Watch: Denver School Of The Arts Orchestra Plays Music By Two Talented Young Composers

May 14, 2015

Photo: Ethan Durell and Liam Ramsey-White — Ethan Durell (left) and Liam Ramsey-White are composers who attend Denver School of the Arts.

Few composers are lucky enough to have an orchestra waiting to perform their latest symphonic masterwork.

But violinist Liam Ramsey-White and violist Ethan Durell have that luxury. As composers and orchestra members at Denver School of the Arts, they get to write pieces for the symphony and then help bring them to life.

The DSA orchestra, led by conductor Enrique Lasansky, played pieces by both composers during a recent visit to Colorado Public Radio’s Performance Studio. DSA specializes in offering advanced arts courses to sixth-through-12th graders with a passion for music and other creative pursuits.

First, here’s a performance of “Reverie” by Ramsey-White, whose music is featured on the DSA orchestra’s concert programs on Tuesday and Wednesday.

liam_ramsey-white_for_web_mixdown-150514-125902

White, a senior, told CPR Classical’s David Rutherford he wrote the music as a tribute to his friends in the 2014 class at DSA.

The orchestra also recorded "Bouvetøya" by DSA student Durell, who also plays viola in the InTune String Ensemble.

ethan_durell_for_web_mixdown-150514-125250

The piece’s title, he said, refers to a remote island in the Atlantic Ocean. At several points, the score calls for the musicians to whisper what they remember about a recent dream, he said.

Photo: DSA plays Durell in Performance Studio

Hear guest DJ sets by Ramsey-White and Durell during the 1 p.m. hour on Monday and Tuesday on CPR Classical. They’ll share some of their favorite classical pieces and talk about their own compositions.

Bravo!

You read another CPR classical story to the end. We have got just the thing for classical music lovers like you: a weekly email newsletter! Sign up here to stay up-to-date on CPR Classical programming, events and stories from the world of classical music.