Undefeated

PROGRAM NOTES:

Undefeated (2024)
A centennial is an auspicious occasion, a celebration of a century of people working together with common goals to build a legacy of something lasting and impactful. To be asked to celebrate it by creating a new piece of music is a high honor. Knowing that I cannot express 100 years of history in a six minute piece, nor can I predict its future, I tried instead to capture as many of my own undergraduate and graduate memories and emotions as possible. Foremost among these are the gifted mentors who deeply expanded my universe with new knowledge and possibilities, and the rapid ways that my dreams grew and changed as I discovered my ultimate desire and purpose. This fanfare is a whirlwind of overlapping themes, emotions, and moods, much like the college experience itself. These fragments might conjure the thunderous excitement of undefeated football seasons, the solemn joy of graduation and the Alma Mater, or just the tranquility of sitting quietly in thought by the lake. I hope that somewhere in the exuberant swirl of this piece you will recall some of your own experiences of the special mentors, discoveries, and friendships that continue to shape you, the legacy that we gather to celebrate.

Premiere Performance:
Frost Symphony Orchestra
Gerard Schwarz, conducting
October 19, 2024 at 7:30 pm
Gusman Concert Hall
University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL