World premiere for Solo Alto Saxophone
Website(s) : http://glengillis.com / http://artsandscience.usask.ca/profile/GGillis / http://www.msrcd.com/catalog/cd/MS1524
Glen Gillis offers a World Premiere of his latest composition for saxophone and electronic accompaniment, entitled « Barren Landscape ».
Biography
Glen Gillis is Professor of Saxophone, Conducting, and Music Education at the University of Saskatchewan. Having performed at many NASA Biennial/Regional and World Saxophone Congresses, he hosted the 2013 NASA Region 9 Conference. He released SaxSpectrum and SaxSpectrum 2 (2009 & 2014, MSR Classics Label) highlighting new works for saxophone. He also can be heard on didgeridoo.diversions (2007, Hoot/Wisdom Records) and Devotion (2014, Ice Music Press). In 2012 he performed in five China Provinces promoting traditional and contemporary saxophone works, including his and other Canadian composers. He has several published compositions for saxophone through Eighth Note Publications.
More information
Glen Gillis’ proposal will consist of him performing a World Premiere of his latest composition for alto saxophone and pre-recorded accompaniment. This new work entitled, Barren Landscape (2015), will incorporate contemporary saxophone techniques (multiphonics, micro-intervals, pitch bending, voicing, altissimo, and various contemporary articulation techniques) juxtaposed and melded to a recording of ambient multi-didgeridoos (Australian Aboriginal instruments) taken from the recordings Orion Nebula and The Storm by the Didgeri Dudes. Barren Landscape (2015) will be a sequel to his composition Aurora Australis (2014) that was recently recorded on Glen Gillis’ SaxSpectrum 2 Album (MSR Classics Label). The performance length will be approximately 8 minutes and 40 seconds. Please note, the mp3 submitted is the recording of Aurora Australis (2014) that will provide an example of the pre-recorded accompaniment for this new composition, Barren Landscape (2015).
The second recital selction: Glen Gillis’ proposal will consist of him performing a European Premiere of his composition for solo alto saxophone entitled, Doppler Wah Wah Air-Jig (2014). This work was recently recorded on his SaxSpectrum 2 Album (MSR Classics Label) and premiered at the 2014 NASA Biennial Conference at the University of Illinois. The basis of the work exploits the use of a barrage of alternate fingerings for pitch and timbre manipulation in the creation of melodic ideas for each of the two sections: aia and jig. The Doppler effect can be heard several times but the “wah wah” effect in both the Air and Jig takes prominence. The performance length is 5 minutes and 30 seconds.