william bolcom's first symphony for band
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One of my favorite highlights of The Midwest Clinic was a performance of Bolcom's Symphony No. 1 for Band (2008) performed by The President's Own United States Marine Band.
I thought I missed this ensemble because they had a concert on Wednesday night, and since I arrived late Wednesday night, I didn't want to venture into town that evening. I merely read about the Wednesday night concerts via my friends's Facebook statuses, so when I found out The President's Own was performing again, I was elated. Plus they would be having a clinic with Bolcom himself discussing his piece before they performed the whole piece. Joyous.
A couple of things stuck with me since the Bolcom clinic. One was his mention of the genesis of the piece: Bolcom was struck with John Corigliano's Circus Maximus, and in friendly competition, also wanted to write a substantial piece for band. (If you don't already know this piece, please go to a live performance. LIVE. Or check it out on Blu-ray. It is a fantastic piece…
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