NEC Saxophone Ensemble: Couper, Trester, Higdon, Wallace, Barber, Bernstein, Ellington, Garland

Michael Couper | Transcend (2020)

Michael Couper

Hailed by the New York Times for his “sweet intensity” and “insinuating smoothness,” modern saxophonist Michael Couper has performed internationally as a soloist and chamber musician at venues including Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Seoul Arts Center, and Ryougoku Monten Hall in Tokyo. Dr. Couper was a finalist in the 2019 Matthew Ruggiero International Woodwind Competition and the prestigious 2015 Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh competition. Dr. Couper performed the Tomasi Concerto with the San Bernardino Symphony in 2018 and has performed concerti with the Mimesis Ensemble, the USC Symphony Orchestra, the SDSU Wind Ensemble and the SDSU Orchestra.
     Since the very beginning of his musical studies, Michael Couper has been torn between being a composer and a performer. In addition to an output that includes vocal music, chamber music, and an opera, he has worked with a multitude of composers and publishers as an arranger and orchestrator for small ensembles as well as large orchestras. His concertino for soprano saxophone and chamber orchestra, Transcend, was premiered in January 2020 at Carnegie Hall by the critically acclaimed Mimesis Ensemble. Besides film and conventional orchestral music, he is fascinated with Electronic Dance Music, in particular Zedd and Armin Van Buuren.
     Dr. Couper studied composition with Brent Dutton, Malcolm Peyton, and Frank Ticheli and has a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Saxophone Performance from USC.  He has served on the faculty at CSU San Bernardino and San Diego State University, and is a Conn-Selmer Artist endorsing Yanagisawa saxophones.

Francine Trester | from Red Sox Blue Sax (2005)

I. "Outta the Park!"
II. and the Moon turned Red...
III. Johnny Damon's Hair

Juchen Wang, soprano saxophone
Xinyi Liao, alto saxophone
Zhikang Chen, tenor saxophone
Cheng Wang, baritone saxophone

Program note

This quartet is an "homage to the 2004 World Champion Red Sox." 
     The first movement, "Outta the Park!," opens with the hustle and bustle of the gathering fans.  The crowd soon grows quiet as the Alto "steps up to the plate" for the first of three cadenzas.  When the Alto "strikes out," a sad "chorale-like" melody ensues followed by a resurgence of hope and excitement.  Next, the Tenor is "up at bat." but he too is unsuccessful.  Once again the "chorale" is heard followed by a heightened anxiousness and energy - now all is riding on the Soprano, the last "at bat."  This last cadenza hits it "out of the park," and following a triumphant high note, all four saxophones rally for an exuberant final cheer.
     The second movement, "and the Moon turned Red...." refers to the eerie total lunar eclipse that occurred the night of the 2004 World Series.  As if to match the singularity of the Red Sox victory, the moon itself donned a red uniform and cast a steady crimson glow.  This movement evokes a certain spaciousness and the unique reddish tinted moonglow of that exceptional night.
     "Johnny Damon's Hair," the third movement, is an unabashed tribute to #18 and the best hair in baseball.  The melody flows...so does his hair.
- Francine Trester

Short Pause

Jennifer Higdon | Stomp and Dance (1996)

Zhijkang Chen, Xinyi Liao, soprano saxophone
Elise Hill (Longy School of Music), Margaret Nalen, Zeyi Tian, Guanlong Shen, alto saxophone
Yingjie Hong, Cheng Wang, tenor saxophone
Vladyslav Dovhan, Ethan Shen, baritone saxophone

Juchen Wang, conductor

John H. Wallace | Summer Mosaics (2004)

Juchen Wang, Xinyi Liao, soprano saxophone
Elise Hill (Longy School of Music), Margaret Nalen, Zeyi Tian, Guanlong Shen, alto saxophone
Zhikang Chen, Yingjie Hong, tenor saxophone
Vladyslav Dovhan, Ethan Shen, Cheng Wang, baritone saxophone

Kenneth Radnofsky, conductor

Samuel Barber (arr. Michael Warner) | Adagio for Strings (1936)

Juchen Wang, Xinyi Liao, soprano saxophone
Elise Hill (Longy School of Music), Margaret Nalen, Zeyi Tian, Guanlong Shen, alto saxophone
Zhikang Chen, Yingjie Hong, tenor saxophone
Vladyslav Dovhan, Ethan Shen, Cheng Wang, baritone saxophone

Kenneth Radnofsky, conductor

Leonard Bernstein | from Prelude, Fugue and Riffs (1949)

II. Fugue

Juchen Wang, Xinyi Liao, alto saxophone 1
Elise Hill (Longy School of Music), Margaret Nalen, Zeyi Tian, alto saxophone 2
Zhikang Chen, Yingjie Hong, tenor saxophone 1
Gualong Shen, Cheng Wang, tenor saxophone 2
Vladyslav Dovhan, Ethan Shen, baritone saxophone

Kenneth Radnofsky, conductor

Duke Ellington (arr. Roger Jannotta) | Prelude to a Kiss (1938)

Juchen Wang, Xinyi Liao, soprano saxophone
Elise Hill (Longy School of Music), Margaret Nalen, Zeyi Tian, Guanlong Shen, alto saxophone
Zhikang Chen, Yingjie Hong, tenor saxophone
Vladyslav Dovhan, Ethan Shen, Cheng Wang, baritone saxophone

Kenneth Radnofsky, conductor

Joe Garland (arr. Dennis Ruello) | In the Mood (1938)

Juchen Wang, Xinyi Liao, soprano saxophone
Elise Hill (Longy School of Music), Margaret Nalen, Zeyi Tian, Guanlong Shen, alto saxophone
Zhikang Chen, Yingjie Hong, tenor saxophone
Vladyslav Dovhan, Ethan Shen, Cheng Wang, baritone saxophone

Kenneth Radnofsky, conductor