Alexander van Duuren, associate professor of trombone in the Natalie L. Haslam College of Music, was recently awarded the UT Office of Research, Innovation, and Economic Development’s ASCENT Program grant, and joins only a handful of UT faculty for this transformational award in its inaugural year. With the grant, van Duuren aims to provide a performance opportunity rarely offered by universities: a live-to-film concert, where a full orchestra performs a beloved film score live while the movie is shown on screen.
The ASCENT Program began taking applications in fall 2025 and was created to provide financial support for transformative projects led by UT artists, humanists, and social scientists to achieve ambitious results for the applicant, their field, and the University. With up to $50,000 awarded per grant, the program represents a significant investment in the humanities and social sciences and provides support for projects that may otherwise be difficult to realize.
For years, James Fellenbaum, associate professor and director of the UT Orchestra Program, had hoped to bring a live-to-film concert to the university. However, the price tag associated with such an event made the performance seem unrealistic. It was van Duuren’s belief in Fellenbaum’s vision, coupled with the launch of the ASCENT program, that helped make the idea feasible.
“Live-to-film concerts have become extremely popular amongst professional orchestras, yet our students don’t have the opportunity to learn and engage in a performance this complex. I knew this would be such a strong pitch for a grant, and so we started having internal discussions about how to make this happen,” van Duuren said. “Right around that time, a colleague suggested the ASCENT program, and now here we are. I couldn’t be more excited.”
While live-to-film concerts are not a new concept, presenting one at the collegiate level is exceptionally rare due to the cost, logistics, and personnel required to bring such a production to life. Securing the licensing rights for both the film and its score is often among the most complex and expensive parts of the process. While licensing agreements vary by production, rights holders often establish strict artistic and technical requirements to ensure their films and music are presented at the highest level.
“For the few universities that have done this, they’re not performing blockbusters. This grant is going to allow us to do that,” van Duuren said. “Not only that, but many parent companies of large franchises will only allow their music to be conducted by certain individuals to ensure artistic quality. That’s where our secret weapon comes in with Maestro Fellenbaum.”
Fellenbaum is no stranger to live-to-film concert conducting. He serves as resident conductor of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, is in his ninth season as music director of the Brevard Philharmonic and regularly conducts film-with-orchestra productions such as The Wizard of Oz, Casablanca, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Home Alone, and Mary Poppins. In summer 2025, as principal guest conductor of the long-running hit Bugs Bunny at the Symphony, he was invited to conduct the show at Hollywood Bowl, one of the most iconic and prestigious outdoor music venues in the world.
Despite conducting numerous live-to-film productions throughout his career, Fellenbaum said the opportunity to bring the experience to student musicians is particularly meaningful.
“Film music has always been very special to me throughout my life. It’s what inspired me to continue exploring classical music, which eventually led to a career in conducting. It’s a privilege to conduct these live-to-film productions as they put a greater spotlight on the music, where audiences enjoy the experience hearing how much the music impacts a movie, and hear the richness of the music performed by a live symphony orchestra,” said Fellenbaum. “What I’m particularly excited about is providing an opportunity for our students to perform a complete film score, and to learn about the technical synchronization that’s required to put these film-with-orchestra productions together. These types of concerts are going to be around for a long time, so what better practical experience than learning how to play these concerts before going out into the professional world.”
The movie has not yet been selected, but van Duuren and Fellenbaum are eyeing several fan-favorite franchises that will appeal to a wide variety of audiences. Their goal is not only to fill an auditorium, but also to provide students with a professional-caliber performance experience rarely available at the collegiate level while showcasing the talent and musicianship found within the Natalie L. Haslam College of Music. The performance is expected to take place in 2027.
“At the end of the day, what matters most is the experience of our student performers. There’s something magical as a faculty member when you see your students’ faces light up when they learn a new technique or conquer a particularly hard piece. This type of performance is going to be completely different from what our students have done before,” van Duuren said. “And if there is any student orchestra who can do it, it’s going to be ours.”
Stay tuned for the official movie announcement and performance date by following the Natalie L. Haslam College of Music online.