ABOUT THE COMPOSER

Carl Schroeder of Minneapolis, Minnesota, composes music for concert band, orchestra, choir, chamber ensembles and solo piano that often draws inspiration from American history, current events, natural surroundings and memories. His large ensemble music has been performed by more than 40 concert bands, orchestras and choirs, including the Air Force Band of Mid-America, Minnesota Youth Symphonies and Chamber Choir Kyiv. He has written works on commissions from the Minnesota Symphonic Winds, Minnesota State Band, Cornell University Symphonic Band, Southwest Wind Ensemble, Calhoun-Isles Community Band, Wells Fargo Chorus and other ensembles and individuals. His music is featured on five CD recordings, his choral work Two December Carols is published by Boosey & Hawkes, and his concert band work Spin is published by C. Alan Publications.

Schroeder is a 2005 graduate of St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, where he studied composition primarily with Timothy Mahr and Peter Hamlin. In 2001, he was named "Composer with Most Potential" by the Minnesota Music Educators Association, and in 2004 he was one of three under-25 American composers chosen to participate in the National Band Association’s Young Composer Mentor Project, where he took lessons with composers Mark Camphouse, Donald Grantham and Dana Wilson. He composed Capitol Fanfare in the spring of 2017.

ABOUT THE COVER ARTWORK

The artwork on the conductor score cover is from St. Paul: The Capital City, a cut paper collage created by Helen Schroeder. More information about the artwork and artist is available at www.lindenleafdesigns.com. Copyright © Helen Schroeder.

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MORE ON CAPITOL FANFARE

A NOTE FROM THE COMPOSER
I composed Capitol Fanfare in 2017, when my high school band director Keith Liuzzi commissioned it for his Minnesota State Band to premiere as part of the grand reopening of the restored Minnesota State Capitol building in St. Paul, Minnesota. The Band’s one request in this commission was for it to incorporate some of the official Minnesota state song, Hail! Minnesota, by Truman Rickard. So I mixed that in with some original melodies, and ended the piece on a chord of C major that you don’t hear anywhere else in the piece, symbolizing “C” for Capitol.

The Minnesota State Band did an excellent job with the premiere on a beautiful sunny summer day in August 2017 outside the Capitol building, and like all premieres, it left me inspired to go off and start writing the next new piece. I’m grateful to Keith for this commission and for all his support during the past two decades years dating back to my time at Minneapolis Southwest High School.

– Carl Schroeder, July 2019

CONCERT PERFORMANCES
Aug. 11, 2017: Minnesota State Band, Keith Liuzzi, conductor - St. Paul, MN premiere VIDEO LINK Watch on YouTube
Aug. 16, 2017: Minnesota State Band, Keith Liuzzi, conductor - St. Paul, MN
Aug. 15, 2018: Minnesota State Band, Keith Liuzzi, conductor - St. Paul, MN
Aug. 14, 2019: Minnesota State Band, Keith Liuzzi, conductor - St. Paul, MN