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La Crosse New Music Festival

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About the event

7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023
Annett Recital Hall, 152 Lowe Center for the Arts

La Crosse's annual New Music Festival features events for UWL students, community outreach, and three nights of very different concerts. This year's guest artist is Arturo Rodríguez, a composer, pianist and conductor born in Monterrey, Mexico, who lives and works in Los Angeles, CA

Arturo Rodríguez

Composer, conductor and pianist born in Monterrey, México. His works have been performed and recorded by orchestras around the world like Philharmonia Orchestra, Boston Pops, San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony and by most major orchestras in México.

In Hollywood he has worked as conductor for major films like Furious 7 and IT Chapter 2 and has orchestrated music for films like Lights Out and the Oscar winning documentary Free Solo. He has collaborated with the San Francisco Symphony for their Día de los Muertos concerts and has made orchestral arrangements for Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic for their Noche de Cine and Power to the People concerts.

Rodríguez has recently composed the orchestral score for the film The Mistress directed by Greg Pritikin and has completed composing the music for the 3rd season (120 episodes) of the animated series Victor and Valentino for Cartoon Network, and is currently working on a commission for maestro Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops orchestra to be premiered Christmas 2022.

Read a full biography on Arturo’s website

Picture of composer, pianist and conductor Arturo Rodríguez

Concerts

Partners in New Music

Wednesday, November 8, 2023, 7:30 PM - Annett Recital Hall. Free and open to the public.

A concert of diverse music by UWL faculty, students and other musicians from the area. You'll hear:

  • an arrangement of Imogen Heap's iconic pop song "Hide and Seek" arranged for trombone choir to
  • duets between live painters/image makers and musicians to
  • a snare drum solo that involves a marble on the drum to
  • a reprise of Viterbo Professor Mary Ellen Haupert's new flute piece, Breeze
  • and more

Arturo at the Piano

Thursday, November 9, 2023, 7:30 PM - Annett Recital Hall. Free and open to the public.

Arturo Rodríguez, piano, with Dr. Jonathan Borja, flute

An intimate evening of original music for piano (and a few for flute and piano) played by our guest artist.

 

UWL's Wind Ensemble

Friday, November 10, 2023, 7:30 PM - Annett Recital Hall. Free and open to the public.

The three-night concert series culminates in a performance of Arturo Rodríguez's When the Winds Speak/Cuando los Vientos Hablan, a concerto for two flutes and wind ensemble. Written for UWL's own flute professor, Dr. Jonathan Borja, Dr. Borja will be joined by Prof. Heidi Keener and UWL's Wind Ensemble under new director Prof. Martin Gaines. The concert will also include a reprise of the Wind Ensemble performing Mr. Rodríguez's Mosaico Mexicano, and works by other living composers, including Kevin Day, Aaron Perrine and Augusta Read Thomas.

Reception to follow.

Other Events

Community Outreach

Arturo Rodríguez, Dr. Jonathan Borja and Director Dr. David Dies are thrilled to be visiting an area high school to play some music and engage in a wide-ranging question-and-answer session with local students about music and a career in the music industry.

Q&A about a Career in the Music Industry

Arturo Rodríguez will answer questions from Director Dr. David Dies and UWL students about his career, including commissioned work and composing for television and film.

Piano Masterclass with Arturo Rodríguez

UWL piano students, as well as some piano students from the area, will play pieces, including some of Mr. Rodríguez's works, and receive feedback about their technique and interpretation of the pieces from the composer and pianist.