University Orchestra
Into The Sky
Brian Balmages
This work portrays the thrill of flight and soaring through the air. Fanfare-style themes mix with the intense sound of the strings to give the music momentum and intensity. As the piece progresses the counter-melodies provide an image of gentle breezes as well as great gusts of wind. This piece truly gives the performers and audience the feeling of taking off “Into the Sky”
Moonlight Tango
Richard Meyer
Moonlight Tango composed by Richard Meyer is a take on the classic tango dance music. You will hear the melody passed from the violins and violas while the cellos and basses have a walking bass line throughout that drives the tango forward. The university orchestra added their own body percussion to the beginning and end of the piece to further explore the Latin feel of tango. Please enjoy Moonlight Tango by Richard Meyers.
Strawberry Jam Session
George T. Frueh
Mr. Frueh has worked as a professional bassist in and around the Philadelphia area for over 30 years. He has written compositions for Jazz bands and various sized string ensembles over the years. Strawberry Jam combines both of his passions! This piece is based on 12-bar blues and is a great gateway to jazz studies for young string students. During our rehearsal process, we explored improvisation and swung rhythms! Strawberry Jam has a lot of variation including a cello section soli, pizzicato section, swing, and fun dynamics.
Dragon Hunter
Richard Meyer
Dragon Hunter was composed by Richard Meyer. The main theme is first introduced by violins and violas, with cello and bass in counterpoint. This theme later returns in canon, with cellos and basses being hunted by the violins and violas who represent the dragon.We hope you enjoy Dragon Hunter!
Brayden Smith is a junior in Music Education at Kansas State University. Originally from Independence, KS, he has performed as an instrumentalist, composer, and conductor throughout his pre-collegiate and collegiate career in both orchestras and wind bands. He is currently the principal bass in the Kansas State University Symphony Orchestra and serves on the leadership team for community and outreach.
Jenna Dominguez is a senior music education major from Manhattan, KS and will graduate in the spring of 2023. Jenna's primary instrument is the flute, but also plays violin in the University Orchestra and takes Cello lessons. She is the Vice President of Service for Kansas State's professional band service sorority, Tau Beta Sigma, and has received awards like the Rod Funk silent leader award.
Mikaela Lange is a senior studying Music Education from Olathe, KS and will be graduating Spring 2023. She is a cellist in the Kansas State University Symphony Orchestra and plays viola in the University Orchestra. She serves as the Vice President of Membership and Treasure of the Kappa Upsilon Chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota as well as serving on the orchestra leadership team for marketing and communications.
University Orchestra Personnel
Violin
- Jasmine Bates - Alden, KS
- Eila Deavors - Lawrence , KS
- Jenna Dominguez - Manhattan, KS
- Nicholas Dvorske - Lawrence, KS
- Tysen Plummer - Manhattan, KS
- Eli Salehi - Tehran, Tehran, Iran
- Kristen Schrag - Valley Center, KS
- Elizabeth Simpson - Olathe, KS
- Cy Smith - Independence, KS
- Hannah Sullivan - Shawnee, KS
Viola
- Alora Duran - Junction City, KS
- Ryan Keith - Wichita, KS
- Mikaela Lange - Olathe, KS
- Tony Rodriguez - Fort Riley, KS
Cello
- Nathaniel Chaput - Manhattan, KS
- Naomi Galindo - El Dorado, KS
- Drake Middleton - El Dorado, KS
- Bridget O'Neill - Burke, VA
- Brayden Smith - Independence, KS
Bass
- Chris Hovis - Leawood, KS
- Lily Linville - Manhattan, KS
- Hannah Mancini - Peyton, CO
Piano Concerto No. 20 in D Minor K. 466
Wolfang Amadeus Mozart
Piano Concerto No. 20 was premiered when Mozart was living in Vienna. This work is only one of two piano concertos composed by Mozart in a minor key. This concerto in D minor shows a much darker side to Mozart’s character. Concerto No. 20 was among one of Beethoven’s favorite works by Mozart. Beethoven’s cadenza will be featured in this performance.
The opening music, which is presented by the orchestra, is tense and ominous. The tension finally explodes before the piano enters softly. The energy is accumulated from the strings and intensified with the piano. Throughout the first movement there is constant struggle between the orchestra and piano that ultimately goes unfulfilled.
Andrew Wilson is a Junior studying piano performance with Dr. Sławomir Dobrzański at Kansas State University. He graduated from Rockhurst High School in Kansas City, Missouri where he played trumpet and piano in the jazz band. Dr. Aine Wendler was his primary teacher before attending university. Andrew spent his first two years of college at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph Missouri before transferring to K-State. At K-State, he is the pianist for the wind symphony. Andrew is one of the winners of the 2021/22 KSUSO Concerto/Aria Competition. In May to June 2022 Andrew is planning to participate in Musical Journey to the Land of Chopin, led by Dr. Sławomir Dobrzański in Warsaw, Poland.
Romeo and Juliet
Waltz Song: "Ah! Je veux Vivre"
Charles Gounod
“Je Veux Vivre” or “Juliette’s Waltz Song” is an aria from Charles Gounod’s opera Romeo et Juliette (1867). In this scene, the Capulets are celebrating Juliette Capulet’s birthday with a masked ball, unaware that the despised Montagues, including the handsome Romeo, are among them. Romeo is enchanted when Juliette, whom he has never seen before, sings with childlike exuberance of her sheer joy in being alive on this wonderful night.
Translation:
Ah!
I want to live
In this dream that intoxicates me
Again this day!
Sweet flame,
I keep you in my soul
Like a treasure!
This intoxication
Of youth
Alas, don't last just one day!
Then the time comes
When we cry
The heart gives way to love
And happiness flees without return.
Ah!
I want to live
In this dream that intoxicates me
Again this day!
Sweet flame,
I keep you in my soul
Like a treasure!
Away from the gloomy winter
Let me sleep
Before stripping it.
Ah!
Sweet flame,
Stay in my soul
Like a sweet treasure
For a long time, again!
Payton Boldt is in the process of finishing her bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance with a minor in French at Kansas State University, studying with Dr. Reginald Pittman. With the University, she was able to perform as Kate in Pirates of Penzance and Susan Atkins in Working directed by Jerry Jay Cranford, along with Susannah in Susannah, and Adina in Elixir of Love directed by Dr. Reginald Pittman. She is also in Kansas State’s University Concert Choir, which lead her to being a featured soloist at both the National Collegiate Choral Organization Conference in 2019, and the Southwestern America Choral Directors Association Conference in 2022. Outside of the University, she recently performed as Cinderella in Roger and Hammerstein’s Cinderella at the Junction City Opera House. In July of 2022, she will be attending the Trentino Music Festival in Italy, where she will perform the role of Pamina in Die Zauberflote.
M. Evan Ricker, Jr., Graduate Assistant Director and Conductor, is a native of Wichita, Kansas. He earned both a Bachelor of Music in Wind Conducting/Music Journalism and a Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting from Wichita State University. While at WSU, Mr. Ricker served as an Undergraduate Conducting Assistant to Dr. Victor Markovich and a Graduate Assistant Conductor to Dr. Mark Laycock. Beginning in 2014, Mr. Ricker started teaching courses in music appreciation and public speaking as an adjunct faculty member at Butler Community College. From 2016 to 2019, Ricker served as the Director of Bands and Instrumental Music at Cowley College, where he helped to establish the Tiger Beat Pep Band and to develop a new scholarship structure.
In the fall of 2019, Mr. Ricker arrived at K-State to begin his Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction. For two years, he served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant with the K-State Bands. In 2021, he transitioned back to the orchestral world, where he is currently studying with Dr. Rachel Dirks. Mr. Ricker's dissertation topic focuses on workplace dignity experiences of LGBTQ+ college wind band conductors. His other research interests include music appreciation pedagogy, conducting pedagogy, and LGBTQ+ issues in music education.
Concerto/Aria Personnel
Violin I
- Christine Aikens - Manhattan, KS
- Faith Holliday - Olathe, KS *
- Emily Keeley - Manhattan, KS
- Ryan Keith - Wichita, KS
- Samira Laytimi - Lawrence, KS
- Jared Long - Stilwell, KS
Violin II
- Marta Fears - Shawnee, KS
- Kristine Gevock - Manhattan, KS
- Luz Isabel Cobian Lepe - Dodge City, KS *
- Ashleigh Lincicome - Wichita, KS
- Negil McPherson III - Omaha, NE
- Cy Smith - Independence, KS
Viola
- Eila Deavours - Lawrence, KS
- Tysen Plummer - Manhattan, KS
- Elizabeth Simpson - Olathe, KS
- Owen Vars - Manhattan, KS
Cello
- Katelyn Bitner - Topeka, KS
- Nicholas Dvorske - Lawrence, KS
- Cole King - Topeka, KS *
- Lindy Karrer - Topeka, KS
- Grace Morrison - Wichita, KS
- Addy Osborn - Lenexa, KS
- Emily Reddin - Gardner, KS
- Aubrey Thomas - Goddard, KS
- Ashton Weaver - Olathe, KS
- Rita Woster - Overland Park, KS
Bass
- Matthew Henninger - Conway, AR
- Stephen Mitchell - Spring Hill, KS *
- Max Scofield - Austin, TX
- Drake Thompson - Beloit, KS
Piccolo / Flute
- Jessica Minnich - Manhattan, KS *
- Tony Rodriguez - Fort Riley, KS
Oboe
- Briele Vollmuth - Mandan, ND *
- Ryan Zimmerman - Salina, KS
Clarinet
- Mark Ahlman - Wichita, KS
- Audrey Farrell - Kansas City, MO
Bassoon
- Mary Hannah Sullivan - Shawnee, KS
- Rachel Woodbury - Topeka, KS *
Horn
- Josie Anderson - Crete, NE
- Braeden Jones - Colorado Springs, CO
- Katie Kimmel - Hutchinson, KS
- Elliot Peters - San Antonio, TX *
Trumpet
- Ann Barker - Leawood, KS
- Jessica Vanstory - Maple Hill, KS
Trombone
- Alesha Bergner - Pratt, KS *
- Blake Davis - Maize, KS
- Chris Hovis - Leawood, KS
Percussion
- Ethan Jeffries - Salina, KS
- Jacob Morgan - Iowa City, IA
* denotes section principal(s)
Tango: Por Una Cabeza (1935)
Carlos Gardel (1890 - 1935)
Arranged by Matthew Naughtin (b. 1947)
Singer, songwriter and actor Carlos Gardel was born in France, but moved to Argentina at age 2. He was instrumental in popularizing the Argentine tango and rose to legendary fame in the late 1920's and early 1930's in Argentina and throughout Latin America. Tragically, Gardel ded in 1935 in an airplane crash in Medellin, Colombia, in which his friend and lyricist Alfredo Le Pera also was killed.
It is well known that Gardel was a horse racing amateur, and so it is not unusual that in his compositions he frequently refereed to jockeys and horses. The Argentine tango "Por Una Cabeza" (by Just One Head) was composed for Gardel's last film, Tango Bar (1935), and was used more recently in several films. In this tango, love and women are compared to the dangerous chance of a horse race, where luck is often elusive. Hence, the sub-title "Turf and Love are Dangerous.”
~ Program notes adapted from Neil A Kjos Music Company.
Hoe Down (1942)
Aaron Copland (1900 - 1990)
Hoe Down from Rodeo is a dance within a dance. Here, Copland quite literally quotes dance tunes from the 19th century Anglo-American square dance tradition. After a rhythmic introduction that invokes the open-fifth tuning of fiddles, Bonaparte’s Retreat, McLeod’s Reel, and other tunes follow in close succession -- always in a strict tempo and regular meter. The Hoe Down exists in many versions, one made famous by a television commercial for beef.
~ Program notes by San Luis Obispo Wind Orchestra, 12 May 2012
Dr. Rachel Dirks, Director of Orchestral Studies, is an active conductor, clinician, and educator. Dr. Dirks holds cello performance degrees from the University of Texas at Austin and Bethel College, and she recently completed her Ph.D. in music education and orchestral conducting at the University of Kansas. As a guest conductor Dr. Dirks has been invited to conduct orchestras throughout the United States. As a featured clinician, she has been invited to present at the National Convention of the American String Teachers Association, the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Conference, and the state music education conferences of Texas, Oregon, Colorado, and Kansas.
Along with her work with the Kansas State University Symphony Orchestra, Dr. Dirks continues to perform as a cellist in a wide array of ensembles and venues. Throughout her career she has toured with her orchestras in Italy, Austria, and Ireland, as well as San Francisco, Chicago, and New York, including two performances in the Isaac Stern Auditorium of Carnegie Hall. She has been honored with teaching and service awards from the Kansas Music Educators Association, the American String Teachers Association, and the Lawrence Schools Foundation. Throughout all of her work, her fundamental goal is to encourage musicians to seek and create community through music.
String Orchestra Personnel
Violin I
- Christine Aikens - Manhattan, KS
- Russel Clark - Lawrence, KS
- Faith Holliday - Olathe, KS
- Kaitlyn Jones - Olathe, KS
- Emily Keeley - Manhattan, KS
- Ryan Keith - Wichita, KS *
- Samira Laytimi - Lawrence, KS
- Jared Long - Stilwell, KS
- Zachary Terrell - Stilwell, KS
Violin II
- Marta Fears - Shawnee, KS
- Kristine Gevock - Manhattan, KS
- Ashley Griffin - Wichita, KS
- Luz Isabel Cobian Lepe - Dodge City, KS
- Ashleigh Lincicome - Wichita, KS
- Negil McPherson III - Omaha, NE
- Bridget O’Neill - Burke, VA *
- Kael Pavlik - Wichita, KS
- Cy Smith - Independence, KS
Viola
- Eila Deavours - Lawrence, KS
- Blake Modean - Leawood, KS *
- Britain Modean - Leawood, KS
- Tysen Plummer - Manhattan, KS
- Julia Rossillon - Lawrence, KS
- Elizabeth Simpson - Olathe, KS
- Owen Vars - Manhattan, KS
Cello
- Katelyn Bitner - Topeka, KS
- Nicholas Dvorske - Lawrence, KS
- Matthew Iungerich - McKinney, TX
- Cole King - Topeka, KS *
- Lindy Karrer - Topeka, KS
- Mikaela Lange - Olathe, KS
- Abby Mason - Wichita, KS *
- Grace Morrison - Wichita, KS
- Addy Osborn - Lenexa, KS
- Emily Reddin - Gardner, KS
- Aubrey Thomas - Goddard, KS
- Ashton Weaver - Olathe, KS
- Rita Woster - Overland Park, KS
Bass
- Matthew Henninger - Conway, AR
- Stephen Mitchell - Spring Hill, KS
- Max Scofield - Austin, TX
- Brayden Smith - Independence, KS *
- Drake Thompson - Beloit, KS
* denotes section principal(s)
The Kansas State University School of Music, Theatre, and Dance combines engaged classroom learning with hands-on creative opportunities that inspire fresh thinking and unlimited growth. The school’s three programs each boast expert faculty with performance and industry experience. Whether you want to perform on stage, record in a studio, teach in a classroom, or take charge behind the scenes, you’ll find your creative home at K-State.
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