Instrumentation: 2 tpt in C, hn, tbn, tba

Duration: 8'

World Premiere: 

March 16, 2019. CoLab Concert, University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance.

Michael Stern & Keenan Bakowski, trumpets; Dominic Hayes, horn; Zoe Cutler, trombone; Jacob Taitel, tuba

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Program Note:

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Over the last several months, I have been experiencing involuntary flashes of remembrance of the time my family and I stayed in Ürümqi, the capital of Xinjiang, many years ago. Interestingly enough, with each recollection I had, my nostalgic feelings gradually developed into a desire to write a piece of music associated with the place as I remembered it. What I found particularly intriguing about these echoes of past experiences is that, despite the fact that my visit to Xinjiang had taken place almost two decades ago, I could still vividly recall the distinct vibes felt off of that place. Vibes are an incredibly difficult thing to describe with words, so I was curious to see how that could be translated into music. This 8-minute piece written for brass quintet offers my perspective of Ürümqi, a bustling oasis in the midst of vast terrains of hostile and uninhabitable deserts, grasslands, salt lakes, and mountain ranges…  

 

-- Meilina Tsui

2019

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