The UCF Wind Ensemble has a new recording available featuring a piece inspired by Greek mythology. The “Zodiac Concerto” for solo horn, solo euphonium and wind ensemble by Anthony DiLorenzo brought together UCF students and faculty with professional musicians from around the country for this special collaboration.
The 3-movement piece was performed by the UCF Wind Ensemble, led by UCF Director of Bands, Dr. Scott Lubaroff, at the 2018 UCF Celebrates the Arts and featured William Caballero (principal horn, Pittsburgh Symphony) and Roger Oyster (principal trombone, Kansas City Symphony, former principal solo euphonium, United States Marine Band: The President’s Own). They recorded the work earlier that same day in the Disney Theatre in the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.
Zodiac Concerto represents a long-term collaborative effort between Lubaroff, Caballero, Oyster and DiLorenzo. “We gave the world premiere together on my final concert at the University of Central Missouri and I knew I needed to bring them to Orlando for the performance at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts and for this professional recording,” says Lubaroff. “The opportunity to share UCF’s tremendous student-musicians with world-class performers was truly memorable. To put UCF’s name on a project that will be heard around the world is significant for our program.”
The “Zodiac Concerto” started to take form in 2006 when “Gemini,” what is now the first movement of the piece, was commissioned as a solo show piece. Nearly ten years later, Caballero, Lubaroff, and Oyster pursued the expansion of “Gemini” into a full concerto based on Greek mythology.
Composer Anthony DiLorenzo explains the inspiration behind the “Zodiac Concerto:”
“In the process, it was important for me to keep some sort of unity with the three movements as if they were written at the same time. My approach to Capricorn was to set the stage for something more serious, warm and heartfelt in contrast toGemini. It was no mistake that the movement mirrored some of Capricorn’s own personality traits. When it came time to write the third movement, Aries, I wanted to write something that had plenty of direction and drive as well as something otherworldly. I’m not one to write in a minimalistic style, such as Philip Glass or John Adams, but I do graze the style for a few opening bars or so. It’s as if you were lifted off the ground by a wondrous mechanical flying machine headed off into the cosmos. However, it’s short lived until I’m off in a new direction of a more melodic approach.”
The album is available now via CD Baby and will soon be available on iTunes, Spotify and Google Play.