As part of the Visiting Artist and Lecture Series in the Department of Music, composer Jenni Brandon came to LMU in March to work with students in the Chamber Music Ensembles Class. Chance Yagi, Cole Scanlon, Jade Sundstrom and Charles Berg performed Brandon’s Sea Quartet for oboe, clarinet, bassoon and piano.
Brandon is an award-winning composer, conductor, and mezzo-soprano who enjoys engaging with performers and audiences, often giving talks about the business of music and the art of collaboration. She is the recipient of numerous awards including the Sorel Medallion, the American Prize for Choral Composition, the Women Composers Festival of Hartford International Composition Competition, and the Bassoon Chamber Music Composition Competition.
During the session at LMU, the students gained insight into the compositional process and learned about the origin and inspiration for the piece. The session was lively and interactive, culminating in an exploration of a new dimension in the music.
“By adding an aleatoric element (an opportunity for the performers to determine what pitches and rhythms to play within the given parameters) not originally in the score, Brandon and the student performers collaborated to create a more impactful realization of the programmatic music evoking swirling and joyful ocean waves,” said Tania Fleischer, director of the LMU Chamber Ensembles.
The Sea Quartet was then performed at the Spring Chamber Music Concert in April. The LMU Chamber Ensembles are open to all instrumentalists campus-wide. More information about the the ensembles here.
