Contemporary Art Music In Texas

Since the 1960s the contemporary art scene in Texas has developed impressively and the exciting new artforms from this State have reached a growing and appreciative audience. Museums have expanded the scope of their exhibitions, more artists and art patrons have come to live in the metropolitan areas, and the fierce independence of Texas art has been increasingly recognized. Now, in the 1990s, and for the first time, three generations of artists are working simultaneously alongside each other. Artists in Texas work in multiple modes and frequently with unorthodox materials, away from the theoretical and commercial art world epicenters of New York and Los Angeles. But the sheer size of Texas underscores the complexity of the art scene taken as a whole: contemporary art in Texas has a nuance that is all its own and reflects it historical myths, the dreams of its heroes, and the social and political realities which pertain in the 1990s. This book addresses all of these themes and provides an insightful overview of contemporary art in this unique part of the country.

With a population of close to 25 million and a size greater than many independent countries, Texas is home to an incredible variety of vibrant musical communities. Contemporary art music flourishes in disciplines ranging from experimentalism to concert music to film-scoring. While cataloguing the full extent of composing and performing in this diverse landscape would be a near-impossible task, it is our hope that this volume (and others that will follow) will begin to fill the conspicuous gap in the materials currently available. Our decision to focus this first edition on thirty representative composers, along with some organizations and academic degree programs, was simply a result of needing a practical and achievable place to start. Texas is home to world-class symphonies, opera and ballet companies, performing venues, and countless other performers and ensembles that regularly feature new works. We hope that future editions will allow us to expand to include these things, as well as additional information such as recordings available and competitions within the state. Featured in this book: Karin Al-Zand, Mary Jeanne van Appledorn, Larry Austin David Bithell Martin Blessinger Anthony K. Brandt BJ Brooks Peter Fischer Arthur Gottschalk Donald Grantham David Heuser Michael Horbit Pierre Jalbert Richard Lavenda Stephen Lias Peter Lieuwen John Mackey Marcus Karl Maroney Robert Nelson William Owens Russell Pinkston Wieslaw Rentowski Robert Xavier Rodriguez Yevgeniy Sharlat Rob Smith Kurt Stallmann Dan Welcher David Ashley White Steve Wiest Stephen Yip Contents on CD Cadence - Fantasy on Rhythms on Nick Angelis (2009) by BJ Brooks. Performed by West Texas A&M University Symphonic Band, Don LeFevre, conductor. Available from Octatone. 8:54*Whack! (1994) by Arthur Gottschalk. Performed by The Shepherd Percussion Ensemble, Richard Brown, director. 4:50Symphony for Winds and Percussion: Movement III, "Stomp" (2009) by Donald Grantham. Performed by the University of Texas Wind Ensemble, Jerry F. Junkin, conductor. Available from Piquant Press. 7:14Turbulent Blue (2009) by Jon Christopher Nelson. 9:27Four Observations for Saxophone Quartet: Movement 2, "Learning" (2008) by Walter Nichols. Performed by Walter Nichols. 3:26Concerto for Orchestra (2006) by Rob Smith. Performed by the Texas Music Festival Orchestra, Giuliano Silveri, conductor. 21:43Take This Hammer (2008) by Steven Snowden. Performed by Travis Pruitt and Kyle Rightly (euphoniums), and Mike Musick and Tony Rossi (tubas). Available from Talking Rocks Press. 5:47Ice-Nine (2009) by Steve Wiest. Performed by the North Texas One O'Clock Lab Band, Steve Wiest, director. Available from Walrus Music. 6:01* * Works selected to be presented at the 2011 ISCM World New Music Days in Zagreb, Croatia.

Texas Traditions brings together both historic and contemporary artists, showcasing their work in more than 200 images as colorful as the men and women who created them.