May 11-13, 2010
Tuesday, May 11 – Trinity University, Ruth Taylor Recital Hall
Thursday, May 13 – Blue Star, Main Gallery

7:00 pm Pre-concert talk
7:30 pm Concert

Program:

George Winters: String Quartet
Theron Kirk: Trio for clarinet, cello, piano (1998)
Karim Al-Zand: Cabinet of Curiosities (2009)
Peter Lieuwen: Gulfstream
Dan Welcher: Harbor Music

Theron Kirk was born in 1919 and died October 1999. Theron retired from San Antonio College as Chairman of the Music Deptartment and Director of Choral Organizations. After retirement, he became active as a docent at the San Antonio Museum of Art. His education includes study at Baylor University, Chicago Musical College of Roosevelt University and the Eastman School of Music. He is the composer of more than 1,000 published works for chorus, chamber groups, symphony orchestra, vocal solo, organ, carillon, and a one-act opera. The Philadelphia Orchestra, Chicago Chamber Orchestra and the orchestras of Winnipeg Canada, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Memphis, Detroit, San Antonio and Houston have performed his symphonic works.

Theron Kirk has held the national office of president of the American Choral Directors Association. He has taught as a visiting lecturer in the summer program at the University of Southern California, the University of Illinois, Central Missouri State University College and at the National Music Camp, Interlochen, Michigan, in the University of Michigan Music Division.

The music of Canadian-American composer Karim Al-Zand (b.1970) has been called “strong and startlingly lovely” (Boston Globe). His compositions are wide-ranging, from settings of classical Arabic poetry to scores for dance and pieces for young audiences. His works explore connections between music and other arts, and draw inspiration from diverse sources such as 19th century graphic art, fables of the world, folksong and jazz. The themes of many of his pieces speak to his middle-eastern heritage as well. Al-Zand’s music has enjoyed success in the US, Canada and abroad and he is the recipient of several national awards, including the Sackler Composition Prize, the ArtSong Prize and the Louisville Orchestra Competition Prize. He holds degrees from Harvard and McGill Universities and is currently on the faculty of the Shepherd School of Music (Rice University) in Houston. Al-Zand is also a founding member of Musiqa, Houston’s premiere contemporary music group, which presents concerts featuring new and classic repertoire of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

The music of Peter Lieuwen (b. 1953, Utrecht, The Netherlands) has been commissioned, performed and recorded by orchestras, small ensembles, and artists throughout North America and Europe. The composer has received honors, grants and awards from The National Orchestral Association (1991), Meet the Composer, Inc. (1986), League of Composers – ISCM (1987) Musicians Accord (1986), The Contemporary Record Society (1987), The Arts Council of Wales (1995, 1996, 1998), The Texas Composers Forum (1992) and Texas A&M University (1994, 2005).

Peter Lieuwen's symphonic music has been hailed as “an attractive array of shimmering, shuddering sonorities, making the most of minimal means” (The New York Times). His orchestral works have been introduced by such orchestras as The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Saint Louis Symphony, Pacific Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of the Americas, National Orchestral Association, Grosseto Symphony Orchestra (Italy), Kozalin State Philharmonic (Poland), Leipzig Academic Orchestra (Germany), Musicfest International Orchestra (Wales) and the Orchestra of the Swan (England). Renowned conductors including Carl St. Clair, Paul Freeman, Danielle Gatti, Szymon Kawalla Franz Krager, Jorge Mester and Andre Smith have presented his works.

The composer's chamber and vocal works have been presented by various artists and ensembles including The Ravel String Quartet, Western Arts Trio, New Mexico Winds, Moran Wind Quintet, The Core Ensemble, Ensemble Bash (UK), Third Angle Ensemble, clarinetist David Campbell (UK), percussionist Steven Schick, pianist Marc Andre Hamelin and violinist Andrzej Grabiec. Peter Lieuwen was the featured composer at the Aberystwyth International Music Festival in Wales (1995) and Artist in Residence at the same festival in 1996, 1997, 1998, and 2000.

Peter Lieuwen is currently Professor of Music and Composer-in-Residence in the Department of Performance Studies at Texas A&M University. His compositions are published by Lauren Keiser Music Publishing, and recorded on CRS,  Crystal, Pro Arte/Fanfare, New World, and VMM labels.