Description:

Shawn Vondran, conductor 

The Symphonic Band's second winter-quarter performance opens with Charles Ives's Variations on "America"—a witty work infusing the familiar patriotic tune with barbershop quartet harmonies, an irreverent polonaise, and ultra-fast playing. Roshanne Etezady's poignant Against the Rain continues the program; based on the Edna St. Vincent Millay poem Love Is Not All, the work is a contemplation of the ways we suffer and sacrifice for love. David Maslanka's Traveler concludes the first half of the program—moving from high energy to quiet meditation, the piece reflects on one's adventures over the course of a lifetime. The second half of the program is devoted to Zhou Tian's 2022 Sinfonia, inspired by cultural influences close to the composer's heart: 1940s and '50s noir films, the New York City subway, Shanghai's Mid-Autumn Festival, and the 1869 completion of the first transcontinental railroad in the US. 

Charles Ives, Variations on “America” 
Roshanne Etezady, Against the Rain 
David Maslanka, Traveler 
Zhou Tian, Sinfonia