Ohio University will be the venue for the world premiere of a unique piece written by a world-renowned composer.
Composer Paul Chihara wrote a piece titled Dances at a Gathering, commissioned for OU by cello professor Michael Carrera. Chihara is internationally praised for his work in television, film scores, musical theater and dance.
The OU Wind Ensemble will be performing the piece in a joint concert with the Southeast Ohio Youth Wind Symphony. Carrera and his wife, OU violin professor Marjorie Bagley, will be the featured soloists.
Carrera, who had become friends with Chihara while in the Arcata String Quartet, applied for a grant from the Ohio University Research Council to commission a piece by Chihara.
Chihara met with conductor John Climer, OU's director of bands, in January 2004 to discuss the piece before they received the grant.
After receiving the $8,000 grant, Chihara began work on Dances at a Gathering last summer.
The performance is the first part of the three-part commission. The piece was commissioned to be orchestrated for a wind ensemble, a chamber orchestra and a full orchestra. The orchestration will be altered while the solo parts and music will remain unchanged.
It is a musical first to convert the piece into three different orchestrations.
It's never been done
Carrera said.
Climer had an advantage over most directors in putting together the performance because he could correspond with the composer.
Practice on the piece began four to five weeks ago. Every week, Climer recorded a copy of the piece and sent it to be critiqued by Chihara. Chihara e-mailed and called Climer almost daily with feedback to the performance and modifications to the score. Climer then took his notes back to the ensemble to improve the piece.
It's still a work in progress Carrera said.
Climer said anytime OU can commission a composition by someone like Chihara it is great for the university.
Dances at a Gathering is a classical piece written for violin, cello and wind ensemble and organized into three movements Con Fantasia, Elegy for (J.G.) and Allegro.
Climer said Chihara's Broadway and film scoring influences are evident in the piece.
The composition is a celebration of dance, and the second movement is written in honor of the late film composer Jerry Goldsmith, Chihara's friend.
It's got a lot of starts and stops
but you don't really notice
Carrera said.
The performance, originally scheduled for Feb. 20, had to be postponed. Chihara was supposed to be present for the premiere of his piece, but he cannot make it due to the date change.
The ensemble performed the first movement three weeks ago at a conference in Cincinnati.
Dances at a Gathering will be performed at 4 p.m. Sunday at the Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium. Admission is free.
Chihara works at the University of California Los Angeles and lives part time in New York.
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