Back in my first post of 2012, I mentioned that there would be lots of chamber music this semester. Things will kick off this week with two concerts featuring the music of Eric Ewazen. We will also be fortunate to have the composer on our campus for most of the week giving lectures, coaching rehearsals, and otherwise interacting with our faculty and students. Though he has written in a variety of genres, Ewazen is probably most well known for his solo and chamber music for winds and brass. He has a number of very fine works with horn, including a Sonata for Horn and Piano (1992) and a Concerto for Horn and Orchestra (2002). One big highlight of the week will be the world premier of his newly written Sonata No. 2 for Flute and Piano, commissioned by my colleagues Dr. Sandra Lunte and Dr. Richard Seiler.  A special thank you goes out to them for organizing Dr. Ewazen’s visit! I’ll be joining my colleagues on that concert for a performance of the Ballade, Pastorale and Dance for Flute, Horn and Piano (2002). It’s a fun piece, but also a very substantial work with plenty of great writing for all three instruments. If you aren’t familiar with Ewazen’s music, it is generally very accessible and rewarding to perform. Quoting from the information on his website, here’s an annotated list of Eric Ewazen’s compositions with horn.  By the way, if you happen to be in the area this week we’d love to see you at one or both of these concerts! For more details on the performances click here.

“Sonata for Horn and Piano”, (Commissioned by Scott Brubaker of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.  Recorded by him on Well-Tempered Productions), 1992, 20′(Southern)

“Concerto for Horn and Piano”, (Commissioned by Greg Hustis of the Dallas Symphony, this is an arrangement of the orginal work with String Orchestra accompaniment.) Nov., 2002, 20’(Ewazen).

“Roaring Fork Quintet for Wind Instruments”, for woodwind quintet, (commissioned by Borealis Wind Quintet, and recorded by them on Helicon Records).(Southern)

“Cascadian Concerto” for Woodwind Quintet and Piano (piano version of the orchestral accompaniment). (premiered by the Cascadian Wind Quintet and the Lake Union Civic Orchestra, June 2003), 25’(Ewazen)

“A Philharmonic Fanfare” for trumpet, horn and trombone, (commissioned by the NY Philharmonic, premiered by Phil Smith and David Finlayson), 1997, 4′(Ewazen)

“Colchester Fantasy”, for brass quintet (for the American Brass quintet, recorded by them on Summit Records), 1987, 18′(Brass Ring—Hickeys)

“Frost Fire”, for brass quintet (commissioned by the American Brass Quintet for their 30th anniversary, and recorded by them on Well-Tempered Productions), 1990, 16’(Brass Ring–Hickeys_)

“A Western Fanfare” (commissioned by Music Academy of the West for their 25th anniversary. Recorded by the American Brass Quintet on Well-Tempered Productions. This also exists in a version for brass orchestra.  ).  1997, 5′(Southern)

“Grand Valley Fanfare”, for brass quintet (for the Avatar brass quintet.  Commissioned for the Inauguration of the President of Grand Valley State University), 2001, 4′(Southern)

“Woodland Quartet”, for 4 horns, commissioned by the Liege Horn Quartet, and premiered by them at the U. of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music, 2003.  16′(Ewazen)

“Grand Canyon Octet”, for 8 horns, (commissioned by the Arizona State University Horn Ensemble.  A Version also exists for 8 trombones, for Texas Tech University), 1996, 17′(Horn Version—Southern, Trombone Version—ITA)

“Legend of the Sleeping Bear”, for 8 horns, (commissioned by the International Horn Symposium), 2001, 15′(Ewazen—soon to be Southern)

“High Desert Octet” for 8 horns (commissioned by the UNLV/High Desert Horn Choir, and premiered at the Western Horn Sympoisum, 2002). 20′(Ewazen)

“Grand Canyon Sinfonia” for brass orchestra (10 instruments).  An arrangement of the Grand Canyon Octet for Horns (or trombones) made by Michael Allen for the Boulder Brass, 2000.(Ewazen)

“Symphony in Brass”, for brass and percussion orchestra (commissioned by the Detroit Chamber Winds and Recorded by Summit Brass for Summit records), 1991, 17′ (An arrangement of this work also exists for traditional brass band.)(Encore)

“A Western Fanfare”, for brass and percussion orchestra (commissioned by the Music Academy of the West for their 25th anniversary), 1997, 5′(Southern)

“Front Range Fanfare”, for brass and percussion orchestra (10 brass instruments, and 2 percussionists) commissioned by Boulder Brass, and premiered at the Summit Brass Festival, June, 2003. 7’(Ewazen)

“Ballade, Pastorale and Dance”, for Flute, Horn and Piano, (commissioned by David Wakefield and Barli Nugent, recorded by them on Well-Tempered Productions), and by Margaret Swinchoski and Scott Brubaker on Albany Records).20’(Southern)

“Trio for Bassoon, Horn and Piano”, (for Toni Lipton and Scott Temple), 1983, 18′(Ewazen).

“Art of the City”, for clarinet, horn and string quartet (commissioned by the Chicago Chamber Musicians), 2000, 25′(Ewazen)

“Shadowcatcher”, a concerto for brass quintet and orchestra.  (Versions also exist for wind ensemble accompaniment and piano accompaniment.  Commissioned by the American Brass Quintet, the orchestral version was written for the Orquesta Sinfonica Carlos Chavez of Mexico City, the Wind Ensemble Version for Butler University, and recorded by the American Brass Quintet with the Juilliard Wind Ensemble for New World Records), 1996, 30′(Ewazen)

“Cascadian Concerto for Wind Quintet and Orchestra” (commissioned and premiered by the Cascadian Woodwind Quintet and the Lake Union Civic Orchestra, June 2003).  25’(Ewazen)

“Concerto for Horn and String Orchestra”, 2002, commissioned by Greg Hustis of the Dallas Sym. 20′(Ewazen)