Marine Barracks Annex, Washington, DC -- At 7:30 p.m., March 15, the United States Marine Band will take the stage at The Music Center at Strathmore for the first time in two years. It’s triumphant return will bring superstar pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet to the stage, performing Emmy Award-winning composer Aaron Zigman’s Tango Manos. The concert is free and tickets are suggested. Get free tickets here: https://www.strathmore.org/what-s-on/in-the-music-center/the-us-marine-band/
“I was introduced to Aaron Zigman’s music by a mutual friend, and when I heard his magnificent Tango Concerto, I knew that it would make a perfect piece for the band,” notes Marine Band Director Col. Jason K. Fettig. “This concerto was written for the world-renowned pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet, so it was a perfect opportunity to invite him to perform it with us in this new transcription. I was delighted when he agreed to the collaboration, especially with a work that he originated, since I also believe this will be the very first time he will have played with a symphonic band.”
As a classically trained pianist, composer and conductor, Zigman began his career as a studio pianist in his late teens in Los Angeles. He has arranged for many iconic record producers as well as creating arrangements and orchestrating on various film projects. His deep classical roots combined with his background in writing and producing songs for many of popular music’s greatest performers including Aretha Franklin, John Legend, Christina Aguilera, Phil Collins, Seal, and Natalie Cole. He has traversed all styles of music to develop some of the industry’s most memorable film scores, such as The Notebook—one of seven collaborations with award-winning director Nick Cassavete.
Zigman’s piano concerto Tango Manos received its U.S. première with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, with Thibaudet as the soloist. This three movement, 30-minute concerto pays homage to the tango’s essence.
“In a world full of chaos and turmoil, music has the power to bind humanity, creating a bridge between all of us and reminding us that we are all one people,” said Zigman. “I am honored and grateful that this work is being performed by the world-renowned U.S. Marine Band under the baton of the highly-acclaimed conductor Colonel Jason K. Fettig, and one of the most incredible pianists of our time, the amazing Jean-Yves Thibaudet.”
For more than three decades, Thibaudet has performed worldwide, recorded more than 50 albums, and built a reputation as one of today’s finest pianists. From the very start of his career, he has delighted in music beyond the standard repertoire, from jazz to opera, including works which he has transcribed himself for the piano. His reach across the globe has led to collaborations in film, fashion, and visual art.
Thibaudet also was soloist on Zigman’s score for Robin Swicord’s Wakefield; this was the first time that the composer had allowed a pianist other than himself to perform his film work. He was also soloist in Dario Marianelli’s award-winning scores for the films Atonement and Pride and Prejudice, as well as Alexandre Desplat’s soundtracks for the 2012 film Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close and Wes Anderson’s 2021 film The French Dispatch.
The Marine Band concert will also feature the world première of Jessica Meyer’s Press On, a work commissioned by “The President’s Own,” prior to the COVID pandemic.
“As a violist, I did not get to actually be in the band—but all my friends were. I was that kid who rode the band bus to whatever competition or parade they were performing in, just to root them on,” recalls Meyer. “The band program but also taught a class that would eventually change my life—one where we learned about the nuances of music theory, not by studying all the rules and filling out charts, but by writing our own music using Mac computers and MIDI samplers, and this was back in 1991.”
Meyer put her passion for composing on hold to focus on college auditions. She studied at Julliard and refocused her goals of a career in performance.
“Years and years passed until I finally acknowledged what was missing from my life and returned to writing my own music—and with that, found success that was far from any practical imagining,” said Meyer. “To be able to write for such an amazing band like ‘The President’s Own’ is a dream I could not have even conjured. I chose the title Press On because choosing persistence in the face of adversity or uncertainty has been a test for all of us in recent years. One’s mindset and determination are key, even when the future throws us another curveball, yet again.”
“I became aware of Jessica’s musicianship about three years ago, both as a remarkably creative virtuoso on the viola, and as a composer,” said Fettig. “We met in Chicago and after talking with her for five minutes, I knew that we had to work together. She had never composed a piece for symphonic winds, and so commissioning her to compose for the Marine Band seemed like a great place to start her relationship with band!”
Also featured on the program is Adolphus Hailstork’s Celebration!, written for the American Bicentennial, and the always thrilling Symphonic Dances from West Side Story.
“It has been two long years since we have performed at Strathmore, and we could not be more excited to return to this incredible venue in our backyard,” said Fettig. “The opportunity to perform for and interact with a live audience is something we have sorely missed and will never take for granted. The theme of this concert is ‘Celebration’ and we all hope that is exactly how it will fee to be together again on March 15th. Please join us!”
Free tickets can be obtained via Strathmore’s box office: https://www.strathmore.org/what-s-on/in-the-music-center/the-us-marine-band/