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The Euphonium Foundation Commissioning Project
Mission Statement of the Euphonium Foundation
The purpose of the Euphonium Foundation is to promote and enhance the position of the euphonium as a musical instrument by providing more focused exposure through support of commissions that specifically target high profile composers to write for the instrument in a variety of mediums. The Euphonium Foundation is a non-profit 501 (c)(3). Tax deductible donations can be made to support the operations. No staff or officers of the Euphonium Foundation are paid. All work and consultations are provided on a voluntary basis.
NOTE: There will be many questions about the entire commissioning process and it can be a complicated path. However, we hope to make it as easy as possible and also answer as many questions in the text below. Please read it thoroughly and feel free to ask any questions.
My Personal Statement
One of my favorite activities for the euphonium involves helping to produce and commission new works for the euphonium. Since my first endeavors during my undergraduate work at the University of Georgia, I have commissioned or had created more than 60 arrangements and compositions involving the euphonium. It has been quite a lot of work!! Most importantly, it has produced some very fine repertoire for the euphonium including the Euphonium Concerto by Allen Feinstein, Winner of the 2006 Harvey Phillips Composition Award presented by ITEA and works on the CDs Taking Flight and Beyond the Horizon (Volumes 1 and 2).
To continue to help build a greater community among players and teachers around the world, I wanted to expand and get more people involved in this process. Another successful community project was the Consortium Commission of Kevin Kaska to compose a Concertino for Euphonium. We had 10 wind bands from around the globe take part in that endeavor.
As I thought about how to branch out the commission opportunities further, I wanted to offer other players the opportunity to take part in these commissions so they can feel a great sense of OWNERSHIP in the future development of the euphonium's repertoire. So thus began THE EUPHONIUM FOUNDATION. An official not-for-profit 501(c)(3), the Euphonium Foundation can receive TAX DEDUCTIBLE donations.
We have 4 projects for 2008 that involve a number of composers including a solo and tuba euphonium quartet work by Eric Ewazen, a solo work by Roland Szentpali, and a set of fanfares for tuba euphonium quartet by young composers Tim Jansa, Ken Friedrich, Chris Tucker, and David Dover.
Membership levels begin at $45!!! A bargain to be a part of helping to create GREAT new music for the euphonium and tuba. So please get involved, join the movement, and spread the good word!!
How the Consortium Commission Process Works
Because many of the best composers work full time composing music as their profession, they require that they must be paid accordingly. Some composers charge $500 for a piece, others will compose for free, others will require a payment of $1,000 or $2,000 per MINUTE of music. As an individual this can be a daunting task to financially support these larger scale works. Thus the concept of a CONSORTIUM COMMISSION.
By pooling resources and having a large number of members, the consortium commission makes it much more possible to commission large scale works and attract bigger name composers. These works require a large amount of funds to commission top quality repertoire.
By running this process through an official non-profit, it also allows your contributions to be a tax deduction and in a few minor cases, we can apply for a VERY limited number of grants. It also adds great weight to the overall endeavor.
Our hope for the consortium commission involves offering players and teachers the opportunity to be involved in helping commission new music for the euphonium and tuba. While our primary focus will be euphonium works, we will still try to regularly feature the tuba in chamber settings.
Our concept is to create an ANNUAL contribution for specific projects each year. Each June-August, we will have a "membership drive" and advertisement of composers that will be composing works for that year.
Commission Projects for 2009
Tony DiLorenzo
Commission a piano reduction of his new work work for euphonium, horn and band entitlted Gemini. A 10 minute showpiece for both soloists and band. This will add to the amount of quality chamber repertoire for the euphonium. that is badly needed. This will be the most challenging of the 2009 works and will be aimed at advanced players at the undergraduate and graduate levels for both the euphonium and horn parts.
Allen Feinstein
Compose a Sonata for euphonium and piano approximately 8-10 minutes in length aimed at an approachable skill level for undergraduate, advanced high school and excellent amateur players. The piece will be in three movements.
Bruce Fraser
Compose a single movement work for euphonium and piano approximately 6-7 minutes in length aimed at an approachable skill level for undergraduate, advanced high school and excellent amateur players.
About Tony DiLorenzo
Emmy Award winning composer and trumpeter Anthony DiLorenzo, has established himself as one of the most exciting up and coming artists of today. Anthony grew up in Stoughton Massachusetts where he studied trumpet at age eight with teacher Ron Christianson. As an accomplished composer, Anthony's music is performed throughout the world by symphony orchestras and chamber groups, including The San Francisco Symphony, The New World Symphony, The Louisiana Philharmonic, The Utah Symphony, The Tokyo Symphony, and The Boston Pops Orchestra. The Burning River Brass Ensemble under the direction of Fezza Zweifel, regularly performs His works in their concerts. You can also hear his music weekly on ABC's College Football, Ice Skating, Horse racing and countless cues for ESPN, HBO, FOX and numerous campaigns for NBC. For the past twelve years Anthony has composed more than 80 film trailers, from Toy Story The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Red Dragon, The Lost World, Final Fantasy, Fools Gold, Bee Story to The Simpsons movie in 3D. Recently, Anthony was commissioned by conductor Naoto Otomo and the Tokyo Symphony to compose a concerto grosso for Brass Quintet and orchestra. The quintet titled Chimera was performed by the world famous Center City Brass Quintet and received rave reviews.
As a trumpet player, in 1984 and 1985, Anthony won both New York and Boston's Young Artist competitions, which led to solo performances with The New York Philharmonic and The Boston Symphony Orchestra. At age 14, Anthony studied with Roger Voisin at The Tanglewood Music Center, while attending the Boston University Tanglewood Institute. Later, at age 17 with the Tanglewood Fellowship Orchestra, he received The Harry Shapiro Award for most outstanding Brass Player, and was nominated by Leonard Bernstein for the Avery Fisher Career Grant Award. Anthony continued his next three summers of study with the National Repertory Orchestra in Breckenridge Colorado where he met conductor Carl Topilow. It was here that Anthony combined both talents of trumpet and composition, and composed his first work for orchestra titled Heroic Fanfare. He received his Bachelor of Music Degree from The Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with Philadelphia Orchestra principal trumpet, Frank Kaderabek. Since graduating, Anthony has held principal trumpet positions with The San Francisco Symphony, Santa Fe Opera, The New World Symphony, The Utah Symphony, The Cincinnati Symphony, The Seattle Symphony, The Pacific Symphony and second trumpet with the Philadelphia Orchestra. Well known for being able to cross over from classical to jazz, Anthony recently soloed with Keith Lockhart and the Boston Symphony Orchestra performing some of the great Harry James Classics. You can also hear his trumpet playing on over 70 films and countless TV commercials, sports and news themes throughout the world. You can hear Anthony live with The Center City Brass Quintet and the chamber group Proteus 7. Both record frequently and have recordings available on The Chandos and Dorian record labels.
About Allen Feinstein
Allen Feinstein is on the faculty at Northeastern University, where he teaches composition, instrumentation and notation, music theory, and music history. He founded the University Orchestra, and is director of the band program.
Feinstein's Swimming the Mountain: Concerto for Euphonium and Orchestra was recorded by the New Zealand Symphony and Adam Frey, guest soloist for the Boston Pops, for the MSR Classical Label, and released in June 2007. The concerto won the prestigious Harvey Phillips Award for compositional excellence from the International Tuba Euphonium Association for the best work written for the instrument between 2002 and 2006. Recent performances of the concerto include March, April, and May 2009 concerts in Spain, Iowa and Indiana.
Feinstein composed a score to D.W. Griffith's silent short film Voice of the Violin, for Treasures 3, a project of the National Film Preservation Foundation. He also orchestrated the full-length film Where Are My Children? for that DVD compilation, which was released in October 2007. He also served as conductor for those film scores. The DVD set was on many 'best of' lists for 2007, including those of The New York Times, Time Magazine, and The New Yorker.
He has written several narrated works for children's concerts, including The Little Engine That Could (narrated in its premiere by Tom and Ray Magliozzi of NPR’s Car Talk), and C D B based on a book by William Steig, author of Shrek. Other works include a concerto for bassoon, a concerto for violin, and numerous songs, works for orchestra and band, brass fanfares and chamber works.
Feinstein is also a composer of musicals. His show At Swim Two Boys (based on the 2001 novel by Irish author Jamie O'Neill) was professionally produced in Boston in 2007. He is Music Supervisor of Harvard University's Hasty Pudding Theatricals, where he guides the creation of the score to the group's annual full-length musical, and coordinates the efforts of student composers and lyricists, professional arrangers, orchestrators and music directors. At Harvard he is also music director of the Harvard Pops Orchestra, a unique ensemble that creates theatrical evenings of orchestral music featuring original scores, classic silent films, comedy, and original films in the context of themed concerts woven together by original plays.
Feinstein's compositions have been performed by the Milwaukee Symphony, Virginia Symphony, Banda Municipal de Jaen (Spain), US Army Orchestra, Eugene Symphony, Akron Symphony, the University of Connecticut Wind Ensemble (winner of Downbeat Magazine's "Best Classical" college ensemble), Chicago Youth Symphony, and many other bands and orchestras. His compositions are published by Euphonium.com, Maestro and Fox Music, and Larkfield Music.
About Bruce Fraser
Bruce Fraser has established a reputation as a multi-faceted composer with Lomond Music's range of titles for young brass and wind bands, test pieces at all levels and a range of arrangements for the Swiss publishers Obrasso, Difem and Musikverlag Frank. He has also a vast number of titles for wind band published mainly by G&M Brand, Studio Music and Gobelin Music. He has composed many commissions for a variety of groups, including a Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra for John Wallace and the Fife Youth Orchestra and SUN for BBC Young Brass player Katrina Marzella.
As a conductor he has been conducting brass bands, choirs and wind bands for over thirty years. As an adjudicator he has appeared at many Music Festivals, Brass Band Competitions and Wind Band Festivals throughout the UK and Europe. He took early retirement as Head of Music at Buckhaven High School in 2007 and is developing his career as a composer, conductor and adjudicator. His Brass band work IMPERIUM was selected as the Third Section National Test Piece at Harrogate in September 2007. He has plans for further test pieces and works for band. His work, HELLAS for Trombone and Piano was the set piece for the British Trombone Society competition for young players, and he was commissioned to write TWIN SLIDES for Brett Baker of the famous Black Dyke Mills Band.
Please note: Every effort will be made to deliver the works in a timely fashion, but we of course do not want to rush creativity and accuracy. We do not have complete control of the composers.Our hope is for August
Support Levels and Benefits for 2009
Silver - $50
Name listed in program notes and on website
Complimentary copy of 1 of the 3 works commissioned
Gold - $75
Name listed in program notes and on website
Complimentary copy of 2 of the 3 works commissioned
Platinum - $100
Name listed in program notes and on website
Complimentary copy of all 3 works commissioned
Benefactor - More than $100
Name listed in program notes and on website in a special Benefactors Section
Complimentary copy of all 3 works commissioned for 2009
All commission members will receive performance notes that might include practice and performance insights from professionals as well as insights from the composer.
The Long Term View of The Euphonium Foundation Consortium Commission from 2011 and Beyond
It takes years to commissions many well-known composers and it often requires a significant lead time to allow them to work the commission into their schedule. While this may daunt many people, this is a GREAT sign the composer is in high demand and good things are worth the wait. So there is significant planning and work that must be taken into account.
While the consortium already has a clear picture of who will be commissioned in the next 2 years, it will be necessary for members to help find the next great composers. Each year, the consortium members will be polled for name and genre submissions for future commissions. A Commissioning Advisory Board of 5 members that will be made up of top level players and conductors will review submissions annually. The CAB will create a short-list of 3 names and options that will be submitted to the members to vote.
In the long term, the commissions will be premiered by a variety of players and or be premiered as Consortium Premiere. The way a consortium premiere works is that over a period of time (such as 6 months), each member of the consortium has the right to perform the work and call that first performance a "Consortium World Premeire." With the planning of commissions for 2008 and 2009, these have mainly been determined already.
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