Composer, Doug Spata

Spanish for "Exotic Butterflies," Las Mariposas Exoticas is an exciting concert tango designed to imitate an Argentinean guitar. Full of interesting yet playable rhythms and beautifully lilting melodies.  This will be a beautiful challenging piece for our intermediate orchestra.

Doug Spata was born in St. Louis, Missouri on August 1st, 1975 but spent a short span of his childhood in Kandy, Sri Lanka - an experience that sparked the lifelong interest in world cultures that informs much of his music.  His interest in music began at an early age and led him to study  music history, theory and orchestration, and eventually earn a degree in music education.

His first published work, Gauntlet, has gone on to become one of the staples of the string repertoire and several of his subsequent publications have earned the J.W. Pepper Editor’s Choice award and have been shortlisted  as part of their Basic Library. Mr. Spata’s music can now be found on  nearly every state’s approved contest lists.

Outside of music, Mr. Spata's other interests include, art, movies, and history and pinball. He currently lives in Ohio.

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.