Daniel Bukvich: Symphonic Movement - Northern Iowa Wind Symphony - Ronald Johnson, conductor

Daniel Bukvich was born and raised in Montana, U.S.A., and has taught at the University of Idaho since 1976. He travels (reluctantly) throughout the United States and Canada as a guest composer, conductor, and percussionist in concerts with professional, college, high school, and grade school bands, orchestras, choirs, honor and all-state groups and has been known to appear (possibly as a result of physical threat to his person or family) at similar events in Europe and East Asia. His teachers have been among the leading composers, conductors, and educators in the Western United States, and Bukvich has absorbed not only their philosophies on music but also their satisfaction with, if not complete desire for, professional and personal obscurity. In fact, he is infamous for being almost impossible to contact due to an extremely busy teaching and composing schedule and his refusal to communicate by any means more modern than face-to-face conversation. His musical compositions and arrangements are performed by orchestras, choirs, bands, soloists, chamber groups and jazz groups around the world. "Symphonic Movement" (2016) Midwest Premiere I first heard about Dan Bukvich in the early 80’s . . . someone told me about his 'theater piece,' "Voodoo." That was the beginning of a great relationship with this wonderful musician. He composed "The Dream of Abraham," a tribute to President John F. Kennedy, for our 1993 Hungarian Tour. It was the last piece on the first half of the program. The audience in the Liszt Academy was so taken with the piece that they did not applaud at its conclusion . . . only silent respect. When we returned for the second half, there was a thunderous, and lengthy, applause. A great moment! I conducted the premiere of his "Time Travel" in 1995; a piece commissioned by a Music Festival in Switzerland. Dan composed "Meditations of the Writings of Vasily Kandinsky," for solo tuba and wind orchestra, for our return to Hungary in 1996, a piece in which all performers . . . conductor, soloist, and players . . . all read from the same printed notation. Amazing, and beautiful! Over the years, the Wind Symphony has performed numerous works from Dan. I consider him to be a remarkable musician, and one of the finest composers in America. We had Dan here for the Northern Festival of Bands in 2015. Anyone who attended will certainly remember that concert with the high school students . . . fabulous! Dan wanted to compose a piece for my last year here at Northern Iowa. He completed the first movement, "Symphonic Movement," for what will become a full symphony for wind orchestra. He was inspired by the Wind Symphony performance during his 2015 visit . . . the soloists and sections that were featured that night. So, in addition to flute and saxophone solos, each section of the ensemble has two “solo”sections . . . one in the first part; the other in the second. Wonderful music!!! ~~ Ronald Johnson ~~ ___________ Northern Iowa Wind Symphony Ronald Johnson, conductor Michelle Meadows, flute Mark Northup, alto saxophone See the entire concert here: https://goo.gl/R8HKy5 Recorded on April 24, 2017 at the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center on the University of Northern Iowa campus in Cedar Falls. All rights reserved.