WEST LIBERTY, W.Va., Nov. 4, 2014 —The West Liberty University Percussion Ensemble will present its fall concert, Through the Kaleidoscope, at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 13 in College Hall. Presented by the Department of Music and Theatre, the concert is free and open to the public.
“The students will perform a terrific program of music, featuring a new piece that is being composed for us by an up and coming composer,” said Professor Brian Baldauff, director of percussion studies and athletic bands.
“We’ll feature the World Premier of a new piece by Jamie Whitmarsh called Chromatic Aberration.”
Commissioned by Professor Brian Baldauff and the WLU Percussion Ensemble, it will feature senior music major Joshua Garrett on solo steel drum with percussion trio accompaniment.
“Whitmarsh is an up and coming composer establishing himself as a force in the new music scene and we are excited to premier this new piece,” said Baldauff. Located in Tallahassee, Fla., Whitmarsh is a graduate of Florida State University.
“We also will perform music from Josh Gottry, Steve Reich and Minoru Miki,” he added. The Marching Hilltoppers Drum Line will make an appearance after intermission.
“The music in this concert shares a common thread through the diversity of instruments and colors explored. Music from Japan, the Caribbean, Africa and Europe harmonize together to form a true kaleidoscope of cultures through sound,” he said.
Baldauff’s responsibilities include conducting the percussion ensemble, teaching and directing the Marching Hilltoppers and the Pep Band. A versatile performer whose interests span contemporary and historic percussion literature, electronic sound and conducting, he is a performer of solo, orchestral and chamber music.
Baldauff joined WLU in 2011 and is active in the Percussive Arts Society community, currently serving as president of the West Virginia chapter. Baldauff completed his undergraduate work in music education at the University of Central Florida and received his master’s of music in percussion performance from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He is currently a doctor of music candidate at Florida State University.