rice
Saxophone
Andrew Manni, Principal (alto, soprano)
Madeline Metzger (alto)
Cassidy Baisley (alto)
Deanna Martinez (alto)
Alex Kmetz (alto)
Evan Brown (tenor)
Elisa Massa (baritone)
Horn
Madeline Paguia, Principal
Mariella Morales
Anastasia Krial-Victor
Nicholas Pignolo
Trumpet
William Blair, Principal
Corey Stein
Kaylee Williams
Robert Leiter
Mason Quintard
Charlotte Konopada
Trombone
Pedro dos Santos, Principal
Jackson Eshbaugh
Jasmine Smith
Nolan Sirgany
Bass Trombone
Benjamin Zwicker
Christopher Taverner
Euphonium
Andrew Bauer
Tuba
Jack Kerekes
Mikayla Vangelo
Piano
Sam Owens
Percussion
Will Hoelzel, Principal
Casey Alexander
Joe Freeston
Noam Raich
Henry Schrader
Gabe Sack
Grace Farah
William Nicoli
Graduating Seniors
Lafayette Faculty/Staff
LCCB Alumni
Guest Performers
The Lafayette College Concert Band is comprised of approximately 50 students, faculty and alumni from a variety of majors who are united by a strong desire to perform the highest quality music at the height of their abilities. Participation in LCCB is open to students in any major as well as faculty and staff. The ensemble is conducted by Kirk O’Riordan, Associate Professor of Music.
LCCB typically performs one concert each semester. The repertoire is selected from traditional concert band masterpieces, newer works by established and emerging composers, commissions, and orchestral transcriptions. Past concerts have included works such as Husa’s Music for Prague 1968, Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, both Holst Suites, Grainger’s Lincolnshire Posy, and Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. LCCB has premiered works by composer/conductor Kirk O’Riordan and 2010 Pesky Artist in Residence William Pfaff as well as Ashley Kushner ’19 and Zach Jones ’13.
Students enroll for 1/4-credit. Open to all students, faculty and staff, LCCB employs a wind ensemble model for instrumentation. A seating audition is required before the first semester of participation. Due to the large numbers of flutists, clarinetists, saxophonists, and trumpeters, the number of available seats in these sections may be limited.
Several opportunities for leadership in the ensemble are available for highly motivated, experienced players. Principals in each section lead sectional rehearsals and help the less experienced players with technical issues. The Assistant Conductor is a highly advanced musician who has been studying conducting for at least one year prior to serving in the position. She/he conducts the ensemble on at least one piece in performance, having led all the rehearsals for that performance. Typically, that person also leads Pep Band and conducts the annual Marquis Players musical production. Finally, the LCCB President is nominated and elected by the student membership of the ensemble. This person works with the director and the Assistant Conductor on administrative tasks as a representative of the students.
Blurred Days CD
Like many bands and other performing ensembles across the country, we have had to adapt to the pandemic. For us, this has meant that we have not been able to work together, in person. This has always been a band that thrives on its sense of community, and not having that has been hard on all of us.
But rather than mourn what we have lost, we have searched for opportunities within our remote format that are unique. Working in isolation has allowed us to re-examine the possibilities of the Wind Ensemble as an entity—to re-imagine what is possible with this collection of sounds.
The five pieces on this CD were written especially for us, and especially for our situation. Each of the pieces was conceived to take advantage of techniques that would not be possible in a traditional concert—effects on a person-by-person level, or writing for flutes in their lowest register.
To make these performances, each student recorded his or her part on their phones or computers and uploaded them to either a shared drive or to the web-based recording service Band Lab. Katie Rice assembled the tracks and performed the first round of editing. I took the tracks she finished and combined them into the final product, completing the pre-production audio work.
Every student has a unique track in the recording, which allows us to use studio effects on a person-by-person level. With many of the pieces, the individual parts were created to be non-linear—we could create specific sonic effects and duplicate them in the recording software. Several of the pieces incorporate improvisation, narration, and other unconventional techniques.
Kirk O’Riordan, Conductor
Kirk O’Riordan’s music has been referred to as “unapologetically beautiful” and is often praised for its uniquely “visual” qualities that depict a wide range of striking moods. His debut compact disk, Strange Flowers, was released by Ravello Records in November, 2013 and was praised by Audiophile Audition as “one of the most impressive and beautiful collections of chamber music I have heard in awhile….This is all just so lovely and invokes exactly the emotions that good music should be able to induce in all of us.” Gramophone Magazine praised O’Riordan as “a composer for whom imagery is a defining inspiration….[he] is a deeply sensitive composer who savours going gently into the night.” (April 2014).
His recording of his Twenty-Six Preludes for Solo Piano—by pianist Holly Roadfeldt—has attracted similar praise: “are similarly atmospheric and proceed to unfold like a magical tapestry. Each of the 26 Preludes seemingly comprising of warp and weft forming a myriad of pixels of little pictures that ultimately combines to form a moveable feast for both eye and inner ear. O’Riordan’s miniatures are informed by languorous beauty and profundity, the lyrical variations of each often feature elaborate embellishments, as well as sudden dissonant figurations that seem to mimic the gravity-defying leaps of the gazelle…” (World Music Report, April 2017).
O’Riordan (b. 1968) is an active composer, conductor, saxophonist, and teacher. His music has been performed in Canada, China, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Finland, Italy, and Russia; and in thirty of the fifty United States. Performances of his works have been featured at the Ravenna Festival (Italy), the Indiana State University, University of North Carolina, Greensboro and Western Illinois New Music Festivals, the 2008 Eugene Rousseau Birthday Celebration, national and regional conferences of the Society of Composers, Inc. and the College Music Society; and in concert by such performers as the Eaken Piano Trio, Tresillo, The Moran Woodwind Quintet, Orchestra Bruno Maderna (Italy), the Arizona State University Chamber Winds and Symphony Orchestra, the Northwestern University Contemporary Music Ensemble, the Cleveland State University Orchestra, the University of Colorado Chamber Wind Ensemble, the University of Delaware University Singers, the Williamsport Chamber Chorus and Orchestra, the Susquehanna University Orchestra and Chamber Singers, The Lafayette College Concert Band, Contemporary Music Ensemble, and Percussion Ensemble, the SKIN Ensemble, Frederick Hemke, Timothy McAllister, Lawrence Stomberg, Marianne Gythfeldt, Kenneth Tse, Jeffrey Lyman, Emily Bullock, Steven Stusek, Andrew Rammon, Reuben Councill, John Perrine, and Holly Roadfeldt.
Kirk is the recipient of numerous awards as both a composer and a performer, including annual ASCAPlus awards, a Composer’s Assistance Program grant from the American Music Center, the 2001 Arizona State University Composition Competition, the 2000 Contemporary Music Society competition, and an ERM-Media Masterworks Prize. In addition, his Cadenza for Piano Trio was one of two works selected by audience members at the CMS Mid-Atlantic/Northeast Super-regional Conference for performance at the 2008 CMS National Conference.
Kirk’s music has been broadcast on WSMR, KBAQ, WQSU, and WVIA radio. Recordings of his works appear on the Crystal Records, Ravello, Centaur, ERM-Media and EnF labels, and feature performances by Kenneth Tse, Lawrence Stomberg, Marianne Gythfeldt, Holly Roadfeldt, Frederick L. Hemke, The Kiev Philharmonic, and Farrell Vernon. He has recently received commissions from AVIDduo, Saxton Rose, and Holly Roadfeldt. He recently completed his first opera: The Masque of Edgar Allan Poe, a one-act chamber opera based on Poe’s “Masque of the Red Death” on a libretto by Lafayette College colleague Lee Upton. The work was premiered by the University of Delaware Opera Theater in November, 2016 and subsequently at Lafayette College. Other projects have focused on music for dance: his River Lights for Orchestra (as recorded by the Kiev Philharmonic) was used by dancer/choreographer Ben Munisteri in his piece, Robot vs. Mermaid. O’Riordan has also collaborated with dancer/choreographers Carrie Rohman and Nandini Sikand. Recent projects include a concerto for Taiko Ensemble and Concert Band (for the Lafayette College Percussion Ensemble and Concert Band), incidental music for a Lafayette College Department of Theater production of Mary Zimmerman’s play Metamorphosis, and a new work for viola and piano for violist Michael Hall and pianist Holly Roadfeldt.
Dr. O’Riordan joined the faculty of Lafayette College in 2009, and now serves as Associate Professor of Music and Director of Bands, teaching courses in music theory, and composition. In addition, he teaches in the First-year Seminar program and conducts the Lafayette College Concert Band and Contemporary Music Ensemble. During his time at Lafayette, the Concert Band has been hailed for its ambitious and adventurous programming, having performed works such as Husa’s Music for Prague 1968, his own orchestration of Pictures at an Exhibition, and world premieres by O’Riordan, Ashley Kushner, Justin Kogasaka, Zach Jones, Pete Deshler, and William Pfaff. Previously, he served on the faculties of Bucknell University and Susquehanna University where he taught music theory, composition, music appreciation, and (English) writing. He has also served on the faculties of Lock Haven University, Colorado Christian University, Chandler-Gilbert Community College, and Paradise Valley Community College. He holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Arizona State University (the first recipient of that degree from ASU); the Certificate of Performance in Saxophone from Northwestern University; and three Master of Music degrees (composition, saxophone performance, and conducting).
Kirk has studied composition with Rodney Rogers, Randall Shinn, James De Mars, Glenn Hackbarth, Jay Alan Yim, Burton Beerman, Marilyn Shrude, and Donald M. Wilson. He has studied saxophone with Frederick L. Hemke, John Sampen, Eugene Rousseau, and Iwan Roth. In his free time, Kirk is an avid fan of Obstacle Course Racing.