Spring concert showcases UCLA students’ musical talents

  PRIYA SHARMA/Daily Bruin Catherine
Schult plays the flute during the UCLA Wind Ensemble’s
rehearsal for its spring concert.

By Michael Rosen-Molina
Daily Bruin Senior Staff

Spring is in the air.

The season is definitely upon campus as the UCLA Wind Ensemble
and Symphonic Band join forces to put on the annual spring concert
tonight at Royce Hall.

While the wind ensemble is comprised mainly of music students,
the symphonic band consists of 85 people from various areas of
study.

“There are a lot of people who major in chemical
engineering and other non-musical subjects,” said graduate
conducting student Kevin McKeown. “They work really hard, and
it’s a good way for them to release stress.”

McKeown said that the music students do not necessarily have an
unfair advantage over students from other disciplines, however, as
many play “secondary” instruments.

“For example, a student of the trumpet might try his hand
at the French horn or saxophone instead,” said graduate
conducting student David Brennan.

The evening’s selection will mostly be conducted by
graduate students honing their skills. Assistant conductors David
Brennan and Christopher Florio are working toward masters degrees
in conducting, while Kevin McKeown and Able Ramirez are both
studying for their doctorates.

This year’s concert will feature the West Coast premiere
of faculty composer Ian Kraus’ “Cronica * del Ultimo
Año Enlavida de un Mexicano.” This concerta piece is
designed to be played by seven percussion instruments and a large
wind ensemble.

“It’s almost as much a visual feature as a musical
one,” Brennan said. “The percussionists play every
known percussion instrument … and some that might be
unknown.”

The percussionists each set up at their own stations, arranged
in an arc across the stage from one front corner of the stage to
the opposite back corner. Each percussionist will play multiple
instruments, as many as five, during the performance.

The night will also feature the world premiere of graduate
composition student Bruno Louchouarn’s “Puentes
(Bridges),” a Latin-influenced piece for brass and percussion
that draws on the rhythm of the cha-cha.

“It’s in memory of Tito Puente,” Louchouarn
said. “He was a composer and drummer. In this piece, there
are no drums; it’s sort of a homage to Puente. The parts that
would normally be performed on drums are stylized through other
instruments like xylophones or bells. There will be one little drum
roll at the end, almost a wink.”

Composer, timbala player and band leader Tito Puente, “The
King of Latin Music,” passed away last June. Puente’s
“Oye como va” was covered by Santana, helping to
increase awareness toward Latin music.

“The challenge was to find something catchy and accessible
that has character,” Louchouarn said. “It starts off
simple, but then builds up almost like a dance. It’s very
modern; it takes inspiration from outside classical music. I wanted
to do something Latin that would still sound serious.”

McKeown will conduct two of the evening’s pieces,
“Puentes” and Darius Milvo’s “La Creation
Du Monde (The Creation of the World).”

“It’s a way of bridging our concerts and keeping it
all together,” McKeown said, describing the meaning of the
name “Bridges.” “It’s a way of bringing
people into the concert.”

In addition, the night’s selection will also contain
several solo performances of older fare, such as Alexander
Arutiunian’s “Concerto for Trumpet and Symphonic
Band,” performed by undergraduate student Michael Gorham.
Alto saxophonist Brennan will also give a solo performance in
Milvo’s “La Creation Du Monde.”

“Milvo was a French composer back in the ’20s who
was just blown away by Harlem jazz,” McKeown said. “He
went home to France, where he tried to recreate the sound for his
fellow Frenchmen. He was a classical composer trying to capture a
jazz flare while still maintaining the style of classical
composition.”

This year’s concert will differ from previous years in
that it will be held in Royce Hall.

“This is very exciting,” McKeown said. “Not
too many students get the chance to perform there; we have to be
very careful and very precise with the instruction we give to the
crew. We don’t want anything to go wrong.”

“This is exciting and eclectic,” McKeown continued.
“The school should be proud of their ensemble’s
accomplishments. It’s a great opportunity for people around
campus to learn what different parts of the school do. Everyone
already knows what the basketball team or the athletic department
does, but this is a good showcase to show what the school of arts
does.”

MUSIC: The UCLA Wind Ensemble and the UCLA
Symphonic Band perform the Spring Wind Concert on Wednesday, May 23
at 8 p.m. in Royce Hall Auditorium. For ticketing information
contact the Central Ticket Office at (310) 825-2101.