It’s a proud moment when former students from your youth orchestra end up performing solo concertos next to you on stage. Aloïs Jolliet will perform the Ralph Vaughan Williams Tuba Concerto with the Berner Musikkollegium this weekend. Elgar and Parry round of this ‘Very British’ programme full of romantic harmonies and fish and chips.
The World Premiere of “Four Seasons on a Hill” for Wind Band will be taking place next weekend. The work was commissioned by “Blasorchester Vivace” for the 2024 edition of this wonderful symphonic Band.
The World Premiere of “Four Seasons on a Hill” for Wind Band will be taking place next weekend. The work was commissioned by “Blasorchester Vivace” for the 2024 edition of this wonderful symphonic Band.
The Gurten is a hill overlooking Bern, Switzerland which can be enjoyed year round. This four-movement work depicts how the weather, flora and fauna change throughout the year and more specifically, the activities and feelings which these differing seasons evoke.
- The work opens with “Spring : Joyful Energy”, with the flowers growing and colour returning to nature. This joyous march, first in 2/4 and later in 6/8, reflects the smile on everyone’s faces during these joyous few months.
- The second movement, “Summer : Lazy Afternoon”, is a picnic under the shade of a tree, lazing around and enjoying a soft summer breeze. Two birds dance around in the branches.
- “Autumn : Storm” follows, with tumultuous rumblings of thunder and gusts of wind which reach their climax in a short Bitonal passage. The storm soon subsides and snow begins to fall. Church bells ring und the music continues without a break into the final movement.
-“Winter : Sledging”, is a playful Finale, with children and adults alike swerving past each other and enjoying the joy of whizzing down the hill at tremendous speeds
Other works in the concert include: Sons of the Midnight Sun - Timo Forsttröm, Indiana Jones Selection - John Williams, The River Seneca - Rossano Galante and Summertime by George Gershwin.
A symphony orchestra concert that will explore the known and the unknown.
Leo Smit‘s Concerto for Harp and Orchestra is a hidden gem and our solist, Florence Meister interprets it fantastically.
Dvorak‘s Symphony No. 9 „New World“ Symphony is an absolute master piece and has something in it for everyone. The themes will stay with you long after the concert has finished.
As always the musicians at the university orchestra Bern are doing an amazing job and creating magic with every note. Come and join us!
In January I was appointed musical director of the “Berner Musikkollegium”, an excellent amateur symphony orchestra in Bern. This coming Friday will be the first concerts with Bizet, Schubert and Mozart and it promises to be a beautiful evening!
The concert will be opened by the youth string orchestra from the musical school in Zollikofen/Bremgarten.
A fun summer music festival in Wollerau next Saturday with a whole day of amazing concerts!
During the day there will be concerts by the renowned Blaskapelle ‘Etzel-Kristall’, the area youth wind band ‘Jugendblasorchester Höfe’ and various ensembles from the music school. In the evening we, the ‘Musikverein Verena Wollerau’, will be presenting a enjoyable programme together with the Gospelchor Wädenswil. After that the gala band ‘Bluejam’ will get everyone up off of their seats dancing.
Come and join us!
An original work for wind band performed here at the premiere by the wonderful band ‘Projektorchester Berner Oberland’.
Lake Dance was inspired by the beauty of Lake Thun and the energy of the people that live around it. The different tonal colours and characters of the dances depict the waves on the lake at various times of the day, beginning with a calm and atmospheric sunrise and finishing with a joyously energetic sunset.
If you are interested, the sheet music is available in the wind band shop
Wind Band music at it’s finest this coming Sunday in the Nydeggkirche, Bern. A joint concert which will bring together the Stadtmusik Bern and Musikverein Verena Wollerau.
I’m especially looking forward to this because it combines many of my different areas of work: the Symphonic Wind Band from Wollerau, a guitar solo in Egmont (one of my very talented students is playing it!), my home town of Bern and one of my compositions, written especially for this concert!