Monday, Oct. 6, 2025  •  7:30 p.m.

Weigel Auditorium
Columbus, OH

Ohio State Symphonic Band
Scott A. Jones, conductor
Uiliami Fihaki, guest conductor
Paul Bissler, guest conductor

Welcome

Thank you for joining us this evening in the Timashev Family Music Building for the first performance of the academic year by the musicians of the Ohio State Symphonic Band.

The compositions presented this evening are anchored in a “look back” through music history. The 18th, 19th and 20th centuries are each represented by three compositions — Johann Sebastian Bach’s Fantasia in G Major (ca. 1707), Joseph Hellmesberger’s Danse Diabolique (ca. 1899), and Dmitri Kabalevsky’s Overture to “Colas Breugnon” (1937). While the other compositions are much more recent works — James Syler’s Sinfonietta (2012) and Paul Dooley’s Canticles (2022) — they both reference earlier times in music through either musical techniques or organizational framework. In spite of the date of composition, our hope is that you find a relevance this evening in this music tethered to times and concepts long past.

The musicians and I are grateful for all who have aided and supported this evening’s performance and wish to offer a special recognition to the members of stage crew and the livestream team for their professionalism. Enjoy the performance and we look forward to visiting with you afterwards!

— Scott A. Jones, conductor

PROGRAM

Overture to Colas Breugnon (1937 / 1967 / 2003) 

Dmitri Kabalevsky (1904–1987) / Hunsberger 

Colas Breugnon” is a three-act opera composed by Kabalevsky in 1937 — his first venture into the large musical form. The overture is spirited in nature and features themes that are approachable and enjoyable to the first-time listener. The highly animated themes of the first section are contrasted by more lyrical and flowing second section. The overture concludes with the same material of the first section that serves to bring this delightful overture to a conclusion.

The son of a Russian mathematician, Dmitri Kabalevsky was encouraged to study mathematics, but was fascinated with poetry, painting, and the piano. Against the wishes of his father, Dmitri attended the Moscow Conservatory where he studied music composition and, at the age of 28, became a professor at the storied conservatory. Kabalevsky was awarded many state honors for his music and was elected the head of several organizations dealing with music and the teaching of children. While Kabalevsky wrote various kinds of music, he was most noted in Russia for his vocal songs, cantatas and operas.

Fantasia in G, BWV 572 (ca. 1706 / 1957)

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) / Goldman and Leist

Uiliami Fihaki, conductor

Composed early in Johann Sebastian Bach’s career, Fantasia in G Major is a bold and dramatic work that reveals the imagination and daring of a young composer unafraid to take creative risks. At the time, some listeners found Bach’s music unusually adventurous, filled with unexpected harmonies and bold musical choices. This piece reflects that spirit, offering rich, layered textures and a strong sense of motion and depth.

Originally written for pipe organ, its grand and majestic character adapts beautifully to the modern wind band. This transcription by Richard Franko Goldman and Robert L. Leist was done in honor of Edwin Franko Goldman, one of America’s most influential band leaders and a passionate supporter of bringing great music to the public. He frequently included Bach’s works in his programs, helping to introduce them to broader audiences. The transcription was first performed by The Goldman Band in 1957 and continues to connect Bach’s music with new generations of listeners.

Canticles (2022)

Paul Dooley (b. 1983)

1. Alleluias
2. Prayers
3. Hosannas  

Premiered in 2022, Canticles was commissioned to honor Dr. Eric Wilson’s 15 years as director of bands at the Baylor University School of Music. The composition is in three movements, described by the composer as follows:

The "Alleluias" are first presented in a playful modulating tune, played by the clarinets. The tune then develops in four variations featuring the flutes, oboes, horns, euphonium and saxophones.

The "Prayers" begin softly with an affectionate alto saxophone solo, and mellow church organ chords played by the tenor and baritone saxophones, clarinets and bassoons. The music is modally developed, culminating in a passionate C major variation on the prayer theme played by the full band.

The "Hosannas" are initially shouted by the trumpets and marimba. The woodwinds join the ceremony playing boisterous chords, before the music settles into a spirited dance. The brass becomes increasingly possessed, playing relentlessly chromatic chords, drawing everyone into a climactic frenzy.

Award-winning composer Paul Dooley is a frequent guest of professional orchestras, university wind ensembles and festivals in the United States and around the world. His early musical life included listening to a wide variety of music including Beethoven, Bruce Hornsby, Nirvana and Rush. Dooley holds bachelor’s degrees in both mathematics and music composition from the University of Southern California, and master’s and doctorate degrees from the University of Michigan. His compositional teachers include Frank Ticheli, Stephen Hartke, Michael Daugherty, and Bright Sheng among others. Since 2013, Dooley has been a faculty member at the University of Michigan School of Music.

Sinfonietta (2012)

James Syler (b. 1961)

Sinfonietta was completed in 2012 and commissioned by a consortium of 20 university wind ensembles.

The composition is in three large continuous sections and begins with a timpani motive which contains the intervallic and rhythmic ideas developed throughout the work. A lyrical 12-tone theme follows and is developed by way of a fugue in which each ensuing entrance is at the interval of a minor 7th creating a perpetual spiral fugue. The fugue grows in volume, complexity, and weight to its final culmination in the brass. The second section of the composition is slower and features oboe and bassoon solos developed from the original 12-tone theme. Static woodwinds and keyboard percussion provide background to simple melodic lines. The third and final section begins with a traditional fugal treatment in 7/4 of the opening theme. The music develops and restates the opening as it grows in intensity to the end. 

Composer James Syler was born in Hyde Park, NY and raised in New York and Florida. He was educated at Northern Illinois University, the University of Miami, and the University of Texas at Austin. He has studied composition privately with composers Alfred Reed, Karl Korte and Pulitzer prizewinner Michael Colgrass. Equally at ease with modern and traditional techniques, his compositions have been noted for their lyricism, energy and drama. He has developed a personal style that is eclectic and innovative, yet able to communicate with a variety of audiences. Since 2001,  Syler has been a lecturer at the University of Texas at San Antonio and the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio where he teaches composition, orchestration, and music business courses.

Danse Diabolique (ca. 1899)

Joseph Hellmesberger, Jr. (1855–1907) / arr. Tohru Takahashi

Paul Bissler (MM), conductor

Joseph Hellmesberger was an accomplished virtuosic violinist and well-known conductor in Vienna, Austria. He was appointed as music director of the Vienna Philharmonic from 1901–1903. Hellmesberger wrote a total of twenty-two operettas, six ballets and a variety of dance music, of which Danse Diabolique is one.

Danse Diabolique, originally written for the Vienna Philharmonic, is a playful dance tune with fast-moving melodic lines, strong beats and a diabolic tone center. Oscillating between D major and the D Phrygian mode, Hellmesberger sets up both the player and the listener for a diabolic dance experience. This dance is further imbued with spirit in the middle section as a fiery waltz with tempo variations and changes between keys once again. Danse Diabolique ends with a quickened tempo and recapitulation of the beginning material, bringing the entire piece to a close.
 

Symphonic Band Personnel

Scott A. Jones, conductor

Musicians are listed alphabetically by section.

Piccolo
Nic Digena
Noah Peck
Samantha Vann

Flute 
Melanie Ahn
Nic Digena ∆
Sophia Junga
Noah Peck
Anaiyah Rogers
Haley Svec
Samantha Vann ∆
Emma Walters

Alto Flute
Nic Digena

Oboe/English Horn
Thomas Alexander
Dylan Miller ∆
Emelina Pappalardo §

Bassoon
John Householder-Wise
Jordan Houtz ∆
Sarah Lewis    

Contrabassoon
John Householder-Wise

E-flat Clarinet
Nicholas Ritchey

Clarinet
Jacob Behrend
Mackenzi Buynak
Zachary Grant
Jenna Harkin
Adam Lee
Aoi Nishiyama
Noah Reilly ∆
Nicholas Ritchey
Nathan Strittholt
Matthew Watson
Bowen Wei
Ethan White
Thomas Wilford

Bass Clarinet
Quinn Jensen ∆
Rachel Weinstein

Contra Clarinet
Rachel Weinstein
    
Alto Saxophone
Kyle Buchwalter
Hannah Goshima
Fisher Horaney ∆
Nicholas Robbins

Tenor Saxophone
Nathan Rykowski
    
Baritone Saxophone
Grant Higgins

Trumpet
Cameron Beard
Graham Bentley 
Zach Burns ∆
Ava Diederich
Gabrielle Hardisky
Samantha Harvey
Jonathan Levene
Noah Madsen
Connor Milner

Horn
Caleb Anderson
Maggie Carter
Jared Giovannone ∆
Adeline    Hannig
Mirai Nawa
Allie Polzin
Benjamin Wainwright

Trombone
Veronica Ball
Luke Brown
Nolan Call
Jackson Fortner
Michael Malone ∆
Gavyn Schooley
Amara Suchy

Bass Trombone
Jonathan Kessler

Euphonium
Matthew Grover
Clayton Messinger ∆ §
Ashlyn Seyfried

Tuba
Adam Briggs
Lucas Snouffer ∆
Owen Thomas

Percussion
Vincent Bagan
Olivia Beadle
Xander Bullinger
Logan Crawford
Wesley Giles
Peter Kindt ∆
Ryan Speicher

Harp
Abigail Bachelor (faculty) *

Double Bass
Jimmy Perera *

Piano
Kaiwei Guo

∆ principal player
§ board member
* assisting musician

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