Composer Gala Flagello
Our November 10 program features Gala Flagello’s vivacious Bravado. This is the inaugural performance of Bravado by the Band.
Ms. Flagelllo describes this work:
"Bravado" was actually originally a piece for orchestra, written for the 2023 Tanglewood Music Festival orchestral readings. I was told they'd have time to read a 3-minute piece and my first thought was, "What can I do in 3 minutes?!" I decided on a whiz-bang opener, something jam-packed with exciting moments focused on a single melody that transforms over time. To that end, "Bravado" explores the many connotations of the titular word, which is a descendent of the Old Italian adjective "bravo," meaning “wild” or “courageous.” A person with bravado can be seen as bold or reckless, daring or arrogant, confident or overbearing. I'm extremely happy with the band arrangement of this piece and am grateful to Jason Fettig and “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band for commissioning it. I think winds and percussion perfectly embody "Bravado"'s exuberant, raucous energy, and I hope Northshore Concert Band has a blast performing it.
Gala Flagello is a composer, educator, and nonprofit director whose work is inspired by a passion for lyricism, rhythmic vitality, and fostering meaningful collaboration. Her music, described as "at times endearingly whimsical, at times ominous, but always moving" (Cleveland Classical), resonates with audiences through its emotional depth and dynamic expression. Flagello's collaborations with leading ensembles, artists, and institutions on national and international stages build impactful projects for audiences and performers alike.
Flagello’s music frequently engages with topics such as environmental advocacy, gender equity, and mental health. The Bird-While, a concerto for Hub New Music and symphonic winds, is based on the environmental poetry of Michigan poet Keith Taylor, with each movement sonically exploring Michigan-specific flora and fauna.
A passionate educator, arts nonprofit leader, Festival Director and co-founder of the contemporary music festival Connecticut Summerfest, she champions the creation of new music and nurtures creative growth through collaboration. In her teaching, Flagello enthusiastically works with students to develop fledgling ideas into fully realized pieces, examine repertoire from Saint-Georges to Saariaho, and incorporate non-musical elements such as visual art and technology into their work. She maintains a private studio of composition students and has been engaged as Composer in Residence at institutions including the University of Michigan, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Nebraska-Omaha, Virginia Tech, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, and Queen’s University (CAN). Flagello is proud to have co-designed and co-teach the course Commissioning and Collaboration Basics (ARTSADMN 406/506) at the University of Michigan with Hub New Music Executive Director Michael Avitabile.
We contacted Gala Flagello and asked her to share her journey in music, favorite musical memory, and more.
Please tell us about your journey in music and life.
I think my composer brain was on since I started taking piano lessons at 5 years old. I was the kind of student who was less interested in practicing whatever piece I had been assigned and more interested in "making up songs," and I'm very lucky to have had a childhood piano teacher who was extremely encouraging! He would invite me to perform these early pieces on piano recitals and snuck music theory into my piano lessons so that I'd be able to notate what I wrote. I'm also grateful for my past life as a horn player because it enabled me not only to write confidently for brass but to begin writing for my friends. This is part of the reason my life's mission became collaborating with and hiring—through the nonprofit music festival I co-founded and co-direct, Connecticut Summerfest—my friends and musical heroes. I find it very rewarding to work closely with my collaborators, crafting projects intentionally over time so that they feel meaningful to all parties. Aside from being a composer and nonprofit director, my third biggest love is teaching, and I'm thrilled to be co-teaching a course I co-designed at the University of Michigan, "Commissioning and Collaboration Basics." Helping the next generation of artists navigate the field in a sustainable, fulfilling way is one of my major goals in all areas of my musical life.
Please share a bit about your favorite musical memory.
My favorite recent musical memory was premiering my concerto for Hub New Music, "The Bird-While" (which we'll be recording this coming spring!). The hall felt electric, and it was one of the most definitive moments of "wow, this piece WORKS!" that I've ever had AT a premiere. I'm so grateful for Hub's musical sensitivity, generosity, friendship, and belief in my music.
What is on your Spotify playlist or in your music library?
Whenever I'm stuck compositionally (or just need impeccable vibes in my car on the way to a residency), you can probably find me listening to Sabrina Carpenter, Megan Thee Stallion, Dua Lipa, Chappell Roan, Beyoncé, Kesha, Maisie Peters, Janelle Monáe, and Charli xcx.
Which composer/musician, past or present, would you most like to meet for a coffee and why?
One of my favorite recent cocktail experiences was with Joan Tower, so if I could meet her for coffee (again), I'd jump at the chance. A conversation with her is the perfect mix of joy, pragmatism, wry humor, and encouragement.
What do you do to relax?
Read (pretty much any genre), take walks in the little woods in my neighborhood, and watch silly movies and cook dinner with two of my best friends (we do this together weekly and it is so joyful).
Please share any thoughts that you may have about the Northshore Concert Band.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your support of my music! Having "Bravado" programmed by Northshore is a dream come true.
A special thank you to Gala Flagello for speaking with us and giving permission to reproduce this material. Please visit her website galaflagello.com to learn more about her and her work.
RESILIENCE
Sunday, November 10, 2024, 3:00 p.m. Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, Evanston, Illinois
Learn more about the Northshore Concert Band at www.northshoreband.org
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