The Lawrence University Symphonic Band, under the direction of Robert Levy, will perform its final concert of the term today at 8:00 p.m. in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel. The program features a variety of music, including two works for solo trombone and wind band.
Guest soloist and Lawrence alum Kirsten Lies-Warfield will perform William Goldstein’s Colloquy and Arthur Pryor’s Thoughts of Love (Valse de Concert) on the second half of the program.
Lies-Warfield hails from Fargo, ND. She graduated magna cum laude from Lawrence University in 1994 with a Bachelor of Music in performance. She holds a Master of Music in trombone performance from Indiana University, where she was a student of M. Dee Stewart.
Lies-Warfield suspended subsequent doctoral studies in brass pedagogy at Indiana University when she was offered a position in a United States Army Band called “Pershing’s Own.” She joined the group in April 1999, becoming the first woman trombonist in the unit’s history.
With the United States Army Band, Lies-Warfield has performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Carnegie Hall, and Lincoln Center, and has traveled to Australia, Alaska, and Korea. Lies-Warfield has also performed with the Boston Pops.
She took part in the 2001 inauguration of George W. Bush and in the opening ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, and has appeared on several television specials, including Christmas in Washington, A Capitol Fourth, and The Kennedy Center Honors.
In addition to the works featuring Lies-Warfield, the concert will include Steven Stucky’s transcription and elaboration of Henry Purcell’s multi-movement work Funeral March for Queen Mary, followed by Ira Hearshen’s composition Divertimento for Band.
Hearshen’s work is based on classic form, such as that found in the music of Haydn or Mozart, mixed with contemporary popular music extracted from the United States, Europe, and Cuba.
Hearshon is best known for his Hollywood orchestrations, including the television series Beauty and the Beast, the Broadway show Into the Light, and feature films Guarding Tess, Big Business, The Three Musketeers, Inspector Gadget, and Toy Story II.
The program will also feature Walter Hartley’s Centennial Symphony. This 1995 composition exploits the various musical colors and sonorities of a large symphonic band setting.
Hartley is an extensively well-known figure in the wind brass and percussion arena. In addition to writing a considerable amount of music for large wind ensemble, he has written many chamber pieces.
Lawrence University featured a selection of his chamber works during Hartley’s brief stay as visiting composer in 1996.