Opener/Closer

Opener/Closer Matt Otte (trumpet) and Mark Jeffrey (tuba) contacted me in the fall of 2015 to inquire about commissioning a short work for trumpet and tuba that they could take on tour. Several animated skype conversations later, we decided to position this new work as one of my consortium-commissioned Songs Without Words projects, administered through Potenza Music. Matt and Mark served as the Lead Commissioners and, voluntarily and generously, donated a significant amount of funding to the project themselves. Additional support came from the 20 other participating Commissioners of the new piece. Opener/Closer is not for the faint of heart, as per the request of the two Lead Commissioners. Matt and Mark, requested music of a professional level that would challenge them artistically and technically. We decided that the ideal format would be something along the lines of a “fanfare duet”—a bold and “brassy” piece anchored in bravado and chutzpah, yet including several contrasting sections that were nimble and lighthearted. Opener/Closer intends to be an energetic, fun way to open or to close a recital. Score and Parts Included: Trumpet in C and Tuba