Dance on a Volcano - EH solo

Dance on a Volcano
for solo English horn
by Robert Maggio (b. 1964) - American composer

ABOUT THE MUSIC

Dance on a Volcano is steeped in the music of Sicily, fusing the sounds of the island’s folk music with its contemporary jazz. In particular, the melodies and rhythms in this piece were influenced by listening to field recordings of Sicilian folk songs (collected by American musicologist Alan Lomax) and the vibrant music of Sicilian jazz musician Enzo Rao. Sicily's Mt. Etna—Europe's largest and most active volcano—provided the initial spark of inspiration, imparting unforgettable memories of my trek to its summit in 2009.

Commissioned by Elizabeth Masoudnia

Duration: approximately 4:45

ABOUT THE COMPOSER

Robert Maggio is an American composer and music educator. He has written music for orchestra, band, chorus, vocal soloists and chamber ensembles, as well as musical theatre, incidental music for plays, and scores for ballet and modern dance. He is a Professor at West Chester University’s Wells School of Music in Pennsylvania, and has been an artist in residence for school districts, arts councils, dance companies, community choirs and bands, and professional ensembles nationally.

Maggio is the recipient of grants from the Guggenheim Foundation, the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Pew Fellowships in the Arts, the American Composers Forum, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, ASCAP, BMI, New Music USA, and Meet the Composer.

Published by Theodore Presser Company, Hickman Music Editions and Yelton Rhodes, Maggio’s music is recorded on the Summit, Albany and New World/CRI labels. A graduate of Yale University and the University of Pennsylvania, Robert Maggio lives with his family in Lambertville, New Jersey.