Event Title
ElectrOboe: An Exploration of Electro-acoustic Music for Oboe
Performer / Ensemble
Andrew W. Parker (Oboe)
Date of Publication
3-26-2021
Document Type
Concert
Abstract / Program Notes
Niobe, written in July and November 1987 and was commissioned by the Park Lane Group for Ian Hardwick. In Greek mythology, Niobe was the daughter of Tantalus and wife of Amphion, King of Thebes. She unwisely boasted to Leto about her many sons and daughters. As punishment Apollo slew all of Niobe’s children. The Gods changed her into a rock, in which form she continued to weep. In this short work for solo oboe and Tape, the solo oboe takes the part of Niobe bitterly lamenting her murdered children. Gobo was written for oboist Rebecca Henderson. Russell Pinkston thought of the oboe as the ultimate lyrical instrument, yet it is also quite agile and capable of remarkable virtuosity. In this piece, he wanted to give the oboe ample opportunity to do what it is best known for – playing long, lyrical melodic lines, but also give it a few chances to show a different, funkier, and flashier side of its personality. Letter’s Home, completed in July, 2018, was commissioned by the Staunton Music Festival. Dedicated to Roger Roe, who performed the work’s premiere. The text consists of excerpts from letters first published in Poems by Alan Seeger (1916). Seeger died fighting for the French in World War I before his country even joined the war. This piece provides glimpses of Seeger’s wartime experiences, combining excerpts from his letters home.
Biography
Dr. Andrew W. Parker is currently the Assistant Professor of Oboe, Graduate Coordinator, and Director of Summer Music Camps at Oklahoma State University Greenwood School of Music. He has performed throughout the United States and internationally at some of the world’s most prestigious concert halls. Dr. Parker previously held the position of Lecture in Oboe and Music Technology at Brevard College and Artistic Administrator at the Brevard Music Center. Dr. Parker has held positions with the Greenville Symphony Orchestra, Spartanburg Philharmonic, Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra, and the Brevard Philharmonic. He has performed with the Asheville Symphony Orchestra, Austin Symphony Orchestra, Round Rock Symphony Orchestra, Temple Symphony, Atlantic Music Festival Orchestra, Symphony Space All-Star Orchestra, Le Train Blue New Music Ensemble, along with performances in Seoul, Korea with Symphony S.O.N.G. Dr. Parker received his Bachelors from the SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Music, Masters from the Yale School
Keywords
Oboe, Niobe
Description
25-minute performance
ElectrOboe: An Exploration of Electro-acoustic Music for Oboe
Niobe, written in July and November 1987 and was commissioned by the Park Lane Group for Ian Hardwick. In Greek mythology, Niobe was the daughter of Tantalus and wife of Amphion, King of Thebes. She unwisely boasted to Leto about her many sons and daughters. As punishment Apollo slew all of Niobe’s children. The Gods changed her into a rock, in which form she continued to weep. In this short work for solo oboe and Tape, the solo oboe takes the part of Niobe bitterly lamenting her murdered children. Gobo was written for oboist Rebecca Henderson. Russell Pinkston thought of the oboe as the ultimate lyrical instrument, yet it is also quite agile and capable of remarkable virtuosity. In this piece, he wanted to give the oboe ample opportunity to do what it is best known for – playing long, lyrical melodic lines, but also give it a few chances to show a different, funkier, and flashier side of its personality. Letter’s Home, completed in July, 2018, was commissioned by the Staunton Music Festival. Dedicated to Roger Roe, who performed the work’s premiere. The text consists of excerpts from letters first published in Poems by Alan Seeger (1916). Seeger died fighting for the French in World War I before his country even joined the war. This piece provides glimpses of Seeger’s wartime experiences, combining excerpts from his letters home.