Ben Ferris DMA Recital

Ben Ferris, bass
Jon Hoel, tenor sax
Darren Sterud, conductor and trombone
Sahada Buckley & Isabele Krier, violin
Ben Davies Hudson, viola
Aaron Fried, cello
Catherine Harris, bass
Jason Kutz, piano
Michael Koszewski, drums

Featuring a world premiere of Chant for Bass and Small Orchestra by Sir Roland Hanna

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Sir Roland Hanna (1932-2002) is best known as a pianist, having performed and recorded with numerous artists, such as Gene Ammons, Sonny Stitt and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. He also recorded dozens of records as a leader, especially solo piano and duos with bassists. Hanna was also a prolific composer, with more than 200 compositions published in his catalogue, Rahanna Music Inc. One such composition is Chant for Bass and Small Orchestra, written in 1998 for Hanna’s close friend and frequent musical collaborator Richard Davis (1930-2023). Both musicians had countless performances and recording sessions with artists such as Sarah Vaughan, Freddie Hubbard, Hubert Laws, and the Thad Jones – Mel Lewis Orchestra. Hanna and Davis were also professors (Hanna at the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College in Flushing, NY, and Davis at the University of Wisconsin–Madison) and dedicated educators. Chant was originally proposed to be performed alongside the UW–Madison Symphony Orchestra, though a performance was never realized.

This performance will be the world premiere of the piece, with some edits made to the original score, notably the reduction of wind parts to piano. While this arrangement was created from a draft of the score (the only version known to exist), utmost care has been taken to preserve the composers intentions. Solo bassist and UW–Madison DMA student Ben Ferris will be joined by an excellent group of musicians.