Update: WYWOP

No music to post this time. It has been uncomfortably long since I’ve released anything, but I have been keeping busy with various other tasks, including planning a trip to Austria for this year’s World Youth Wind Orchestra Project! You can find out more about WYWOP at this link: https://www.mideurope.at/en/members/wywop.

WYWOP is an international group of musicians under 30 that are selected by audition to perform really great literature in a wind ensemble. I have the unique opportunity to play both alto saxophone and piano for this adventure and I’m super excited about it! I have been practicing a lot in preparation for this and my flight leaves tomorrow. That means, unfortunately, there will still be a lack of postings here for at least another 2 weeks.

If you are between 16 and 30 and you’ve played in a symphonic band, I highly recommend trying out for WYWOP. It’s worth noting that this is not a paid event, it’s the opposite. In addition to the cost of the plane ticket, you also have to pay the event organizer to participate in this band, but it is definitely worth it for the experience and friends to be made along the way!

Senior Recital – November 16 2021

I’ve decided to go ahead and release the whole video of my senior recital from back in November! It had been a long time coming and I’m very proud of the end result. By the way, the audio was recorded on UWF’s in-house recording system, which I then synchronized to the video that I took on my camera. Here is the video, and here is the program in order:

Concerto for Alto Saxophone (1979) 0:00 – Ingolf Dahl

Recitative

Passacaglia

Blake Riley, piano

Concertino da Camera (1935) 15:34 – Jacques Ibert ** My memorized performance of this placed 2nd place at UWF’s Concerto Competition in 2021.

Allegro

Larghetto

Animato Molto

Blake Riley, piano

Partita for Flute, BMV 1013 (1723-1724) 28:30 – J.S. Bach
Allemande

Intermission

Bop Duets (1980) 35:50 – Bugs Bower

No. 2

Kameron Horak, alto saxophone

Fifteen Two-Part Inventions (1723, arr. 1969) 38:50 – J.S. Bach

No. 3 Arr. Larry Teal

No. 4

Brittany Comer, alto saxophone

A Tribute to Sax (1994) 43:05 – Alain Crépin

Allegro

Largo

Allegro Vivace

Blake Riley, piano

Encore: Partita II for Violin (from memory) 55:44 – J.S. Bach

Allemande