This past weekend, I was honored to be a Composer-in-Residence at the Colorado State University Pueblo Festival of Winds. As part of the festival, the CSU Pueblo Wind Ensemble premiered a new piece of mine titled “American Nocturne,” which is the third and final piece in the trilogy of blues scale/train inspired pieces that began with “Magnolia Star.”
“American Nocturne” was commissioned by the Rocky Mountain Commissioning Project, with support from 35 ensembles and individuals. More soon!
Check out this great new recording of Festival Music, performed by members of the Eastman Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Mark Scatterday.
During the past few months, I've been busily composing a 3-movement work for string orchestra and percussion on the topic of climate change, titled Elegy for the End of Nature.
I'm currently looking for Project Partners who are interested in co-premiering the piece. There is no commission fee - just the commitment to purchase the sheet music (at a discount) and perform the work. The music is grade 4, and several youth orchestras, colleges, and community orchestras have already signed on to the project.
I drew some inspiration from Vivaldi's concept for The Four Seasons, namely the idea of including a poem to accompany each part of the work. The poems included in Elegy for the End of Nature reflect on a particular aspect of climate change and continue the story told in Vivaldi's poem for Summer from The Four Seasons. If you are interested in reading more about the project and the music, click here.
A portion of all sales from Elegy for the End of Nature will be donated to advance climate technologies and policies. It's one small way that you and I can both do something to address this ever-growing crisis.
I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Mark Connor and being interviewed for the “Everything Band” podcast. In the episode, we talk about my musical upbringing, important teachers I have had along the way, and how some of my compositions have come to be.
On Saturday February 20th at 11am eastern time, I’ll be presenting on my composition “Into the Silent Land” for the IML virtual seminar series. View a video about the series here.
To attend, simply email filipposalemmi@gmail.com to register.
International Music Program (IML) is a consortium of American & Italian Colleges/Universities and Conservatories of Music created to provide wind Ensemble and chamber music performance/pedagogy, Master Class and Seminary of Study; conducting symposia, activities and Concert Tours in Europe and in USA.
At the end of December, I had an idea: what if the first piece I published in 2021 was a fanfare, a celebration of what will surely be a hopeful year for many? After everything we experienced in 2020, it would be a positive, hopeful piece to begin the New Year.
Out of this idea, “Canon Fanfare” was born. It’s just 2 minutes long, and after a brief opening section, a canon begins that builds to the climax of the work. I have created 4 versions of the piece: 8-part flexible instrumentation (plus optional percussion). wind band, symphony orchestra, and string orchestra. Listen, see inside the score and order here.
We've started listening to Christmas music in our house (Yes, it’s October) - there's just too much good music to listen to in one month! In that spirit, I'm pleased to announce the release of a new arrangement of O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, scored for 8-part flexible instrumentation with optional piano and percussion.
A few weeks ago, I was thinking about what I should write for another collection of flex music. I was flipping through a binder of music that I have played with my wife Ashley and came across a transcription of an African American Spiritual. I realized in that moment that I would like to spend some time with this music and reflect. And I thought to myself, I think others will want to spend time with this music as well.
And so I went searching for Spirituals that I thought would work well for flexible instrumentation, and started (and it turns out, ended) my search with arrangements by Harry T. Burleigh, a composer and vocalist who, among many other things, created stirring arrangements of African American Spirituals in the early 20th century.
I chose three Spirituals - Down by the Riverside, Deep River, and I Want to be Ready, and I’m pleased to offer this new collection: Three Spirituals, a collection of arrangements scored for 8-part flexible instrumentation. These spirituals are adaptations of arrangements by Harry T. Burleigh, whose early 20th-century settings of African American Spirituals are as relevant today as they were 100 years ago.
It’s here! I’m super excited to release LemonEtudes, a brand new 4-week composition curriculum supplement that guides students through the process of improvising motives and composing an original etude for their instrument.
See all the details, peek inside the curriculum, and view preview videos here >>
My second collection of music for flexible instrumentation is here! The first collection was “Three Tallis Melodies,” and now I’m excited to share “Three Fugues by J.S. Bach.”
