“Infinite Possibilities” – the next installment in the highly-praised Abendmusik Alexandria chamber music series – is this Thursday, February 4. At this exciting concert, Masahito Kuroda will introduce audiences to the past, present, and future of the euphonium, a sometimes overlooked brass instrument with connections to the tuba. All aspects of this low brass instrument will be explored, from the euphonium’s history in wind bands to electrifying depictions of its future.
Included on Thursday’s program is music by Herbert L. Clarke, sometimes called the world’s greatest cornetist who played with the legendary American wind bands of John Philip Sousa and Victor Herbert. Clarke’s stunning Fantasy, Theme, and Variations on “Carnival of Venice” will be performed Thursday. The grand experiment Sonatina for euphonium and synthesizer by John Boda will also be heard, as will two exciting arrangements of classical masterpieces for euphonium ensemble created by Dr. Kuroda himself.
These familiar pieces by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Dmitri Shostakovich are heard like never before in these arrangements by Kuroda employing multiple euphoniums (with and without mutes), bass trumpet, marching baritone, and the distinctive double-bell euphonium which is at once a euphonium and a trombone. Through the use of audio and video technologies, Kuroda will accompany himself in these original creations. Kuroda will in fact bring a variety of low brass instruments to show off.
Dr. Masahito Kuroda is professor of low brass and music technology at Northwestern State University. He often combines these two interests, and has done extensive research into enhancing the euphonium repertoire through modern technology. A dedicated musician and scholar, his primary interest is to enrich the expression and musical vocabulary of his instruments.
“Infinite Possibilities” begins at 6 PM at the Hearn Stage in Downtown Alexandria; doors open at 5:30. Tickets are only $10.00 and are available in advance through TicketCentral or by calling the Arts Council of Central Louisiana at 318 443 4718. Appetizers and a cash bar by Southern Creations Catering are also available.
Don’t miss Thursday’s exciting concert! Also be sure to catch “A Musical Journey” with guitarist John De Chiaro on March 3 and Abendmusik Alexandria’s season finale “Noble Visions” featuring violinist/violist Unkyoung Kim on April 7. Learn more at Abendmusik Alexandria’s new Facebook page!
JSH 16.02.03
About Jackson. Jackson Harmeyer is a composer, music scholar, and advocate of music. He is a graduate of the Louisiana Scholars’ College – Louisiana’s designated honors college located on the campus of Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. While there, Jackson completed an undergraduate thesis entitled “Learning from the Past: The Influence of Johann Sebastian Bach upon the Soviet Composers.” He has followed classical music around the world, attending the BachFest Leipzig in Germany, Colorado’s Aspen Music Festival, and many concerts across Louisiana and Texas. Resident in Alexandria, Louisiana, Jackson works with the Arts Council of Central Louisiana as Series Director of the Abendmusik Alexandria chamber music series. He also writes the program notes for the Rapides Symphony Orchestra, blogs at MusicCentral, and continues to study other aspects of music in his spare time. His four-movement Suite for Solo Guitar, Op. 21 received its world premiere on November 5, 2015 at Abendmusik Alexandria.