Famed composer Bruce Broughton joins UNT Symphonic Band for concert featuring his music

Thursday, February 1, 2018 - 14:07
Bruce Broughton, 10-time Emmy Award winner and 2017-18 University of North Texas composer-in-residence, will return to the College of Music to join the Symphonic Band in a performance of his compositions and participate in a unique on-stage conversation where he will discuss his music, career and contributions live for the audience.
Bruce Broughton, 10-time Emmy Award winner and 2017-18 University of North Texas composer-in-residence, will return to the College of Music to join the Symphonic Band in a performance of his compositions and participate in a unique on-stage conversation where he will discuss his music, career and contributions live for the audience.

DENTON (UNT), Texas -- Bruce Broughton, 10-time Emmy Award winner and 2017-18 University of North Texas composer-in-residence, will return to the College of Music to join the Symphonic Band in a performance of his compositions and participate in a unique on-stage conversation where he will discuss his music, career and contributions live for the audience. Media: Download image here.

 What: “The Music of Bruce Broughton,” a UNT Symphonic Band performance with famed composer Bruce Broughton, featuring his compositions.

When: 7:30 p.m. Feb. 13 (Tuesday).

Where: Margot and Bill Winspear Performance Hall in the Murchison Performing Arts Center, 2100 Interstate 35E, Denton.

Cost: $10 for the public; $8 for UNT faculty, staff and Alumni Association members; free for UNT students. Students can pick up their free ticket at the Murchison Performing Arts Center box office. UNT faculty, staff, alumni and the public, may purchase their tickets at the Murchison Performing Arts Center online.

Parking: Free parking will be available in the lot next to the MPAC, with overflow parking available in lots 4 and 26. View the UNT parking map here.

More information: For a complete list of UNT College of Music events, including faculty and student recitals, visit the College of Music online calendar at http://music.unt.edu/calendar and connect with the College of Music on Facebook at Facebook.com/UNTCollegeofMusic and on Twitter at @UNTCoM.

“It’s always exciting for me to collaborate with composers on performances of their music. It brings a special energy and intimacy that is unique for our students,” said Dennis Fisher, associate director of wind studies and conductor of the Symphonic Band. “Having him be a part of the performance in preparation for, and then at the concert is something I will always remember and I know the students will as well.”

The performance will feature Broughton’s Harlequin, Fanfare for 16 Horns and From Sea to Shining Sea, along with other favorites, including the opening scenes from his Academy Award-nominated score for the movie “Silverado.”

“I'm most curious to hear the Fanfare for 16 Horns,” said Broughton, who also wrote scores for “Tombstone,” “The Rescuers Down Under,” “Miracle on 34th Street” and “Harry and the Hendersons,” among others. “It was composed originally to open a concert at The Hollywood Bowl as part of the International Horn Convention when there were a lot of horn players available and I wasn't sure whether I'd ever hear it played again. This piece will be a rare performance simply because it takes an extraordinary number of horns to play it.”

Fisher says he’s most excited about Spacious Skies, a piece that was commissioned by the United States Air Force in 2017 and required special permission from them, as well as Broughton, before it could be performed.

“I became familiar with the piece when I produced a recording session with the Air Force in April,” Fisher said. “When Bruce and I talked about this concert, I knew Spacious Skies was one piece I would really like to include, as it features a saxophone quartet with the band. The sax section in the Symphonic Band has played quartets together extensively over the past several years and I knew it would be a perfect fit for them.”

Broughton says he’s enjoyed the experience of being UNT’s composer-in-residence and is very much looking forward to the performance.

“It's one thing to compose music, another to perform it and another thing entirely to hear someone else perform your compositions,” Broughton said. “I generally always find someone else's performance interesting because they usually bring something new to the piece in the way that they play it.”

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