The majestic beauty of the Rocky Mountains has always been a source of inspiration for composer Michael Udow. Mountain Myths, first commissioned by the Music in the Mountains Festival (Durango, CO) and its Artistic Director, Gregory Hustis, is a piece written to celebrate the grandeur of the mountains of southwestern Colorado. Said Udow: “The First Nation Peoples understood the fragility of the land. This and the glorious wonderment, and the energy of the forever-changing mountains and the need to protect this natural legacy were in my consciousness as this new antiphonal work for Music in the Mountains germinated.” The original version of the piece, scored for brass ensemble and percussion, was premiered in July 2017. On February 24, the Longmont Symphony Orchestra (Udow’s hometown orchestra), under the baton of maestro Eliot Moore, will debut the orchestral version of this work. More information on the performance.
And here’s a sneak peak of what the composer has been up to otherwise! As a much-respected Professor of Percussion at the School of Music, Theatre & Dance of the University of Michigan for almost thirty years until his retirement in 2011, Udow has taught generations of students, who are now scattered around the country and the world at major orchestras and educational institutions. His long-anticipated book on percussion pedagogy is currently in progress, and it is forthcoming from the Oxford University Press. Stay tuned for more details!