Program note written by Dr. J. Ben Jones 

Hirokazu Fukushima is a contemporary composer Japanese for wind band and orchestra. Born in Maebashi, Gunma Prefecture, he graduated from Tokyo College of Music and completed postgraduate studies there, studying composition with Reiko Arima and oboe with Akira Hamamichi. He is active as both a composer and arranger, with a catalog that ranges from large-scale orchestral works to chamber music and educational repertoire. Known for his colorful orchestration, expressive lyricism, and incorporation of Japanese history, folklore, and landscapes, Fukushima's music is performed extensively throughout Japan and internationally. His notable works include Sinfonietta No. 2 "Prayer Bells," Lucky Dragon: Saga of the Daigo Fukuryū Maru, Snow of an Aynu Village, and numerous compositions for concert band and chamber ensembles. He also serves as an instructor at Shobi College of Music and is a member of the Japanese wind band composers' organization "Kyo-En". 

Written for a mixed octet (Flute, Bb Clarinet, Eb Alto Saxophone, Bb Tenor Saxophone, Bb Trumpet, F Horn, Trombone, Tuba) Fantasy Pastorale was commissioned in 2016 by Ensemble Wizard of Chiba, Japan. The piece expresses a fantasy bucolic landscape, a subgenre of fantasy literature which focuses on idyllic, rural, and agricultural settings rather than epic, world-ending stakes. Musical themes are meant to depict domesticity, community-building ,and harmony with nature, which is evident in the opening moments of the piece, seemingly reflective of morning mist, and the wind through the countryside. The lively music which follows offers contrast before closing with the opening theme restated in the secondary tempo.

Program note written by the Yessy Paredes and Santanna Hall 

Kevin Alexander Day was born on February 23, 1996 to Darrell Day, a former hip-hop producer, and Enora Day, a sought-after gospel singer, in Charleston, West Virginia. Day is a composer, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and conductor who currently resides in San Diego, California. Throughout his career, Day has created over 150 compositions, ranging from chamber pieces to operas. Day’s work often takes inspiration from a variety of sources such as,  but not limited to, romanticism, jazz fusion, and contemporary classical, all which can be heard  through the rhythms and textures of each of his pieces. He currently holds a Bachelor’s in Music Performance from Texas Christian University, a Master’s in Music Composition from the University of Georgia, and a Doctorate in Music Composition from the University of Miami, Frost School of Music. Day is also the recipient of many awards, including the BMI Composer Award, the McDowell Fellowship for Music Composition, the ITEA Harvey Phillips Award for Excellence in Composition, and the TCI Alumni Outstanding Young Professional Award. As of 2024, he works at the University of California San Diego, serving as a lecturer in theory and musicianship. 

Stride was composed in 2023, commissioned by the American Bandmasters Association, and takes its meaning directly from the textbook definition of stride; to walk with long decisive steps. Stride was first performed by the Joint Armed Forces Band, conducted by Paula Crider on March 8th, 2024 at the 89th Annual American Bandmasters Association Convention in Washington, DC. Day also notes that the  piece is an expression of his time and experience as a young musician marching in the Texas heat, and the satisfying feeling of being a part of something that is bigger than just himself. Day’s music is often described as cinematic, purposeful, and defining, Stride is all three! The short piece presents an energetic experience through music; the bass grooves and contrasting lyrical sections paint a picture of a cinematic journey while switching between duple and triple meters helps to build character and shape within the piece.

Program note written by Izzy Bracken  

Chris Pilsner’s Dum Spiro Spero centers around the ideas of hope, 

perseverance, and continuing forward through difficulties. The title, translated from Latin, means “While I breathe, I hope” and is the State Motto of South Carolina.  Pilsner composed the piece in 2009, at the age of twenty-two, and while written early in his career, Dum Spiro Spero has become one of the composer's frequently performed works. Pilsner was born in 1986 and has worked as both a composer and music educator. He earned degrees in Music Composition and Music Education from the University of Northern Colorado before earning his master’s degree in composition from Central Michigan University where he worked with composer David Gillingham. Pilsner also spent time teaching high school orchestra in Colorado and his experience as an educator has played a role in his approach to writing music which aims to be both meaningful and approachable for student musicians. 

Dum Spiro Spero was commissioned by Casey Cropp and the Rocky Mountain High School  Winds Ensemble in 2009. Cropp was an important mentor and friend to Pilsner, making the commission especially meaningful. The piece premiered on January 28, 2010, at the Colorado Music Educators Association Conference in Colorado Springs, where Pilsner conducted the premiere himself.  

The piece begins with a reflective and expressive melody before gradually building and becoming more energetic. Throughout the work, warm musical lines are passed between sections of the ensemble and are supported by changing harmonies and textures. A chant-like euphonium solo provides a contrasting moment, while vocal accompaniment from the rest of the ensemble adds a natural human element to the work.  As the piece continues, these ideas become increasingly powerful and eventually lead to an intense and climactic conclusion. This progression can be heard as a representation of perseverance and hope. Rather than focusing only on hardship, Pilsner’s music emphasizes the possibility of moving beyond it. Dum Spiro Spero ultimately leaves performers and listeners with a simple message: as long as we are still moving forward, there is always hope.

Program note written by Bruce Maroney

Movement I: Intrada
The piece opens with "Intrada," a very fanfare-like composition, with descriptive phrases written in the score like "with pomp," meaning to be a ceremony and splendid display. The upper voices enter first, with a full and resonant tone, filling in the hollowness created from the fifth that separates the distinct parts. The rest of the ensemble has staggered entrances, helping to fill the space created by the initial interval. 

Movement II: Basse Danse (France)
The following movement, Basse Danse, is derived from a popular court dance in France in the 15th and 16th centuries. Performed by the nobility and royalty of France, the dance consists of slow and graceful glide steps that emphasize the downbeats of each measure.  

Movement III: Pavane (England)
The Pavane was a popular processional dance from the 16th and 17th centuries. The dance included simple forward and backward steps. The movement emphasizes this by bringing out the second and fourth beats of each measure. It also does this by keeping a light and flowing mood throughout, with fluid melodic phrases traded between the woodwinds and brass. 

Movement IV: Saltarello (Italy)
Saltarello is an Italian dance that involves a combination of jumps, leaps, and light and precise footwork. The word Saltarello is derived from the Italian verb "saltare," which means "to jump." The movement embodies this dance with a light, moving melodic idea that is traded between different sections of the ensemble.  

Movement V: Sarabande (Spain)
The Sarabande was originally a very lively dance, originating in 16th-century Spain. Some described it as disreputable and sometimes scandalous, and was widely suppressed in Spain due to how disruptive the dance could be. 

Movement VI: Allemande
Allemande is a dance originally performed at a slower tempo. The dancers would form two lines, extending their hands towards each other, going along the length of the ballroom. The dance was meant for couples and incorporated three springing steps and a jump! The dance also incorporated special turns called "enchaînements" or "passes" into this lively version that required the couples to interlock arms. 

Program note written by Miles Funderburk and Ashley Baker 

Dr. James Naigus, an American Horn player and composer is a very dedicated, talented, and involved musician. Naigus always seeks to inspire future generations of musicians and all creative thinkers through artistic empowerment, which he illustrates through his compositions. Dr. James Naigus was born on April 26th, 1987. Naigus earned an undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan, a masters degree in horn and composition at the University of Florida, and a Doctorate of Musical Arts (DMA) degree at the University of Iowa. As a performer, Naigus has worked with several regionally and nationally acclaimed ensembles, including the Atlanta Symphony, Charleston Symphony, Wichita Symphony, Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony, Gainesville Chamber Orchestra, and Brevard Symphony. Naigus currently serves as Professor of Horn at the University of Georgia. 

Program note written by Bella Rinaldi-Diaz 

Born on December 7, 1960, in Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Yasuhide Ito is a composer, conductor, professor, and pianist. His life-long pursuit of music started as a young child when he began studying the piano. He went on to further his study of music and graduated from the Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music with a bachelor’s degree in music composition where he learned under professors such as Professor Teruyuki Noda. He has since then taught at several universities in Japan, the most recent being Senzoku Gakuen College of Music. Ito is well known for having composed over 1000 works, including over ninety for wind bands, and one of his most famous and frequently performed being Gloriosa, a symphonic poem premiered in 1990. His musical career has led him to be a heavily sought after guest conductor not only in Asia, but across Europe and North America as well. His compositions take on a variety of styles, but many include inspiration from Japanese folk music. He has been decorated with many awards, including the Shizuoka Music Competition (piano, first prize, 1980), Japan Music Competition (composition, third prize, 1982), the Competition for Saxophone Music (1987) and the Bandmasters Academic Society of Japan (the Academy Prize, 1994; Research Branch Prize, 2012).  

Festal Scenes consists of four Japanese folk song melodies originating from the Aomori Prefecture in Honshu, home of the Nebuta Festival, and opens with an incredibly powerful, fast-paced and driving fanfare. It pushes an intense feeling of anticipation and excitement, such as the imagery of a colorful and bustling festival. It later gives way to a more serene portion, creating a sense of peace and bliss, featuring a flute solo and the flowing texture of the woodwinds. Musical intensity is reintroduced with the rhythm and booming of drums and overlapping of melodic lines, gradually growing until the speed is doubled. The folk song melody from the beginning of the piece reemerges faster and even greater than before, pushing further and further until the explosive conclusion of the festival. Festal Scenes was composed in 1986 after Yasuhide Ito was inspired by a letter he received from his close friend that included the phrase "...everything seems like paradise blooming all together. Life is a festival, indeed". The American premiere occurred at the American Bandmasters Association Convention in Knoxville in 1987, performed by the University of Illinois Concert Band under James Keene, with Ito as guest conductor.

2026-2027

• Searching for Nostalgia

2025-2026

• Love and Nature
• Words to Live By
• Through Each Other's Eyes
• Visions on Past