The Bennu bird of Egyptian mythology was the prototype for the various legends of a firebird that are seen in cultures around the world. In fact, the famous Greek myth of the Phoenix was adapted directly from tales of the Egyptian Bennu. This piece unites a collection of varying components from assorted myths of the firebird’s lifecycle, showcasing all that has developed from the Egyptian bird of resurrection, the Bennu.

The first movement explores the bird’s birth from ashes. Beginning with a reference to the Infernal Dance of Stravinsky’s monumental ballet The Firebird, the music quickly moves in a vastly different direction. Percussion sparkling over a bed of trills creates a magical atmosphere through which the solo clarinet emerges, at first uneasy as a hatchling bird, but soon energized with a pounding rhythmic drive. At its peak, the energy dissipates into mystical clouds as the firebird takes flight and the music fades away.

Many firebird myths state that the bird’s cry is a singularly beautiful song. The second movement seeks to represent this, highlighting the beauty and lyricism of the solo clarinet over a series of varying textural accompaniment intensities from a lone vibraphone to a clarinet and saxophone duet, a timpani roll to a full-bodied brass presentation of the melody. Following a cadenza from the soloist, the full ensemble plays an expansive elaboration of the original song. From this, the solo clarinet descends gently to a place of calm and serenity.

The fate of the Phoenix bird is famously death and rebirth by fire. The third movement is a frenzied build, referencing themes from the first two movements along the way before exploding into a roaring resurrection inferno. 

This concerto was commissioned by Alexander Fiterstein and the California State University at Northridge Wind Ensemble. The wind ensemble version of this work was premiered on August 5, 2011 by Alexander Fiterstein and the California State University at Northridge Wind Ensemble, Lawrence Stoffel conducting. This recording is from the premiere.

Bennu's Fire is the recipient of a 2012 BMI Student Composer Award and a 2012 ASCAP Morton Gould Award.

Bennu's Fire

Adoration

Variations On Reverse Entropy - Roger Zare

We Choose to Go to the Moon-Roger Zare

Ghost Town Triptych (Flex Strings Version)-Roger Zare

Performed by Eighth Blackbird and the U.S. Navy Band, Capt. Kenneth Collins, conductor.

Full performance video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHMabYCLKrI

Eighth Blackbird + US Navy Band, Kenneth Collins, conductor

Vital Sines

ASIMO-Roger Zare

Zare - Breathless

This is a piece that I wrote while pursuing my Master's degree at the University of Illinois in 2021. It is a piece about domestic abuse, including the process of gaslighting and various assaults that may occur.

... over and over and...

This work is a concerto for clarinet and wind ensemble, commissioned and performed by Alexander Fiterstein, clarinet, and the California State University at Northridge wind ensemble, conducted by Lawrence Stoffel
Bennu's Fire is the recipient of a 2012 BMI Student Composer Award and a 2012 ASCAP Morton Gould Award.  For more information, please visit http://www.rogerzare.com/bennu.htm

Zare - Bennu's Fire - I. Rebirth

This work is a concerto for clarinet and wind ensemble, commissioned and performed by Alexander Fiterstein, clarinet, and the California State University at Northridge wind ensemble, conducted by Lawrence Stoffel
Bennu's Fire is the recipient of a 2012 BMI Student Composer Award and a 2012 ASCAP Morton Gould Award. For more information, please visit http://www.rogerzare.com/bennu.htm

Zare - Bennu's Fire - II. Phoenix Song

Zare - Bennu's Fire - III. Fire

Miranda Schreiber's composition "Guitar Quartet No. 1" received its world premiere by Miguel Lumbao, Jackson Miller, Matthew Kwon, and Angelo Favis on October 26th, 2020 at Illinois State University.

Program Notes:

Most of the pieces that I compose are absolute; they exist just for the beauty of music itself and the natural emotions that it brings to each individual. However, I sometimes develop a programmatic interpretation of my own compositions as I gain a deeper understanding of them. Guitar Quartet No. 1 is one of these pieces.


I believe that music is like a person. A melody is like a person's voice - it has words and intonation, as well as a unique timbre in every person or instrument. Music's body language is expressed through rhythm, while music's emotions and facial expressions are predominantly expressed through the harmony. All of this is what makes music so humanistic.


The chill groove at the beginning of the piece represents our daily lives, as we often let our bodies go through the usual routine of everyday life. The main theme is presented shortly thereafter, representing our voice. The canon takes this voice and envelops us in it, making us feel lost in our own thoughts. Our inner thoughts are interrupted when a new texture arrives with harmonic development, making us take the time to meditate or pray. We take this moment to rest and reflect on life. It is towards the end of the piece that we celebrate the realization that there is something greater than ourselves which allows us to live life as intended.

Guitar Quartet No. 1

Ghost Town Triptych-Full Suite: Roger Zare

Music by composer Roger Zare. Check out more by visiting http://www.rogerzare.com

Zare - Bennu's Fire - II. Phoenix Song

Roger Zare

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