Wind Ensemble

About the Program

Program notes by Mark Bilyeu

Arturo Márquez
arr. Nickel
Danzon No. 2
Born December 20, 1950 Álamos, Mexico
Composed 1994
Premiered 1994, Orchestra Filarmonica de la UNAM, Mexico City
10 minutes

The idea of writing the Danzón No. 2 originated in 1993, during a trip to Malinalco with the painter Andrés Fonseca and the dancer Irene Martínez, both of whom are experts in salon dances with a special passion for the danzón, which they were able to transmit to me from the beginning, and also during later trips to Veracruz and visits to the Colonia Salon in Mexico City. From these experiences onward, I started to learn the danzón’s rhythms, its form, its melodic outline, and to listen to the old recordings by Acerina and his Danzonera Orchestra. I was fascinated and I started to understand that the apparent lightness of the danzón is only like a visiting card for a type of music full of sensuality and qualitative seriousness, a genre which old Mexican people continue to dance with a touch of nostalgia and a jubilant escape towards their own emotional world; we can fortunately still see this in the embrace between music and dance that occurs in the state of Veracruz and in the dance parlors of Mexico City.

The Danzón No. 2 is a tribute to the environment that nourishes the genre. It endeavors to get as close as possible to the dance, to its nostalgic melodies, to its wild rhythms, and although it violates its intimacy, its form and its harmonic language, it is a very personal way of paying my respects and expressing my emotions towards truly popular music. Danzón No. 2 was written on a commission by the Department of Musical Activities at Mexico’s National Autonomous University and is dedicated to my daughter Lily.

–Arturo Márquez

H. Owen Reed
La Fiesta Mexicana 

Notes coming soon 
 

Arturo Márquez
Symphony no. 5, Sinfonía Nómada 

Notes Coming soon

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About the Artists

Jimmy Santos-Rivera

Jimmy Santos-Rivera (he/him) is currently pursuing a master of music in wind conducting at The University of Texas at Austin, where he serves as a graduate teaching assistant. In this role, he assists in conducting and managing the university’s concert bands, athletic bands, and conducting courses. He earned his bachelor of arts in music education, with a minor in percussion, from the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, his career has been deeply rooted on the island. Prior to moving to Austin, Santos-Rivera spent eight years teaching concert band, percussion, and music theory at Escuela Especializada en Bellas Artes Pablo Casals. As a performer, he has played in the percussion section of the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra, the Puerto Rico Wind Symphony, and the Puerto Rico Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2019, he joined the 248th Army Band in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he currently serves as a percussionist in various ensembles and as the principal conductor of the concert band. His mentors include Carlos Ávila, Eddy Marcano, Karlo Flores, and Carmen Acevedo.

Greg Cavazos

Greg Cavazos is a highly respected mariachi director with nearly two decades of experience in education and performance throughout Texas. He has held key positions as a mariachi director at Eagle Pass High School, Cavazos Middle School, and Lubbock High School, where he cultivated vibrant mariachi programs and inspired countless students to pursue their musical passions. Mr. Cavazos holds a bachelor of music in Music Education from Texas A&M University-Kingsville where he directed Mariachi Javelina from 1998 to 2003 and a master of music in Musicology from Texas Tech University, focusing on the development of mariachi trumpet in his thesis, "The Development of Mariachi Trumpet within the Son Jalisciense." As an active member of the Texas Music Adjudicators Association, he evaluates mariachi ensembles statewide and has served as a clinician for All-Region Mariachi ensembles in TMEA Regions 20, 15, 11, and 8. Currently, he directs the Mariachi Ensembles at The University of Texas at Austin and is a part of the Music and Human Learning faculty. Through his extensive experience and contributions,  Cavazos is a passionate advocate for mariachi music, dedicated to nurturing young talent and preserving this rich cultural tradition. 

 

Jerry Junkin

Serving since 1988 on the faculty of The University of Texas at Austin, where he holds the Vincent R. and Jane D. DiNino Chair for the Director of Bands, in addition to serving as a University Distinguished Teaching Professor, Jerry Junkin is recognized as one of the world’s most highly regarded wind conductors. Previously, he served on the faculties of both the University of Michigan and the University of South Florida. In addition to his responsibilities as professor of music and conductor of the Texas Wind Ensemble, he serves as head of the conducting division and teaches courses in conducting and wind band literature. He has served as music director and conductor of the Hong Kong Wind Philharmonia since 2003, and as artistic director and conductor of the Dallas Winds since 1993. He also serves as visiting professor at the Senzoku Gakuen College of Music Wind Ensemble in Tokyo, Japan. Mr. Junkin has conducted All-State bands and festivals in forty-eight states and five continents, and is a Yamaha master educator.

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Wind Ensemble

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Upcoming Events

WIND SYMPHONY
Free Admission
Wednesday, November 4, 7:30 p.m.
Bates Recital Hall
 

WIND ENSEMBLE
Sunday, November 8, 4:00 p.m.
Bates Recital Hall
 

SYMPHONY BAND
Free Admission
Sunday, November 15, 7:30 p.m.
Bates Recital Hall
 

WIND ENSEMBLE
Adam Schoenberg, visiting composer
Sunday, February 7, 4:00 p.m.
Bates Recital Hall
 

WIND ENSEMBLE
with Epoch Percussion Quartet
Wednesday, March 10, 7:30 p.m.
Bates Recital Hall
 

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