Premiere Information: Eastern Standard (Heidi Lucas, horn; Zach Collins, tuba; Jacob Ertl, piano), Northeast Regional Tuba/Euphonium Conference 2015, Ithaca, NY

From the composer, Frank Gulino:

When I was approached by Eastern Standard about writing a new piece for the group, I immediately knew I wanted to craft something that would capitalize on the strengths of the relatively unique combination of horn, tuba, and piano. Both hailing from the conical family of brass instruments, the horn and tuba both possess a wonderfully rich, round sonority that isn't as inherent in directional brass instruments such as the trumpet and trombone, and it’s a sound that lends itself to creating a broad range of colors and textures. I set out to write something that would make the most of those characteristics, with the addition of piano to provide rhythmic clarity and harmonic context. Big Sky is the resulting work. 

The piece relies heavily on traditional notions of melody and harmony, with phrases that move toward and away from certain notes in a satisfying, almost predictable way. The combination of sweeping melodic lines, open intervals, and driving rhythms produce a sound that is at times atmospheric, at times triumphant, and at still other times almost songlike. Big Sky is an addition to what I hope will be a growing repertoire for horn, tuba, and piano, capturing many of the moods and colors this combination of instruments is able to achieve.

About the composer (from his website):

www.frankgulino.com/biography.html

Frank Gulino, a native of New York City, now lives in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, where he maintains an active schedule as a composer and serves as the bass trombonist of the Prince George's Philharmonic. Frank is a graduate of The Peabody Conservatory of The Johns Hopkins University, where he earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Bass Trombone Performance. At Peabody, he studied with Randy Campora and Jim Olin of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO). Frank has also studied trombone with David Fedderly of the BSO, Vincent Belford of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and jazz artist Bob Ferrel.

As a trombonist, Frank has performed at venues such as The Music Center at Strathmore, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), and the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, home of the BSO. While at Peabody, Frank appeared with the BSO brass section and served as the bass trombonist of the Peabody Symphony Orchestra, Peabody Concert Orchestra and the Peabody Wind Ensemble, one of the nation’s premier collegiate wind bands. Frank can be heard on a number of recordings with the Peabody Wind Ensemble, each released on the Naxos record label. Frank is an artist/clinician for the Edwards Instrument Company and performs exclusively on Edwards trombones and Griego Mouthpieces.

As a composer, Frank has had works commissioned, performed, and commercially recorded by some of the world's foremost brass players, including euphonium virtuoso Steven Mead, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra bass trombonist Gerry Pagano, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra bass trombonist Brian Hecht, and Christopher Dudley, principal trombonist of the Bergen Filharmoniske Orkester in Bergen, Norway. In addition, Frank’s works have been performed at venues around the world, such as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.; the Joseph Alessi Seminar in Fossano, Italy; the Eastern Trombone Workshop; the Lasnamäe Muusikakool in Tallinn, Estonia; the Korskirken in Bergen, Norway; the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music in Riga, Latvia; the Jeju Arts Center in Jeju Province, South Korea; and dozens of colleges, universities, and conservatories, both domestically and abroad. Frank is a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and received ASCAP Plus Awards in 2013, 2014, and 2015.

A flattering 2009 review of Frank’s early work, Sonatina, in the International Trombone Association Journal first brought attention to his contemporary brass compositions. The 2010 season began with premieres of Frank’s Worlds Apart and Two Serenades on conservatory degree recitals, followed by the premiere of Tornado, by Steven Mead with members of the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, and culminated in Frank’s first major commissioned work, Capriccio for trombone and wind ensemble, written for Christopher Dudley. Following the completion of several new works and a favorable review of Tornado in the International Tuba Euphonium Association Journal in the fall of 2011, Frank was awarded the inaugural commission project of the EuphoniumCommissions.org consortium, a group formed expressly for the purpose of funding new additions to the low brass repertoire. The resulting work, Infinite Escape, was premiered by Steven Mead in July of 2012. Since then, Frank's music has appeared on concert programs domestically and internationally, as well as on Ubiquity, a bass trombone solo album released by Gerry Pagano in October of 2014. Frank's first work for concert band, Skyline, was named a 2015 Editors' Choice by J.W. Pepper, one of the world's premier sheet music distributors.

Frank’s works, published by The FJH Music Company, Cimarron Music Press, and 200 Miles to Arnstadt Publications, are available from major music distributors all over the world, including J.W. Pepper, Hickey’s Music Center, SheetMusicPlus, and many others. Additionally, Frank's work has been selected for inclusion on both the Maryland Music Educators Association (MMEA) and the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) repertoire lists.