Garland Symphony Orchestra - Concert I October 22, 2010

Join the GSO as it moves through the seasons with the classics! The GSO will be performing Edvard Grieg’s In Autumn, Glazunov’s “Autumn” from The Seasons, and Johannes Brahms’ Symphony No. 2 in D Major to name a few.

Additionally, the GSO will feature a performance by Vurl Bland, tuba, performing Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Tuba Concerto in F Minor.

After completing his bachelor’s degree at Cameron University and continuing with Graduate Studies in Orchestral Performance with Don Little at the University of North Texas, Vurl Bland was appointed Principal Tuba of the Cape Town Symphony Orchestra (CTSO) in Cape Town, South Africa in 1987.

During his tenure in Cape Town, he was a member of the Solid Brass Quintet and Intsholo – a brass and African percussion ensemble. As a member of the CTSO, Solid Brass and Intsholo, Mr. Bland toured South Africa on numerous occasions, performed at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, and toured Taipei, Oslo, and the Canary Islands. As a soloist, he presented the first solo tuba recital tour in South Africa and appeared on four occasions with the CTSO. He also hosted “The Mostly Brass Show” on Fine Music Radio 101.3 for three years. After 14 years in the CTSO, Mr. Bland returned to the United States and settled in North Texas. Since his return, he has played with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, the Dallas Opera Orchestra, the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra, the Pavarotti Tour Orchestra, the Nashville Symphony, Texas and Dallas Wind Symphonies and the Fort Worth Stock Show Rodeo Band, to name but a few. As an active chamber musician, he is a member of Orion Brass and Perennial Brass. Mr. Bland was a founding member of the Cape Town National Brass Congress and was involved with the Genesis Brass Project. He served as adjunct brass faculty at the South African College of Music at the University of Cape Town, was Tuba Instructor to the SADF Band, taught at the Beau Soleil and Hugo Lampercht’s music centers and was Teaching Assistant at UNT. In addition to his teaching responsibilities in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, he also serves as Low Brass Specialist at Houghton Custom Horns in Keller.

Since his return to North Texas, Mr. Bland has been actively involved as coordinator of the Dallas and Fort Worth Tuba Christmas. Mr. Bland was appointed Principal Tuba for the Garland, Las Colinas and Arlington Symphonies in 2001.

The Tuba Concerto in F minor by the British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams dates from 1954. Vaughan Williams wrote the concerto for Philip Catelinet, principal tuba of the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO), and Catelinet was the soloist in the premiere on 13 June 1954, with Sir John Barbirolli conducting. Catelinet was also the soloist in the work's first recording made that same year, again with Barbirolli and the LSO.

While at first viewed as the eccentric idea of an aging composer, the concerto soon became one of Vaughan Williams' most popular works, and an essential part of the tuba repertoire.

The work is in three movements:

1. Prelude: Allegro Moderato
2. Romanza: Andante Sostenuto
3. Finale - Rondo alla tedesca: Allegro

The Garland Symphony Orchestra credits its Music Director, Robert Carter Austin for its continued outstanding and diverse orchestral programming. Maestro Austin’s background encompasses over 30 years of professional music experience and includes degrees from MIT, Cambridge University, and Stanford University. Maestro Austin’s musical experience includes conducting performances in countries including: Korea, Ukraine, Canada, Italy, Spain, China, France, Germany, Mexico, Bulgaria, Ecuador, Colombia, Philippines, Guatemala, Dominican Republic and the United States.

Official Website: http://www.garlandsymphony.org/events/