Flourish for Valley Winds by Carl Schroeder

FLOURISH FOR VALLEY WINDS

Commissioned by the VALLEY WINDS
of Apple Valley, Minnesota, Tedd Gullickson, conductor

ABOUT THE COMPOSITION

Flourish for Valley Winds is a brief fanfare for concert band commissioned by the Valley Winds, a concert band based in Apple Valley, Minnesota, conducted by Tedd Gullickson. The work, composed to celebrate the band’s founding in 2023, incorporates rising and falling melodic patterns inspired by the shape of the letters VW, for Valley Winds. The duration is approximately two minutes.

Flourish for Valley Winds has an approximate performance time of 2 minutes. The difficulty level is grade 4, appropriate for college, professional, and advanced high school and community bands.

ABOUT THE COMPOSER

Carl Schroeder (b. 1982) 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 nearly 50 concert bands, orchestras and choirs, including the Air Force Band of Mid-America, Minnesota Youth Symphonies and Ukraine’s Chamber Choir Kyiv. He has written commissioned works for the City of Lakes Community Band, Cornell University Symphonic Band, Minnesota State Band, Minnesota Symphonic Winds, Southwest Wind Ensemble, Three Rivers Conference Honor Band, Valley Winds, Wells Fargo Chorus and other ensembles and individuals. His published compositions include the concert band work Spin, the choral work Two December Carols and the piano solo 88 Keys, and six CDs of his music have been released. He is also the author of two books in the Fenn and Zorro series of novels told through correspondence. A 2005 graduate of St. Olaf College, he studied composition primarily with Timothy Mahr and Peter Hamlin. He composed Flourish for Valley Winds during the summer of 2024.

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