Category: Concerts

Notes by Luke Fitzpatrick

My violin concerto Nightfall was written with a lot of reflection of some of my past work to forge something new and fresh. I wanted to create a distinct sound world to explore and I found the perfect combination of instruments to do so. The piece is in five movements and is scored for solo violin, string orchestra, harp, piano, percussion and zither. 

The first movement entitled Shades of Timebegins with a very cinematic opening. We are then introduced to the various instrument groups with the harp, piano, zither and percussion uniting as a single ‘super’ instrument. This movement at its core explores how duality can be a very expressive force in music.

The second and fourth movements were inspired by my time playing in the Harry Partch Ensemble. I was fortunate to be able to get to play and tour with those incredible instruments for five amazing years. In 2018, I composed a piece entitled Tulpa that the group performed. I arranged two of those movements of Tulpa for Nightfall: The Tomb and End Game. The Tomb is a dramatic warning of sorts and very catchy. End Game embraces and explores the inevitability of the passing of time. 

The third movement of Nightfallis Distention. This movement is an orchestration of a solo violin piece I wrote during Covid entitled A Seismic Plane; Interconnected (2021). I did not intend to write a piece that explores the loneliness and loss of human connection that we all experienced during that time but every time I return to that piece it’s what I immediately think of. 

The last movement is entitled As One and features the Zither very prominently. This is an instrument that I feel has mystical qualities to it. I used it in a previous piece of mine entitled Nesting Dolls and Dreamscapes (2025)with great enthusiasm. This movement unites the instruments together in an extraordinary way. 

I want to thank Tigran Arakelyan and the Port Townsend Symphony Orchestra for commissioning this piece. It’s been a real joy putting it together and I appreciate the opportunity they’ve provided. Tigran is an amazing musician and a good friend. I had no idea when I began working on this piece that he would be leaving the orchestra and that this would be his last concert with the group. In many respects, the way Nightfall ends is a fitting tribute to him as it really supports the idea of all the musicians coming together as one; an idea that he has used to help build Port Townsend Symphony Orchestra into such a great and successful group.

Featuring Port Townsend Symphony Orchestra’s 2025 Young Artists’ Competition 2nd Prize winner in the Senior Division, percussionist Hayden Montgomery.

Hayden is a Chimacum High School and Peninsula College graduate. His parents are Jamie and Caleb Montgomery. He studied drums and percussion with Forrest Brennan and Terry Marsh. Hayden composed for and performed with the award-winning Chimacum Drumline and also performed for the All-Star Drumline. He placed 2nd in Multi Percussion at Washington State Solo Ensemble, first place in the Senior Division at Stars of Tomorrow, “Top Tenor” and “Most Improved” by All-Star Drumline’s staff, and graduated with Honors from Peninsula College. Hayden’s goal is to become a world-renowned composer.

PROGRAM

Tenors Without Borders by Forrest Brennan with percussionist Hayden Montgomery

Lincoln Portrait by Aaron Copland with guest narrator, Stanford Thompson

Dvorak, Symphony No. 6

Stanford Thompson is Executive Director of Equity Arc and a principal of Goldsmith Strategies where he is a leading national voice in arts education and leadership, specializing in promoting cultural equity and driving transformative change within underrepresented cultural communities. As the founder and former leader of Play On Philly, Stanford guided the organization for thirteen years, gaining international recognition for its use of music as a tool for social change. He also served as the Founding Board Chairman of El Sistema USA and Equity Arc, where he led complex strategic planning and organizational design initiatives that impact the lives of over 35,000 students across the country.

Stanford’s leadership has been instrumental in shaping the national conversation around equity in the arts, advocating for systemic change that creates more inclusive and accessible opportunities for cultural communities of all types. His expertise is sought by organizations ranging from small grassroots initiatives to major cultural institutions, where he helps leaders navigate the complexities of program development, audience engagement, and financial sustainability. A frequent keynote speaker and panelist, Stanford shares his insights on topics such as nonprofit leadership, arts education, and the role of the arts in personal development.

Stanford teaches on the faculty of the Global Leaders Institute, guiding leaders in not only developing their craft but also understanding the broader societal impact of their work. His extensive experience working with arts and cultural organizations, educational institutions, funders, and national service organizations aligns with his personal commitment to fostering sustainable growth and equity in the arts.

A proud graduate of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Talent Development Program, Stanford holds degrees from the Curtis Institute of Music and New England Conservatory.

Poster by Pamela Roberts.

Mark Hilliard Wilson has an engaging approach to teaching and programing concerts that draws from the deep well of history and a desire to relate contemporary interests to universal themes. He founded the Seattle Guitar Orchestra in 2000 and became the cathedral guitarist at St. James Cathedral in Seattle 2006. He has taught at Whatcom Community College, Bellevue College, the Rosewood Guitar and is currently at the Holy Names Academy, his compositions are published by Seconda Prattica and performed widely. Recently Wilson premiered a concerto written for him by the Ukrainian composer Oleg Boyko.  Recently Wilson will be directed Guitar ensembles in the premier of a work he commissioned from Boyko at the 2023 Northwest Guitar Festival in Bellingham, Wa.  2023, released on Bandcamp The Music of Taiwo Adegoke, Changing the canon of the classical guitar with music from Nigeria. Music for Seattle Guitar Orchestra and cello and classical guitar featuring cellist Abbie Eads.  

In 2024 Wilson has worked with Scribe Studios to release a 6 set of music videos based on Wilson’s collaboration with Ukrainian composer in exile Oleg Boyko. Wilson worked with the Seattle Classic Guitar Society to commission a work called Secret Life of Trees for the Seattle Guitar Orchestra.  Further performances were o KING FM Northwest Focus Live and then the work was recorded at St James Cathedral with additional footage at Chuckanut mountain in Bellingham. 

Wilson is an in demand concerto soloist performing Joaquin Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez with the Westsound Bremton Symphony the Octava orchestra in 2023 and in 2024 Wilson performed the other famous concerto by Rodrigo, the Fantasia para Gentilehombre with the Orquestra Northwest and the Octava orchestra. In April 2025 Wilson will perform the Heitor Villa Lobos concerto with the Port Townsend Symphony under the direction of Tigran Arakelyan.

PROGRAM

Heitor Villa-Lobos, Guitar Concerto with Mark Hilliard Wilson
John Williams arr. Jerry Brubaker, Harry Potter and the Goblin of Fire
John Willaims arr. Sean O’Loughlin, Star Wars, The Force Awakens
John Williams and John Ottman arr. Victor Lopez, Superman Returns
John Williams arr. Custer, Jurassic Park