PROGRAM NOTES: Snowman’s Dance
Snow Pictures is a wind orchestra suite in four movements, inspired by sights and experiences I had on an overseas trip to Europe during the 2016-2017 Australian Summer. Originally composed as an orchestral suite as a part of my honours studies at the Elder Conservatorium of music, enthusiasm for wind orchestra music has inspired me to adapt it for the genre. The third movement, “Snowman’s Dance” is my favourite from the suite, though it is my goal to eventually arrange the rest of the suite for wind orchestra as well.
“Snowman’s Dance” captures my own excitement of experiencing snow for the first time, building a snowman in Salzburg, and also the subsequent family snowball fights that followed. An up-tempo 9/8 dance, the piece utilises the tone colours of the percussion section, relying on the cymbals, glockenspiel, triangle, xylophone, wind chimes and vibraphone in conjunction with harp glissandos to emulate a ‘winter wonderland’.
BIOGRAPHY: Andrew Heuzenroeder
Andrew Heuzenroeder is an Adelaide based composer, musician, instrumental tutor and classroom music teacher. From a young age, Andrew has always had a passion for music; throughout his schooling he performed with the Adelaide Boys Choir, undertook instrumental tuition in clarinet, oboe, piano and saxophone, and began composing his own music. Since then, he has completed a Bachelor of Music Education majoring in Clarinet. He has also completed an honours degree of Bachelor of Music (Composition), receiving first class honours for his efforts.
Andrew has received a number of awards for his compositions from the Australian Society of Music Education and is also a long-term member of the Unley Concert Band.
In 2013, Andrew began his music-teaching career and has since taught at a number of primary and secondary schools in Adelaide. Andrew continues composing and arranging as a hobby and hopes to publish his works as music education resources.