New Orchestral Work From Western Illinois Composer Debuting Tonight
The premiere of a new work by Western Illinois University Music Composition Professor James Romig, titled Spaces, will be held from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13, at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport, IA.
The 80-minute piece will be performed by Augustana College Percussion Professor Tony Oliver, a long-time member of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra.
“Tony Oliver is a marvelous percussionist whose performances are both musically sensitive and technically accurate — exactly the qualities necessary for sharing a brand-new work with an audience,” said Romig. “Tony and I have been friends since we were undergraduate music majors at the University of Iowa, and we’ve collaborated on countless projects over the years. He’s one of my favorite musicians, and one of my favorite people. It has been immensely rewarding to collaborate with him on this new work.”
Romig’s solo piano piece, Still, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Music in 2019. It was performed at The Figge in 2018 by his wife, Knox College Associate Professor of Applied Music Ashlee Mack.
“She performed the hour-long work for solo piano, in the same gallery where Tony will be playing Spaces,” said Romig. “I’m honored to have my music serve a small role in the museum’s big cultural contributions to the Quad Cities community.”
The vibraphone is a ringing keyboard percussion instrument, “capable of conjuring a dreamy, contemplative atmosphere of gentle timbre and intriguing harmony.” Romig said Spaces comprises eight movements, each about 10 minutes long and played without pause.
“Each one is different, but they’re similar enough that listeners might have a feeling of deja vu when they recognize certain musical gestures and phrases that return throughout the 80 minutes of music,” he added.
For more information about the performance, visit bit.ly/ROMIGSPACES.
