Monday, Feb. 17, 2025 • 7:30 p.m.
Weigel Auditorium
Columbus, OH
The Ohio State University Symphonic Band
Scott A. Jones, conductor
Uiliami Fihaki, MM student conductor
Paul Bissler, MM student conductor
Christopher Weait, guest composer
Beginnings
Thank you for joining us this evening in the Timashev Family Music Building for the first performance of the academic semester by the musicians of the Ohio State Symphonic Band.
Each of the works on this evening’s performance is related to a “beginning.” The program starts with the first movement of Adam Schoenberg’s composition Rise — aptly titled “Beginnings.” That work fills the auditorium with the optimistic and energized feelings that often accompany moments of “beginning” in our lives.
The remaining two compositions are each premieres, and as such, experiencing their “beginning” before an audience this evening. The first composition is that of School of Music Professor Emeritus Christopher Weait. Professor Weait was Professor of Bassoon at Ohio State from 1984 until 2006. A gifted performer, teacher, and composer, Mr. Weait’s composition Three Pathways for Concert Band receives its world premiere this evening. Our students have interacted with him in preparing the composition, and we delight that he and his spouse Padge are both in attendance this evening, as well as a number of their neighbors from Friendship Village of Dublin.
The second premiere is that of a symphony by American composer Brian Balmages. Windows and Mirrors: Symphony for Band was commissioned by a consortium of university band programs, including the Ohio State Symphonic Band. Cast in four movements, the symphony is grounded in exploring the “very essence of our humanity.” We are honored to present this performance, only the third in the symphony’s existence since mid-November 2024.
It was in early March of 1925 that the Board of Trustees at The Ohio State University approved the creation of a department of music at the university. So 2025 is the year in which our School of Music celebrates its 100th anniversary! The calendar year will be filled with celebrations of this historic moment for our School of Music, and we will conclude the program with an appropriate gesture to its beginnings nearly 100 years ago to the day!
A special note of gratitude to our Stage Crew and Livestream Team for their support of this performance. Additionally, thank you to volunteers from the Ohio State chapters of Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma, national band fraternity and sorority; and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, American national fraternity in music, for their support.
The musicians and I are grateful for your presence this evening and look forward to greeting you in person at the reception following the performance.
— Scott A. Jones, conductor
"Beginnings" from Rise
Adam Schoenberg (b. 1980)
Paul Bissler, conductor
Adam Schoenberg is a prolific composer in the modern era, having won an Emmy, been nominated for multiple Grammy’s and is a highly sought after composer for orchestral and film music. Schoenberg’s repertoire for wind ensemble is equally as sought after and performed. He currently resides in California with his wife and two children.
The two-movement composition, Rise, was commissioned by the California Wind Band Consortium and premiered by the Cal Poly Ponoma Wind Ensemble in 2019. The first movement, “Beginnings,” starts with a highly rhythmic ostinato in piano and marimba that anchors the entire movement. Familiar sounding chord progressions layer atop the ostinato, and melodic material eventually joins the texture as the energized music unfolds. The form of the first movement is a gradual crescendo, leading the musicians and listeners alike to what the composer calls “an uplifting, and optimistic ending.”
Three Pathways for Concert Band (2025)
Christopher Weait (b. 1939)
Oceanways
Earthways
Skyways
Christopher Weait is a composer, author and pedagogue, renowned for his contributions to bassoon performance and education. He is a Professor Emeritus of The Ohio State University, where he taught for 22 years and was honored for his excellence in teaching. Before academia, he was co-principal bassoonist of the Toronto Symphony for 17 years and performed with prestigious ensembles like the Cleveland Orchestra and the National Arts Centre Orchestra. Weait has an extensive solo and chamber music career, recording multiple albums and founding the Toronto Chamber Winds. As a conductor, he led the Central Ohio Symphony Orchestra and guest-conducted internationally. He has taught worldwide, from the Eastman School of Music to youth orchestras in Canada and South America. A prolific arranger and composer, Weait has over 600 works including compositions, editions, arrangements, transcriptions, books, recordings and videos, with many published and performed globally.
Throughout history, pathways have connected living beings to essential resources, safety, and the future. These natural trails — shaped first by animals and later by humans — serve as silent witnesses to the passage of time. Weait’s three-movement composition is a musical exploration of these enduring routes.
The journey begins with “Oceanways,” evoking the timeless underwater paths that marine life has followed for millennia. The movement is built on a unique nine-note scale (WWHHWWHH), symbolizing a gradual descent into the ocean depths. The interplay between rhythmic drum patterns and brass responses reflects the intricate communication of marine creatures as they navigate their vast domain. As the movement progresses, the same nine-note scale ascends from the deep toward the surface, culminating in the gentle embrace of waves upon a sandy shore.
“Earthways” captures the essence of land-based trails shaped by footfalls and time. The movement opens with the hushed anticipation of dawn, gradually intensifying as travelers set forth on their journey. Pilgrims, seeking safe passage, raise their voices in a hymn of hope. Thunder rumbles — a reminder of nature’s unpredictability. In the storm’s aftermath, the trail becomes a treacherous expanse of mud, the burden of the journey articulated through the creaking of wooden carts. Yet as the travelers persist, their voices rise once more in a hymn of thanksgiving, drawn from the eighth-century Latin chant Ut queant laxis. As night falls, their footsteps fade, leaving only the memory of their passage.
The final movement, “Skyways,” takes flight with the migratory patterns of birds. Their uncoordinated wingbeats create a flurry of motion, interspersed with moments of individual brilliance as solitary birds emerge before rejoining the flock. As the journey reaches its peak, the flocks unite in a triumphant return, honoring the ancient pathways of the sky.
Windows and Mirrors: Symphony for Band (2024)
Brian Balmages (b. 1956)
Common Thread
Reflection of the Dark
Window to the Soul
Finale
“Windows. A way for us to look at others…
Mirrors. A way for us to look at ourselves…"
Amid such turmoil throughout the world, it seemed that these two ideas could come together to form a challenging, yet compelling look at the very essence of our humanity. Thus, Windows and Mirrors became the title of my first symphony for band.”
The first movement is entitled "Common Thread" and is a reminder that we all share much more than that which divides us. The movement takes the listener through a range of styles and emotions, referencing the development of different ideas all born from the same spark. It begins with an interval of a major second presented by solo alto saxophone, an interval that is a cornerstone of the entire symphony. Eventually, an interval of a minor third is presented, which foreshadows the concept of growth that will occur. A solo euphonium presents the main theme that permeates the symphony.
The second movement, "Reflection of the Dark" explores hate, conspiracy theories, protests, vitriol, violence. I sought to create a space in which we are forced to confront these forces and to feel a bit uncomfortable at times. It is easy for us all to assume, judge, and accuse rather than stop, consider, and question. In some respects, this movement reflects the collapse of open dialogue and discussion, and its replacement of anger and hate. At one point in the movement, listeners hear layer upon layer of “chant” — musical phrases written to correspond with the pitch and rhythm characteristics of numerous protests. To be clear, I am not judging the protests themselves; rather, I am writing about the fury that arises between protest groups on so many issues. This movement explores a space in which no one listens nor considers that we each are humans with a similar origin story.
The third movement, "Window to the Soul," draws inspiration from Gounod’s "Ave Maria." After so much rage, I wanted to explore the depths of our own being and what it means to truly be alive. The melody, while falling short of directly quoting Gounod’s version, sounds like a welcoming dialogue in a safe and comforting space with a dear friend. This movement has no “huge” climactic moment as I wanted the music to feel more inward and personal.
The final movement, "Finale," takes its title for two reasons: it features the return of themes, motives and other musical elements from earlier movements in the composition; and it also asks us to consider the "finale" of our lives, and what it is that we each truly treasure. In the final moments of the composition, my hope is that everyone — performers and audience members — pause for a moment and to consider what it truly means to be human and how we may be able to share in our collective humanity with others.
I believe that music can bring beauty into a world that so desperately needs it. I believe that music can also draw attention to what is wrong with the world, and that it can help us heal. I believe that music can recenter us, guide us, and bring us together. It is with all of this in mind that I offer my first symphony for band — Windows and Mirrors.
— Brian Balmages, October 7, 2024 (Baltimore, Maryland)
Recognition of the 100th Anniversary of The Ohio State University School of Music
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All are invited to join the musicians in the north lobby of the Timashev Family Music Building for a reception hosted by Kappa Kappa Psi (Eta) and Tau Beta Sigma (Chi), national band fraternity and sorority.
Symphonic Band Personnel
Musicians are listed alphabetically by section.
Piccolo
Nic Digena
Flute
Melanie Ahn §
Karis Brennan ∆
Nic Digena
Maryssa Hoermle
Haley Svec
Alto Flute
Nic Digena
Oboe
Claire Rottman
Brielle Vollmuth ∆
Maddie Wittman
English Horn
Brielle Vollmuth
Bassoon
Olive Bennett
Brandon Golpe *
Lucas Swiderski ∆
Contra Bassoon
Bobby Schwartz *
E-flat Clarinet
Jacob Behrend
Clarinet
Jacob Behrend ∆
Mackenzi Buynak
Jarom Christensen
Sonny Day
Landen Gedeon
Zachary Grant §
Jenna Harkin
Adam Lee
Aoi Nishiyama
Nicholas Ritchey
Logan Sturgeon
Ethan White
Bass Clarinet
Leah Henning
Quinn Jensen ∆
Contrabass Clarinet
Quinn Jensen
Alto Saxophone
Katia de Jong §
Gabe Gasper
Alyssa Hartman ∆
Yourong Liu
Tenor Saxophone
Sammy Smith §
Baritone Saxophone
Kyle Buchwalter
Trumpet
Graham Bentley
Connor Caviness ∆
Ava Diederich
Noah Madsen
Connor Milner
Allison Morris
Eric Pattison
Horn
Caleb Anderson
Nicholas Blum ∆
Maggie Carter
Jared Giovannone
Katherine Indyk
Mirai Nawa
Allie Polzin
Ben Wainwright
Trombone
Nolan Call
Lucia Cherok §
Clarissa Cousart
Jackson Fortner
Anthony Frankowski
Sam Giles
Jonathan Kessler
Ashleigh Mastilak
Sebastian Pena ∆
Euphonium
Matthew Grover
Sayaka Iimura
Hannah Lyons
Clayton Messinger ∆
Tuba
Luke Funk
Adam Johnson
Sydney Reeves
Lucas Snouffer ∆
Percussion
Garrett Campbell
Logan Crawford
Wesley Giles §
Peter Kindt
Mary Paydock §
Kye Pyeatt *
Adam Quinn ∆
Colin Spears *
Hayden Techter *
Harp
Abigail Bachelor *
Double Bass
Dallas Carpenter *
Piano
Kaiwei Guo
∆ principal player
§ board member
* assisting musician
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