I’m finally able to publicly announce, that I’m a finalist in the Frank Ticheli International Composition Contest for wind band! Click here to see the official announcement. I don’t have high expectations of winning, but I’m really thankful, and pleased, to be a finalist!
This is the second Ticheli contest; in the first contest, ALL finalists’ pieces were recorded by the University of North Texas Wind Band- see this CD. I’m hoping that’ll happen again, this time! 
Update: I will be attending my Lincoln Center premiere, in a few weeks, after all- not to be missed! Looking forward to it, and will post more info in the coming days…
Arise, Shine! and You Are The Music will be performed at the Lincoln Center in New York City, on May 22. Click here for the program. I’m trying to figure out whether I’m going or not…
Just a quick post to highlight two current Editor’s Choice pieces from J.W. Pepper: Hymn of Hope, and Good Night Dear Heart:
BJU’s Symphonic Wind Band concert is next Saturday, April 18, at 7:00. It’s a special program in that it traces a “lineage” of American composition teaching: two pieces by Vincent Persichetti, Symphony No. 3 by James Barnes, who studied with Persichetti, and 2 pieces by me- who studied with Jim Barnes!
Barnes’ Symphony No 3 is easily his most popular piece, and is almost undoubtedly his best work. A stunning piece that pays tribute to his daughter who died while very young, it was THE piece that, when I heard it, made me want to go study with him!
Barnes requires all his comp students to read and work from Persichetti’s book on 20th century harmony, and I just shared a reading from that book with my own Basic Composition class at BJU- so they’re, in a sense, the “fourth generation” still benefitting form Persichetti!
As far as my pieces on the concert: the Basque Lullaby wind band version will be performed (I’ve never heard it performed live, so I’m looking forward to it!). Also, the wind band will be PREMIERING my transcription of Prokofiev’s Toccata for Piano, Op 11. It’s a killer piano piece, that in my eyes (ears) held much potential for the wind band.
If you’re around Greenville, come hear three generations of American composers, next Saturday, April 18, at 7:00 PM!
