Andrew Pease (b. 1979) got his start as a composer writing rock songs in high school, and he has written and arranged for wind bands and chamber groups ever since. In his day job, he serves as Associate Professor of Music and Director of Instrumental Music at Hartwick College in Oneonta, NY, where he leads the Wind Ensemble and Brass Ensemble. He is also co-conductor of the Catskill Valley Wind Ensemble, a community band also based in Oneonta. His guest conducting work has taken him to several states and the UK, and he has presented nationally and internationally on topics in the wind band field. He studied music and music education at Dartmouth College, Columbia University Teachers College, and Hofstra University. He completed doctoral studies in wind conducting at Arizona State University, studying with Gary Hill. His work there earned him the 2017 American Prize in Collegiate Wind Band Conducting. He started his career in New York City, where he was music director of the Columbia University Wind Ensemble and the community band Columbia Summer Winds (now Manhattan Summer Winds). Throughout his varied career, he has directed players of all ages and ability levels, from elementary beginning band to adult amateurs to professional ensembles. His latest compositions appear at his personal website, www.andypease.com. He also runs two websites dedicated to wind bands. Wind Band Literature (windliterature.org) is a repertoire resource for bands around the world. The Wind Band Symphony Archive (windsymphonies.org) is a dynamic archive of symphonies for wind band.

Still me! My latest piece, Rings, was a project for the Hartwick College Wind Ensemble, which is set to give the first performances of it on March 10 at the Anderson Theater in Oneonta, NY, and on March 23 at Carnegie Hall in New York City. My program notes:

Rings takes a metaphor and runs with it. I had planetary rings in mind as I started it, the idea being that we look at them from a distance and grow to appreciate their beauty even more as we look closer and realize they’re actually made from bits of ice and dust. The music takes the same approach, beginning from a distance and gradually zooming in, revealing hidden details even as we retain our appreciation for the whole. This is also true of the people in our lives, who become more dear, and our relationships more profound, as we look closer.

So, this space piece is really about people. May we find the hidden beauty in each other as we do in the cosmos.

The premiere has not yet come, so for now, you can listen to the MIDI recording here:

I’ll have more to say after the premiere. In the meantime, check it out on my website.