Schoenberg's "Rise" and Hindemith's Symphony in B-flat
THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.
HODGSON CONCERT HALL
Thursday, April 16, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.
Hodgson Concert Hall
UGA Performing Arts Center
University of Georgia Wind Ensemble
Nicholas Enrico Williams, Conductor
Angela Jones-Reus, Flute
Jordan M. Fansler, Doctoral Conducting Associate
Derik J. Wright, Doctoral Conducting Associate
PROGRAM
Bright Shadow Fanfare
In This Breath
Nicole Piunno
Li
The Bones of Mr. Fortune
Derik J. Wright, Doctoral Conducting Associate
Angela Jones-Reus, Flute
Hailstork Rise
I. Beginnings
II. Farewell Song
Jordan M. Fansler, Doctoral Conducting Associate
Adam Schoenberg
Symphony in B-flat
I. Moderately Fast, with Vigor
II. Andante Grazioso
III. Fugue (Rather Broad)
Paul Hindemith
Shuying
Adolphus
Bright Shadow Fanfare (2021) (2’30”)
Nicole Piunno (b.1985)
The intense contrast in Bright Shadow Fanfare refers to two possible meanings. It could mean bringing our darkness into the light in order to integrate it with our true self. It could also mean revealing our positive traits and gifts that we may not allow ourselves to show or give to others. Bright Shadow Fanfare highlights these dichotomies by contrasting a bombastic opening fanfare with a lyrical and soaring middle section. A driving rhythmic motive propels the otherwise lyrical central section, gradually takes over, and drives the piece towards its dramatic ending. - Program Note by the Composer
American composer Nicole Piunno holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in composition and a Master of Music degree in theory pedagogy from Michigan State University. Piunno has composed many works for winds, both for large ensemble and chamber ensembles. She describes herself as “a composer who views music as a vehicle for seeing and experiencing the realities of life. Her music often reflects the paradoxes in life and how these seeming opposites are connected as they often weave together.”
In This Breath (2025) (8’30”)
Shuying Li (b.1989)
“My nature is the nature of the cloud – the nature of no birth and no death. Just as it is impossible for a cloud to die, it’s impossible for me to die. I enjoy contemplating my continuation body, just as the cloud enjoys watching the rain fall and become the river far below. If you look closely at yourself, you will see how you too are continuing me in some way. If you breathe in and out, and you find peace, happiness, and fulfillment, you know I am always with you, whether my physical body is still alive or not. I am continued in my many friends, students, and monastic disciples.” –Thich Nhat Hanh, The Art of Living.
This book is a collection of the Vietnamese monk’s ruminations on life and death that guided my partner Glen Adsit through his personal struggles when confronted with his own mortality. As well as being my beloved life partner and musical collaborator, Glen was a beloved figure in the music community who touched the lives of countless collaborators and students. This piece is a tribute to Glen, the physical life we shared together, and the new life we share as I continue his legacy in my own way. It reflects the profound love and connection we share, both personally and through our collaborative musical endeavors…
-Program note by the Composer
Shuying Li is a Chinese-American pianist, composer, and conductor. She began her musical education in her native China at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, and in her sophomore year she won a scholarship to continue her studies at the Hartt School in Connecticut. She also holds doctoral and master’s degrees from the University of Michigan. Her composition teachers include Michael Daugherty, Evan Chambers, Ye Guohui, Robert Carl, and Larry Alan Smith. Additionally, Shuying has worked with Joseph Schwantner, Martin Bresnick, Christopher Theofanidis, and Steven Mackey. Li taught and directed the Composition and Music Theory program at Gonzaga University before joining the faculty at California State University, Sacramento, in the fall of 2022.
PROGRAM NOTES
The Bones of Mr. Fortune (2024) (11’00”)
Adolphus Hailstork (b.1941)
The Bones of Mr. Fortune was inspired by an enslaved man known as Mr. Fortune. Abused in life and death, Mr. Fortune was honored with an elaborate funeral more than 200 years after he died in Connecticut. Mr. Fortune was owned by Preserved Porter on a farm in Waterbury, Connecticut. When Fortune died in 1798, Porter, a bone surgeon, preserved his skeleton by having the bones boiled to study anatomy at a time when cadavers for medical study were disproportionately taken from slaves, servants, and prisoners.
One of Porter’s descendants gave the skeleton in 1933 to Mattatuck Museum in Watterbury, where it was displayed from the 1940s until 1970. I was taken by the bizarre story of Mr. Fortune and decided to use it at the stimulus for this work. - Program Note by the Composer
Adolphus Hailstork received his doctoral degree in composition from Michigan State University, where he was a student of H. Owen Reed. He had previously studied at the Manhattan School of Music, under Vittorio Giannini and David Diamond, at the American Institute at Fontainebleau with Nadia Boulanger, and at Howard University with Mark Fax.
Hailstork has written in a variety of genres, producing works for chorus, solo voice, piano, organ, various chamber ensembles, band, and orchestra. His early compositions include Celebration, recorded by the Detroit Symphony in 1976; and two works for band (Out of the Depths, 1977, and American Guernica, 1983), both of which won national competitions. Hailstork’s works have been performed by such prestigious ensembles as the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony, and the New York Philharmonic, under the batons of leading conductors such as James DePreist, Daniel Barenboim, Kurt Masur, and Lorin Maazel. Hailstork’s Second Symphony was commissioned by the Detroit Symphony. His second opera, Joshua’s Boots, was commissioned by the Opera Theatre of St. Louis and the Kansas City Lyric Opera.
Rise (2018) (9’30”)
Adam Schoenberg (b.1980)
Rise is a two-movement work commissioned by the California Wind Band Consortium.
Beginnings is designed to function as a long gradual crescendo. It begins with a rhythmic ostinato that becomes the driving force for the entire movement. As it progresses, the orchestration and overall intensity grows, ultimately creating an uplifting and optimistic ending.
Farewell Song is based on the final movement of my violin concerto, Orchard in Fog. This movement is meant to have a timeless feel, simultaneously serving as an atmospheric and pastorallandscape type of sonic experience, while also being imagined as a goodbye song to a loved one. - Program Note by the Composer
Adam Schoenberg earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree at The Juilliard School as a student of John Corigliano and Robert Beaser. He also received his Master of Music degree from The Juilliard and his Bachelor of Music degree from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. Named one of the Top 10 most performed living classical composers by orchestras in the United States [2017], Adam Schoenberg’s music is “invigorating” (Los Angeles Times) and full of “mystery and sensuality” (The New York Times).
PROGRAM NOTES
A committed educator, Schoenberg is on the composition faculty at the Herb Alpert School of Music at UCLA. He has given lectures and master classes for the Young Presidents’ Organization, Atlanta Symphony, The Juilliard School, Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Blair School of Music, and the Aspen Music Festival and School, among others. An accomplished and versatile film composer, Schoenberg has scored two feature-length films and several shorts.
Symphony in B-flat (1951) (18’15”)
Paul Hindemith (1895-1963)
Hindemith’s Symphony in B-flat was composed during his time in the United States, at the request of Lt. Col. Hugh Curry, leader of the United States Army Band, and was premiered by “Pershing’s Own” U.S. Army Band, on April 5, 1951, with Hindemith conducting. Featuring strong melodies, great contrapuntal writing, and complex rhythmic organization, variation, and texture, the symphony is another true pillar of the repertoire. This masterwork elevated the scope of content available to the concert band, opening the doors for future composers and offering free license to explore the genre, cementing the validity of the wind and percussion ensemble as a medium for serious music.
- Program Note by Andrew Grenci and Joel Baroody
Paul Hindemith was a German composer and educator. Hindemith studied conducting, composing, and violin with Arnold Mendelssohn and Bernhard Sekles at the Hoch Conservatory, supporting himself by playing in dance bands and musical-comedy troupes. From 1915 until 1923 he was the concertmaster of the Frankfurt Opera Orchestra, and in 1929 he founded the Amar Quartet, playing viola. He was instrumental in organising the Donaueschingen Festival, a new music festival that takes place every October in the small German town. The Donaueschingen Festival is the oldest festival for new music in the world. In the fifth year of the festival, Hindemith commissioned composers to write new works for winds, resulting in several ground-breaking compositions (amongst them Hindemith’s own Konzertmusik fur Blasorchester, Opus 41, Křenek’s Drei Lustige Märsche, and Toch’s Spiel für Blasorchester). Hindemith emigrated to the United States from Germany in 1940 and held teaching positions at Harvard and Yale Universities, becoming an American citizen in 1946. After World War II Hindemith relocated to Europe, taking a position at the University of Zurich.
Flute
Kimberly Bateman
Jadyn Hairston
Heesoo Jeong*
Madeline Shell
Oboe
Nora Avery*
Anisa Herbert*
Xander Herman
Ashlyn Long
Michelle Moeller*
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Jonathan Mack
Yash Mahadkar
Claudia Reve Romero
Ruiwen Su
Luis Umbelino
Pano Vlachos
Benjamin Yun
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Cindy Cheng*
Tarryn Goldner
Daniel Johnson
Nicholas Enrico Williams, conductor
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Aidan Eclavea
John Casey
Matheson
Bridget Sheridan*
Yun Qu Tan
Jon Erik Tripp
Horn
London Brooks
Baylee Cook*
Joseph Johnson*
Connor Parr*
Makenzie Shields
Anleah Walker
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Luke Barrett
Cameran Butryn*
Adriano Estraiotto
Tim Jackson
Tristian Pope
Will Tomaszewski*
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Sean Helms
Juwan Murphy
Thomas Pajares
Matthew Quach
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Trip Drennan
Jonah Madaris*
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Jared Barry*
Andrew Haynes
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Hunter Kane*
Jack Neja*
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Michael Farrick*
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Thomas Huff
Hsiao Huang*
David MacPherson*
Rachel Martin
Jack Sweeney
Dane Warren
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**Members of the University of Georgia Wind Ensemble are listed alphabetically to acknowledge each performer’s unique contribution to our shared artistic endeavors.
Nicholas Enrico Williams is a Professor of Music and serves as the Director of Bands at the University of Georgia, where he coordinates one of the country’s largest and most comprehensive university band programs, conducts the University of Georgia Wind Ensemble, and oversees the graduate wind band conducting area. Prior to his time in Athens, he was the Director of Wind Bands at the University of Melbourne Conservatorium of Music (Melbourne, Australia). Before venturing to Australia, Williams flourished for sixteen years as the Assistant Director of Wind Studies, the Conductor of the Wind Ensemble, Brass Band, and Concert Band, as well as the Director of Athletic Bands at the University of North Texas. For a decade, he was the Conductor of the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra Wind Symphony and continues to be a frequent guest conductor of the Dallas Winds (formerly Dallas Wind Symphony), one of America’s few professional civic wind bands. Professor Williams earned the Bachelor of Music (music education), MM (performanceconducting), and DMA (conducting) degrees from the University of North Texas.
Professor Williams has been a guest conductor with the Opole (Poland) Philharmonic Orchestra; the United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own”; United States Navy Band; United States Army Field Band; United States Air Force Band; Royal Australian Defence Force Bands; World Youth Wind Symphony at the Interlochen Arts Camp; Dallas Winds; Lone Star Wind Orchestra; at the annual Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, Illinois; the College Band Directors National Association national and regional conferences; the Texas Bandmasters Association Convention; and the Texas Music Educators Association Annual Clinic/Convention in San Antonio, Texas.
Angela Jones-Reus has been a member of the University of Georgia faculty since 2000, bringing to the Hugh Hodgson School of Music an international career marked by artistic excellence and versatility. She performed for two decades as a regular substitute with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, including on Sir Simon Rattle’s EMI Classics recording of Mahler’s Ninth Symphony, and previously served as Principal Flute of the Stuttgart Philharmonic. Her discography spans major labels such as EMI Classics, ECM, Naxos, and Koch International, including her acclaimed solo album Mostly French with The Virtuosi of Prague.
A sought-after performer, Jones-Reus has appeared as soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral flutist across Europe, Asia, South America, and North America, with engagements in China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and throughout Europe and the United States. From 2006–2023, she served as Principal Flutist of the Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra, and in 2021 she performed Mozart’s Flute and Harp Concerto with Atlanta Symphony harpist Elisabeth Remy Johnson at the Grand Teton Music Festival.
A committed advocate for contemporary music, she premiered Lowell Liebermann’s Trio for Flute, Saxophone, and Piano, written for her ensemble, the Yargo Trio, at the 2022 National Flute Association Convention.
The trio’s debut album, Voices Reimagined, was released on the Mark Masters label in 2017. Internationally active as chamber musician she has collaborated in many international festivals and concert series, including numerous performances with celebrated chamber music pioneer, Charles Wadsworth (founder of the Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society).
Jordan M. Fansler is a conductor and music educator, pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts at the University of Georgia. Fansler is a Doctoral Conducting Associate for UGA Bands, serving duties with the Wind Ensemble, Wind Symphony, Symphonic Band, University Band and the Redcoat Marching Band. He is a recipient of the University of Georgia Presidential Graduate Fellowship.
Prior to UGA, Jordan was a Graduate Assistant at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma. He was previously Director of Bands at Harold L. Richards High School in Oak Lawn, Illinois. Fansler earned his B.M.E. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and holds a M.M. in Wind Conducting from Oklahoma State University.
He considers his main musical influences Nicholas Enrico Williams, Bradley Genevro, Mike Fansler, Jack A. Eaddy Jr., Michael C. Robinson, Steve Peterson, Beth Peterson, and Professor Barry Houser. His professional affiliations include the National Association for Music Education, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity.
Derik J. Wright is a conductor, arranger/composer and music educator, pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts at the University of Georgia. Derik is a Doctoral Conducting Associate for UGA Bands, serving duties with the Wind Ensemble, Wind Symphony, Symphonic Band, and the Redcoat Marching Band.
Prior to UGA, Derik was a Graduate Assistant at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia where he earned the Master of Music in Wind Conducting. Derik serves as an arranger for the “Spartan Legion” Marching Band at Norfolk State University in Norfolk, Virginia where he also earned a Master of Music in composition & theory and a bachelor’s degree in music media. Derik was previously the band director at I.C. Norcom High School in Portsmouth, Virginia and has maintained activities as an educator and clinician with band programs in Virginia and Maryland.
Derik’s musical career can be attributed to his influential mentors such as Nicholas E. Williams, Jack A. Eaddy Jr., William L. Lake Jr., Anne Neikirk, Prof. William H. Beathea, Prof. Stephanie K. Sanders, Prof. Paul I. Adams, and Mr. Walter Harley. His professional affiliations include the National Association for Music Education, the Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors Association, the Society of Composers, Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.
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