Eric Ewazen, Kevin McKee and Joseph Turrin are contemporary American composers whose rich oeuvre echoes melodic film music and is inspired by the beauty of nature. Their works will be performed by artists based at the NFM – Aleksander Kobus and Eloy Panizo Padrón, who are respectively the first trumpeter and the first trombonist of the NFM Wrocław Philharmonic. They will be accompanied by Monika Hanus-Kobus on the piano.

Eric Ewazen is an American composer who was educated at The Juilliard School in New York, where he received numerous awards, distinctions and scholarships for his work. There is no denying that his artistic language was influenced by the legacy of Aaron Copland and Samuel Barber. Ewazen’s works are characterised by their versatility – he creates for various casts, but clearly prefers a line-up consisting of brass instruments. Tonight, the musicians will present two of his sonatas and Pastorale with the trumpet and trombone in dialogue against the background of subtly played, motoric piano passages. In its sound layer, you can find elements that bring to mind the most beautiful works of film music.

The resonant timbres of the trumpet and trombone will also build a dialogue in the Fandango by Joseph Turrin from 2000. This piece is maintained in an arch form, framing the melodic whole of the work, and it is crowned by an expressive climax exposing the lively, syncopated rhythms characteristic of this Andalusian dance. The Centennial Horizon by Kevin McKee is a work in which the composer wanted to “capture something of the beauty and adventure of this extraordinary place: Colorado (known as the state of the century)”. Consisting of two contrasting movements – Aspen Grove and Roaring Gunnison – connected by an interlude (Alpenglow), the piece is a personal tribute to the artist’s deceased grandmother, Gertrude, who had suggested for years that he create a piece celebrating the rich landscape of one of the larger states in the USA.