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Three Scenes
Elliott Miles Mckinley composer
The New York Festival Brass Quintet
The Estrella Consort
Erik Rohde conductor
Andrew Martin percussion solo
Clare Longendyke, Emi Kagawa piano
Award-winning composer Elliott McKinley’s music has been performed throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. On THREE SCENES, he presents three powerful pieces of modern chamber music of the caliber that has earned him global recognition.
THREE SCENES opens with Six Movements for Brass Quintet performed by the New York Festival Brass Quintet, who have been lauded as performing “chamber music at its highest levels.” The six movements of the somber composition transition from the slightly ominous feel of the introduction, “Glass Towers,” to the mournful mood of first of the song’s three episodes, “Dirge.” An interlude, “Fanfare,” brings an up-tempo flourish to the piece, which concludes with the stately “Elegy for Dad.”
Aria, a piece written for saxophone quartet and fixed-media, is performed by the Estrella Consort, a quartet that is committed to the performance of exciting new works. Here, the refined, lovely interplay of the soprano, alto, tenor and bass saxophones works to produce a rich, vibrant ambiance that is thoroughly compelling.
The final selection on THREE SCENES is a chamber concerto, Four Grooves, which won the Indiana State University Contemporary Music Festival’s MusicNow competition. Here, the Estrella Consort’s brilliant performance is enhanced by that of several percussion instruments. As its title implies, Four Grooves is comprised of four movements, each with its own distinct texture. The melodic full tone of “Marimba Madness” segues into the pulsating, rhythmic “An African Dream,” which in turn segues to “Heavy Metals,” a light-hearted, spirited movement that absolutely belies its title. The piece concludes with the driving propulsion of “A Different Drummer.”
The three compositions on THREE SCENES, McKinley’s third release with Navona Records, offer an intriguing glimpse into the nuanced and intriguing talents of this powerful composer.
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Artist Information
Elliott Miles McKinley
Elliott Miles McKinley’s music has been performed throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. Commissions include those from the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, the Czech Philharmonic Chamber Music Society, the SOLI Chamber Music Ensemble, Transient Canvas, Hub New Music, the Semiosis String Quartet, the Estrella Consort, the Janàček Trio, and the Martinů String Quartet. His orchestral works have been performed by the Minnesota Orchestra, the Warsaw Philharmonic, and the Czech Radio Symphony, and his music has been featured on international festivals including the Ernest Bloch Music Festival, the SPARK Electroacoustic Music Festival, Society of Music Inc and College Music Society Conferences, the North American Saxophone Alliance National Conference, and the Contemporary Music Festival at Bowling Green State University.
Clare Longendyke
A pianist with “an artistic ferocity that captivated and astonished listeners” (Waverly Newspapers), Clare Longendyke is a soloist, chamber musician, and musical innovator who performs with American orchestras and on recital series around the world. Recent highlights include performances of concertos by Mozart, Falla, Rachmaninoff, Florence Price, and Joan Tower with orchestras in Minnesota, Iowa, Indiana, and Virginia, and the release of her debut solo CD in 2024, …of dreams unveiled featuring works of Debussy, Amy Williams, and Anthony R. Green.
