Internationally Renowned Composer to Visit UT School of Music, Premiere New Composition
The University of Tennessee School of Music will welcome composer Kevin Day to campus for a three-day residency from November 15-17, culminating in the world premiere performance of his new concerto, Dual Strides for horn, trombone, and wind ensemble. This commissioned piece was made possible by a generous gift from Admiral Title, Inc.
Kevin Day is an internationally recognized composer and the recipient of several awards. He is a winner of the BMI Student Composer Award, a three-time finalist for the ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Award and is considered for the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for his work Concerto for Wind Ensemble. His pieces, which number more than 200, have been performed numerous times internationally, including the United States, Russia, Austria, Australia, Taiwan, South Africa, and Japan. Most recently, he had his Carnegie Hall Conducting Debut at the 2022 New York International Music Festival. He also holds a position as assistant professor of composition at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
The concerto will be premiered at the University of Tennessee Wind Ensemble concert, which will take place on Thursday, November 17 at 7:30 p.m. in the James R. Cox Auditorium, which is located in the Alumni Memorial Building.
“This is just another example of what our students experience in the UT School of Music: Access to training from world-class musicians, composers, and scholars,” said Jeffrey Pappas, director of the School of Music. “We’re delighted to host Mr. Day and eagerly anticipate the wonderful experience his visit will bring to our School, the campus, and our community.”
The public is also welcome to attend a masterclass with UT students in the Sandra G. Powell Recital Hall of the Natalie L. Haslam Music Center on Wednesday, November 16 at 12:55 p.m. At this masterclass, Day’s works will be performed by various student ensemble groups, including a saxophone quartet, horn and piano solo, and a tuba & euphonium sextet.