Palatine Concert Band to perform World Premier Composition
The Palatine Concert Band, under the direction of Dr. Frederick Lowe, is pleased to announce its annual Spring concert will take place at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday May 1, at the Cutting Hall Performing Arts Center, 150 E. Wood St., in Palatine.
Our music will have a decided Latin and Spanish theme in celebration of Cinco de Mayo, and we are extremely excited to present the World Premier of Tango, de Antaño a Hogaño, by Daniel French, a commissioned piece in honor of the Band's 60th Anniversary. The translation is Tango, From the Past to the Present. When asked about his work with Dr. Lowe and the Palatine Concert Band, Mr. French commented, "I had been kicking around the idea of a Tango for wind band, a kind of sultry dance with quick turns and acrobatic solo lines. When Dr. Lowe approached me about writing a piece to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Palatine Concert Band, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to try it."
The remaining compositions on the concert program will include La Fiesta Mexicana (H. Owen Reed), Conga Del Fuego Nuevo (Arturo Márquez arr. Nickel), Volver a la Montaña (Shelley Hanson), and La Procession du Rocio (Joaquin Turina, arr. A. Reed).
Tickets are $8.00 for adults, $5.00 for student/seniors, and children 12 and under are free. Tickets are available online at www.cuttinghall.org, or at the Cutting Hall Box Office, 150 East Wood Street, Palatine; (847) 202-5222. Further information about the band can be found online at www.palatineconcertband.org, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/palatineconcertband.
Daniel French (b. 1988, Rockford, IL) is a composer whose diverse body of work includes music for orchestras, wind bands, chamber ensembles, and the voice. Mr. French has a particular affinity for the American wind band and writes for ensembles at all levels. Mr. French studied composition with Richard Danielpour at the Manhattan School of Music, where he earned his Bachelor's in Music Composition. Mr. French is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Music Composition at the University of California, Los Angeles where he studies with Ian Krouse and Paul Chihara.
Mr. French's music receives regular performances in venues across North America under conductors including Jack Stamp, David Gilbert, John Carnahan, Mitch Fennell, and Travis Cross, among others. One of Mr. French's original compositions, As One Listens To The Rain (2011) has been performed over 200 times. In 2012, Mr. French was the winner of the National Children's Chorus National Composition Contest for his cantata 'Till Daybreak (2011). Mr. French has also composed other commissioned works, including one for Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Rime & Ballast (2014). Mr. French serves regularly as guest conductor and clinician and maintains an active private studio.