Montpelier VT

Final Capital Orchestra concert as music director

This coming Monday marks my final time conducting the Capital Orchestra, a position I’ve held since 2010. What an honor and a pleasure to work with such an incredibly talented group of individuals. They have come so far in the past 4 years. I will certainly miss working working with them each Monday evening.

I am moving onward to spend more time with my family, and to seek out more in-depth performances in the new music world, all while taking part in a masters of education program and teaching full time.

Consider joining us on Monday 12.8 at Montpelier’s Unitarian Church on Main St. for a 7:30 PM performance. We will perform works by Vaugh Williams, Corelli, Tchaikovsky, Gossec, Berlin and Leroy Anderson.

Big Bang Bhangra Brass Band THIS FRIDAY!!!

Join us on FRIDAY!

Under the direction of noted Vermont musician and band leader, Brian Boyes, the Big Bang Bhangra Brass Band is one HUGE party that combines the rich musical and dance roots of Indian Bhangra, Bollywood, New Orleans Brass Bands, and 1930′s jungle swing.

Description

From call and response singing to ripping horn solos, Big Bang Brass fuses the deep funk and swing grooves of New Orleans with the centuries-old Punjabi Bhangra grooves and dance moves reaching back 500 years. The result: a wild and colorful explosion of musical crossroads guaranteed to stir the soul, body, and mind.

Topped off with a troupe of Bhangra dancers, Big Bang Brass features some of Vermont’s best funk and jazz players from such favorites as Movement of the People, The Saturn People’s Sound Collective, ViperHouse, 35th Parallel, Money Jungle, and D’Moja.

Brian Boyes trumpet, dhol, keys
Zach Tonnissen tenor sax, dhol
Gabe Halberg dhol, dholki, tabla, cajon
Brandon Klarich percussion, vocals
PJ Davidian percussion
Giovanni Rovetto bass
Jay Ekis guitar
Simone Labony Labbance flute, dance, choreography
Lloyd Dugger trombone

Luke LaPlant bari saxophone
Matt Avery trombone
Dan Liptak saxophones

Liptak/Evans duo perform Northern Vermont tour

Liptak/Evans duo perform northern Vermont tour August 2013

Please join guitarist Greg Evans and I as we perform in five locations around northern Vermont. Two of these performances will be recorded live for future release on a CD.

Greg was one of the first musicians that I met when I moved back to Vermont in 2010, and we have consistently been performing regularly since. One of my closest collaborators we have together we have held residencies and performed at Leunigs, 1/2 Lounge, Red Square, Nectars, Burlingtons Marriott Lounge, Parima, Pickwicks pub, Black Cap Cafe, Skinny Pancake in both Burlington and Montpelier, Bagitos, Purple Moon Pub, the Red Hen Bakery Cafe, Radio Bean, The Bees Knees, Mocha Mayas and dozens of private events. We’ve performed hundreds of dates around Vermont, Massachusetts and Canada in the past three years.

We will play the following dates in Vermont to celebrate the venues in which we spend most of our time in:

Sunday August 4th – Radio Bean, Burlington Vermont 11 AM. With Brent Thomas bass. Gypsy jazz brunch!

Wednesday August 7th -Leunigs Bistro, Burlington Vermont 7 PM. With Brent Thomas on Bass.

Thursday August 8th – Bagitos, Montpelier Vermont 6 PM. Live recording!

Friday August 9th – Radio Bean, Burlington Vermont 8 PM.

Saturday August 10th – Red Hen Cafe, Middlesex Vermont 1 PM. Live recording!

Saturday August 10th – Bees Knees, Morrisville Vermont 7:30 PM.

We hope to see you at one of these performances!

Dan

Montpelier Chamber Orchestra: Embrace

Join the Montpelier Chamber Orchestra for two performances this weekend:

Saturday June 8, Montpelier High School 7:30 PM

Sunday June 9, Chandler Music Hall 4:00 PM

Paul Gambill, conductor
Tracy Silverman, electric violin

BEETHOVEN – Symphony No. 5
KENJI BUNCH – Embrace: Concerto for electric violin and orchestra
NATHAN CHAN – Melody to an Unheard Story

This program is the finale of the Life Map Project, in partnership with the senior class at Montpelier High School and the Montpelier Senior Activity Center.

Composer’s Statement about Embrace: Concerto for electric violin and orchestra

In this work, which begins with the solo violin alone on stage, music gradually emerges from offstage, from the back of the hall, and from the audience itself, literally surrounding and embracing the audience in an inclusive celebration of the type of group performance only an orchestral “family” would be able to achieve. The traditional musical tools I usually work with of Western form and functional harmony are, in this one-movement work, set aside in favor of hypnotic rhythmic drives, static but gradually building harmonies, and improvisation over repeated call and response patterns that draw influence from elements of Afrobeat, Indian music, and gospel.

We end the program with Beethoven’s 5th Symphony, a true classic and masterpiece. Please consider joining us!