Composer, Adrian Gordon

Adrian Gordon is an internationally performed composer and seasoned music educator. In addition to teaching, Mr. Gordon is a composer with Alfred Music as well as the founder of Leap Year Music Publishing, which publishes string music for elementary, middle, and high school ensembles. His compositions appear on the California, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, and Texas Orchestra Association Music Performance Reading Lists. He is also the author of the book, Note to Self; A Music Director’s Guide for Transitioning to a New School and Building a Thriving Music Program.

Adrian received his B.A. in music from the University of Miami, and his master’s degree in music education at Florida International University. Born and raised in Miami, Florida, Adrian currently resides in Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife and their two sons and serves as the Director of Orchestras at Providence Day School.

Composer, Brian Balmages

Impulse is a fun beginning orchestra piece that teaches students to master the art of playing with expression.

Brian Balmages is known worldwide as a composer and conductor who equally spans the worlds of orchestral, band, and chamber music. His music has been performed by groups ranging from professional symphony orchestras to elementary schools in venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Sydney Opera House, Toronto Centre for the Arts, and many more. He is a recipient of the A. Austin Harding Award from the American School Band Directors Association, won the 2020 NBA William D. Revelli Composition Contest with his work Love and Light, and was awarded the inaugural James Madison University Distinguished Alumni Award from the School of Visual and Performing Arts. In the same year, he was commissioned by his other alma mater, the University of Miami, to compose music for the inauguration of the institution’s 6th president, Dr. Julio Frenk. His music was also performed as part of the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service, which was attended by both President Obama and Vice President Biden.

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As a conductor, Mr. Balmages enjoys regular engagements with all-state and regional ensembles as well as university and professional groups throughout the world. Notable guest conducting appearances have included the Midwest Clinic, Western International Band Clinic, Maryborough Music Conference (Australia), College Band Directors Conference, American School Band Directors Association National Conference, numerous state ASTA conferences, Teatro dell’Aquila (Italy), and others. He is an elected member of the American Bandmasters Association and has taught instrumental conducting at Towson University where he also served as Assistant Director of Bands and Orchestras. Currently, he is Director of MakeMusic Publications and Digital Education for Alfred and MakeMusic.

Composer Kathryn Griesinger

Kathryn Griesinger (b. 1979) received her B.A. (cello) and M.M. (music education) degrees from the University of Akron in Ohio, where she later taught string pedagogy courses as adjunct faculty. She taught orchestra in Lake Local private and public schools for 13 years, while freelancing as an arranger and cellist. Her original works and arrangements for string orchestra have been published by FJH, Wingert-Jones, Carl Fischer, Highland-Etling, Kjos, Kendor, Grand Mesa, and Ludwig-Masters. Kathryn also authored String Training, pedagogical theory and technique worksheets for beginning strings. She composes sight-reading music for district music festivals, as well as commissioned pieces. She is a frequent guest conductor, clinician at national conventions such as ASTA (American String Teacher Association), and presenter at state music conferences. Kathryn is currently the Orchestra Editor for J.W. Pepper and Wingert-Jones Publications in Pennsylvania. 

Composer, Adrian Gordon

Adrian Gordon is an internationally performed composer and seasoned music educator. In addition to teaching, Mr. Gordon is a composer with Alfred Music as well as the founder of Leap Year Music Publishing, which publishes string music for elementary, middle, and high school ensembles. His compositions appear on the California, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, and Texas Orchestra Association Music Performance Reading Lists. He is also the author of the book, Note to Self; A Music Director’s Guide for Transitioning to a New School and Building a Thriving Music Program.

Adrian received his B.A. in music from the University of Miami, and his master’s degree in music education at Florida International University. Born and raised in Miami, Florida, Adrian currently resides in Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife and their two sons and serves as the Director of Orchestras at Providence Day School.

Composer, Camille Saint-Seans.  Arranged by Carrie Lane Gruselle

"Carnival of the Animals" is a fun and lively piece of music by composer Camille Saint-Saëns. It features 14 short movements, each one representing a different animal or group of animals. For example, there's music that mimics the graceful movements of swans, the hopping of kangaroos, and the playful sounds of fossils. It’s a playful and imaginative musical journey that brings animals to life through sound. 

"March of the Royal Lions" from Saint-Saëns' Carnival of the Animals is a regal and stately piece that depicts the grandeur of lions. With its bold, majestic rhythms and dramatic brass fanfares, the music captures the dignity and power of these 'royal' creatures as they stride confidently through their domain. The march's imperial feel evokes an image of lions as noble and commanding rulers of the animal kingdom. 

Camille Saint-Saëns (1835–1921) was a French composer, pianist, and conductor, known for his contributions to classical music in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in Paris, he showed exceptional musical talent from a young age, performing public concerts as a child prodigy. Saint-Saëns was a well-rounded musician, composing symphonies, operas, concertos, and chamber music.

Some of his most famous works include "The Carnival of the Animals," a fun and lively suite for orchestra, and his "Organ Symphony," which is renowned for its grand use of the organ. He was also an influential teacher and wrote music theory books. Saint-Saëns was known for his technical skill and ability to blend traditional French elegance with bold, innovative sounds.

Throughout his life, he traveled widely, gaining international recognition. Though his music fell out of favor in some circles later in life, Saint-Saëns is now considered one of the most important composers of his time.

Carrie Lane Gruselle coaches Chamber Music for young musicians at the Lawrence Community Music School in Appleton, Wisconsin. She is a past president of the Wisconsin Chapter of the American String Teachers Association and former lead teacher for the Lawrence University String Project, a teacher training program for college students. She is co-author of the FJH method series: Measures of Success® for Strings, as well as Superior Strings in Sixteen Weeks, and is a consultant for the FJH string catalogue. Her arrangements and compositions are studied and performed regularly worldwide.

Carrie is retired from teaching strings for the Appleton Area School District. She previously taught with Northeast Wisconsin Talent Education, a Suzuki emphasis school, in Green Bay. Her performing experience includes the Green Bay Symphony and the Fox Valley Symphony.

She holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from UW-Eau Claire and a Masters of Music Education with Suzuki Emphasis from UW-Stevens Point.

Composer Eric Ewazen

American composer Eric Ewazen wrote Four Royal Dances in 1991 after spending time in Great Britain and being inspired by the country's royal history. The piece depicts the characters in each movement's title.  

   Eric Ewazen was born in 1954 in Cleveland, Ohio. Receiving a B.M. At the Eastman School of Music, and M.M. and D.M.A. degrees from The Juilliard School, his teachers include Milton Babbitt, Samuel Adler, Warren Benson, Joseph Schwantner and Gunther Schuller. He is a recipient of numerous composition awards and prizes. His works have been commissioned and performed by many soloists, chamber ensembles and orchestras in the U.S. and overseas. His works are recorded on Summit Records, d'Note Records, CRS Records, New World, Clique Track, Helicon, Hyperion, Cala, Albany and Emi Classics. Two of his solo CD's featuring his chamber music are available on Well-Tempered Productions. Three additional solo CD's, one featuring his orchestral music, another his music for low brass instruments, and a third, his music for string orchestra, are available on Albany Records. A sixth solo Cd of his music for percussion is available on Resonator Records. New World Records has released his concerto for brass quintet, "Shadowcatcher" with the American Brass Quintet and The Juilliard Wind Ensemble, conducted by Mark Gould of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Individual works of Eric Ewazen have recently been released by the Ahn Trio, Julie Giacobassi of the San Francisco Symphony, Charles Vernon of the Chicago Symphony, Koichiro Yamamoto of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Ronald Barron of the Boston Symphony, Doug Yeo of the Boston Symphony, Steve Witser of the Cleveland Orchestra, Joe Alessi and Philip Smith of the New York Philharmonic, the Horn Section of the New York Philharmonic, the Summit Brass Ensemble and the American Brass Quintet. His music is published by Southern Music Company, International Trombone Association Manuscript Press, Keyboard Publications, Manduca Music, Encore Music, Triplo Music, and Brass Ring Editions. Recent works include "Legacy" commissioned for the Bi-Centennial of West Point and performed by the USMA Band in Carnegie Hall and "Flight", commissioned by the USAF Heritage of America Band at Langley AFB, VA, celebrating the 100th anniversary of powered flight. Recent premieres of his Orchestral and Wind Ensemble works have been given by the Charleston (SC) Symphony, West Virginia Symphony, Orquesta Sinfonica de Tenerife in Spain, Orquesta Sinfonica Carlos Chavez in Mexico City, Orchestre de la Garde Republicaine in Paris, the Jeju Music Festival Wind Ensemble in Korea and the Moment Musicale Orchestra of Taiwan. Recent Wind ensemble premieres include his Bassoon Concerto for the University of Florida, a Euphonium Concerto (for Robert Grechesky and the Butler University Wind Ensemble), �Visions of Light� for Joseph Alessi and the Indiana University Wind Ensemble. He was also commissioned to write a Trumpet Concerto, "Danzante", for Allen Vizzutti by CBDNA which was premiered in Reno, NV in March, 2004 by the Intercollegiate Wind Ensemble. In January �Southern Landscapes� was premiered by the University of Georgia Wind Ensemble at the GMEA in Savannah. Orchestral performances of Mr. Ewazen's music have recently been given by the Juilliard Symphony, Stow Chamber Orchestra (OH), Flower Mound Chamber Orchestra (TX), Birmingham (UK) Philharmonic, Illinois Symphony, Israel Symphony Orchestra Rishon Le'Zion, Honolulu Symphony, Mankato (MN) Symphony and the Everett (WA) Symphony. He has been a guest at almost 100 Universities and colleges throughout the world in recent years including, Curtis, Eastman, Peabody, Indiana U., UCLA, U. of Texas, U. of Hawaii, Birmingham (UK) Conservatory, the Conservatory of Santa Cruz (Spain) and Boston Conservatory. During the past season, he has been a guest at Appalachian State U., Tenn. Tech. U., Murray State, U. of MI, Emory University, Laval University in Quebec, U. of GA, U. of Washington in Seattle, Rutgers, Butler U., University of Northern Iowa, Brevard College, U. of MI and Cal. Poly Tech. Also during the past season, his music has been performed by the Orchestre National de Lille in France, the Milano Classica Sinfonica in Italy, the Brisbane Philharmonic in Australia, South Arkansas Symphony, Stow Chamber Orchestra, the Midland-Odessa Symphony, and in June he will be a guest at the 2005 International Trumpet Guild Festival, held at Mahidol University in Bangkok, Thailand, where his Rhapsody for trumpets and orchestra will be premiered by the Bangkok Philharmonic. In July he will be a guest at the WASBE (World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles) in Singapore, where his music will be performed by the University of Florida. During the 2005-2006 season, the Alabama Symphony will be premiering a song cycle for Soprano and Orchestra, the U. of NC-Pembroke will be premiering a new work for chorus and wind ensemble, and there will be concerts of his music in the Loire Valley in France in April, 2006. He has been lecturer for the New York Philharmonic's Musical Encounters Series, Vice-President of the League of Composers--International Society of Contemporary Music, and Composer-In-Residence with the Orchestra of St. Luke's in New York City. He has been a faculty member at Juilliard since 1980.

This is a traditional Folk Song arranged by Jorge Vargas

"La Bruja" is a traditional Mexican folk song that tells the story of a witch who takes a man hostage. The song is a favorite of mariachi groups and is a good introduction to folk songs from Veracruz.  

Jorge L. Vargas (b.1971) is a Mexican American composer, arranger, and clinician. Mr. Vargas holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from The University of Texas-San Antonio and a Master’s Degree in Education from Lamar University. He currently teaches at Memorial Junior High in Eagle Pass, TX, where he directs the concert band and the mariachi group, and he coordinates the beginner classes.

Mr. Vargas has written and arranged for concert band, marching band, string orchestra, and mariachi ensemble. Many of his works appear on several state and festival lists. Mr Vargas’ music has been selected to the J.W. Pepper Editor’s Choice list and Bandworld Magazine’s Top 100, and several of his works have been featured at the Midwest Clinic in Chicago.

Mr Vargas was born in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico, and currently resides in Eagle Pass, TX, with his wife Adriana, a 5th-grade math teacher.

Composer Kathryn Griesinger

Kathryn Griesinger (b. 1979) received her B.A. (cello) and M.M. (music education) degrees from the University of Akron in Ohio, where she later taught string pedagogy courses as adjunct faculty. She taught orchestra in Lake Local private and public schools for 13 years, while freelancing as an arranger and cellist. Her original works and arrangements for string orchestra have been published by FJH, Wingert-Jones, Carl Fischer, Highland-Etling, Kjos, Kendor, Grand Mesa, and Ludwig-Masters. Kathryn also authored String Training, pedagogical theory and technique worksheets for beginning strings. She composes sight-reading music for district music festivals, as well as commissioned pieces. She is a frequent guest conductor, clinician at national conventions such as ASTA (American String Teacher Association), and presenter at state music conferences. Kathryn is currently the Orchestra Editor for J.W. Pepper and Wingert-Jones Publications in Pennsylvania. 

Composer, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor.  Arranged by Tai Fraction

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor composed the "Children's Intermezzo" as part of the incidental music for his Othello Suite. The piece was written to evoke feelings of innocence and calm.  

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875–1912) was a British composer and conductor, best known for his classical music that often incorporated African and African-American themes. Born in London to a British mother and a father from Sierra Leone, Coleridge-Taylor showed musical talent from an early age. He studied at the Royal College of Music, where he developed a strong foundation in composition.

Coleridge-Taylor's most famous work is Hiawatha's Wedding Feast, a cantata based on the epic poem The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The piece became widely popular and helped establish him as a significant composer. Throughout his career, he wrote orchestral works, choral pieces, and chamber music, blending European classical traditions with African musical influences.

Though he faced challenges as a Black composer in a predominantly white society, Coleridge-Taylor's music earned him international recognition, particularly in the United States, where he was celebrated for his contributions to both classical and African-American music. He died at the age of 37, but his work continues to inspire musicians and composers today.

Tai Fraction is a composer, arranger, and violinist.  

Tai Fraction, a native of Chicago, has studied the violin since the age of 6. Her love for music grew as she began to play with different orchestras and bands throughout the city. Throughout her childhood, she played with various groups such as the All-City Orchestra (where she served as concertmaster), All-City Band, and Merit Symphony Orchestra. She decided to study music education at Bradley University so that she could share her passion, love, and knowledge of music with the rest of the world. She went on to earn a Master's degree in Music Education from VanderCook College of Music and most recently completed a program at Berklee School of music where she studied Music Composition for tv, films, and games. Over the years, Tai has played with various orchestras such as the Kankakee Valley Symphony Orchestra, Muscatine Symphony Orchestra, Southwest Symphony Orchestra, Southside Symphony Orchestra, Illharmonic Orchestra, and the Whiting Park Festival Orchestra. In addition to performing, Tai is an experienced educator. She has taught orchestra in public and private schools, violin and viola lessons at private studios, and recently she taught violin at Chicago State University. Currently, Tai is an educator, composer, arranger, and engraver. Her number one goal is to use music to help reach others- whether it be through teaching, writing, or playing. 

Composer, G.F. Handel.  Arranged by H. B. Fisher

The Entrance of the Queen of Sheba is a song from a story told on stage called "Solomon."  George Fredric Handel wrote it toward the end of his life.  This work called "Solomon" is an 'oratorio.'   "Solomon" was a story from the bible.

Like most operas, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguishable characters (e.g. soloists), and arias. However, opera is musical theatre, and typically involves significant theatrical spectacle, including sets, props, and costuming, as well as staged interactions between characters. In oratorio, there is generally minimal staging, with the chorus often assuming a more central dramatic role, and the work is typically presented as a concert piece – though oratorios are sometimes staged as operas, and operas are not infrequently presented in concert form. 

--In Act Three we see a state visit from the Queen of Sheba to Solomon's kingdom. This is where we would hear this song.  

"The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba," which is the title of the original work, is a popular piece to play at weddings as the bride enters the wedding hall or chapel.  

George Frideric Handel was born on February 23, 1685, in Halle, Germany. He is best known for his incredible contributions to Baroque music, particularly in the genres of opera, oratorio, and instrumental music. Handel’s most famous work is Messiah, an oratorio that has become a holiday tradition around the world.

As a young man, Handel studied music in Germany but soon moved to Italy, where he composed operas. He later moved to England, where he found great success and became a leading composer of his time. His operas were hugely popular, and he also composed many oratorios, instrumental works, and organ concertos.

Handel’s music is known for its powerful melodies, dramatic style, and ability to move audiences emotionally. He continued composing and performing until his death on April 14, 1759. Today, Handel is remembered as one of the greatest composers of the Baroque period.

H.B. Fisher was an influential composer and musician known for his contributions to American music. Throughout his career, Fisher composed a variety of works, including orchestral pieces, chamber music, and choral compositions. His music often combined classical elements with contemporary styles, showcasing his versatility and creativity. Fisher's passion for music was evident in his dedication to teaching and mentoring young musicians, inspiring many to pursue careers in the arts. His legacy continues to be celebrated for his impact on the musical community and his ability to connect with audiences through his powerful compositions.

Composer Chris Thomas

"Gap of Dunloe" is a song inspired by the Gap of Dunloe in Ireland and traditional Irish music. The song uses call-and-response counterpoint, lyrical melodies, and traditional Irish style to evoke the Irish landscape. 

Chris Thomas is a British composer and music producer known for his work across a variety of genres, from pop and rock to film scores. He was born in England and developed an early interest in music, which led him to pursue a career in the industry. Thomas has worked with several famous artists, including The Beatles, Elton John, and Pink Floyd, earning a reputation for his ability to blend different styles and create unique sounds.

In addition to his work as a producer, Thomas has also composed music for movies and television, showcasing his versatility as a composer. His contributions to the music world have earned him recognition and respect from both artists and fans alike.