Orpheus Winds will perform the compositions of both legendary jazz composer Gunther Schuller and BYU faculty member Steven Ricks on Mar. 10 at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall, Harris Fine Arts Center.
The quintet has a forty-year tradition of performing regularly on campus and throughout Utah. They have appeared at many national and international venues, including engagements in Chicago, New York, Beijing and Shanghai, China. Most recently, the ensemble has performed recitals in Puebla, Mexico, and in Salvador, Brazil.
Schuller has described his music as “a new genre located about halfway between jazz and classical music” that he has self-titled Third Stream. Unlike most jazz compositions, Schuller’s piece demands that the performers keep to the written rhythm without attempting to sound “jazzy.” Schuller has composed more than 180 works covering a number of musical genres and was co-founder of the Modern Jazz Society alongside jazz pianist John Lewis.
“Schuller wrote the rhythms in such a way that if the performers simply play them exactly as they appear, the jazz sound will emerge on its own,” quintet member Jarom Hinckley said. “We are excited to perform his work.”
The quintet will also perform a composition by BYU faculty member Steven Ricks. Ricks directs the Electronic Music Studio at BYU.
“I really love working in the BYU School of Music because we have such great performers on the faculty,” Ricks said. “I’ve been a fan of Orpheus Winds for years and my new piece—Pneumatic Metrology—is a fast, virtuosic work that really gives them a chance to show off.”
The performance is free of charge.
Tickets and Show Details
- Performance Date and Time: March 10 at 7:30 p.m.
- Location: Madsen Recital Hall, Harris Fine Arts Center, BYU
- Price: Free of charge