AMARE.

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PROGRAM NOTE.

Lines To Be Put Into Latin 

The lightest touch 
if it is gently giv- 

en can yield as much 
affection as a deep 

embrace, soft as a 
glance, swift as a 

drop of rain, light
as a leaf, I give 

you these again.

- James Laughlin

recording.

commissioner biography.

ALAN THEISEN (b. 4 October 1981) is a composer, saxophonist, author, and educator. His philosophy of creating and sharing new music with joyously unrestrained enthusiasm is evident in Theisen’s multiple artistic endeavors. Inspired while reading a biography of Leonard Bernstein in high school, Theisen decided to likewise forge his unconventional career of comprehensive musicianship not by choosing between composing, performance, scholarship, conducting, advocacy, and pedagogy but by tirelessly combining those paths.

Theisen's compositions encompass a wide array of genres and instrumentation including chamber music, art song, solo piano, concerti, jazz, symphonies, improvisational music, and more. An autodidact, his works have been praised by composer Dimitri Terzakis as being "the product of a unique talent" and are frequently commissioned/performed by professional musicians around the world. Though Theisen's catalogue of over sixty pieces is stylistically diverse, all of his compositions exhibit unabashed emotional sincerity, memorable melodic ideas, sensuous yet complex harmony, and intricate formal designs—characteristics that inspire enthusiastic audience response and repeat performances. Some recent premieres of Theisen's music have occurred at National Sawdust (Brooklyn), New Music Gathering (Peabody Conservatory), and the World Saxophone Congress (Strasbourg, France).

An active saxophonist, Theisen concertizes in classical recitals, gigs with jazz bands and musical theater productions, directs multiple ensembles, and premieres/records the music of fellow contemporary composers. National appearances as a classical saxophonist include performances at Scorca Hall in OPERA America’s National Opera Center, at the 39th Festival of New American Music, at the U.S. Navy International Saxophone Symposium, and as guest recitalist at the Wichita State University New Voices Festival. His voice/saxophone duo, Megan Ihnen & Alan Theisen present..., performs programs of contemporary music across the United States to audience acclaim. To extend his mission as a collaborative performer, he also founded the Resonance Saxophone Orchestra and the Asheville Modern Big Band. Theisen’s curated NewMusicShelf Anthology of New Music for Alto Saxophone, Vol. 1 was published in January 2020.

Theisen is an author whose writings about music and the arts take several forms and cover a variety of subjects. As a music theorist, he specializes in the analysis and pedagogy of post-1900 classical music, presenting award-winning research on these topics at national and regional academic conferences. Theisen has served on the executive and editorial boards of the South Central Society for Music Theory, Music Theory Southeast, and the Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy (online division). For the past decade, he has worked on a book analyzing the later music of Dutch composer Tristan Keuris. He runs The Theisen Journal, a weekly online periodical exploring both his creative work as composer/saxophonist and happenings in the broader New Music community. Additionally, Theisen writes reviews, liner notes for professionally released albums, and program notes for concerts.

Theisen is Associate Professor of Music at Mars Hill University where he has coordinated the music theory/composition curriculum since 2011. Previously he was Visiting Assistant Professor of Music Theory at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. Theisen received his Ph.D. in music theory and composition from Florida State University and degrees (B.M. Music History and M.M. Music Theory) from the University of Southern Mississippi. He offers impactful professional development experiences (masterclasses, workshops, and lectures) for students and musically engaged audiences of all experience levels. Theisen has brought these educational programs to UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance, University of Nevada Las Vegas, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, State University of New York at Fredonia, Louisiana State University, and more.

A native of Michigan, he has spent the majority of his life in the Deep South of the United States and currently resides near Asheville, North Carolina.

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