The Voice of Brubeck: Song of Hope and Peace
Press release by the the Lago Vista Community Concerts Foundation.
The Voice of Dave Brubeck is a multi-year collaborative project of the Lago Vista Community Concerts Foundation, which is comprised of new musical arrangements of Dave Brubeck’s compositions, public performances of those works, education workshops and lectures, touring, and recording sessions. The purpose of this project is to celebrate, promote, and preserve Dave Brubeck’s symphonic, chamber, and sacred vocal music.
Dave Brubeck had a transformative impact on American Jazz and his legacy continues to influence jazz musicians to this day. The classical music of Dave Brubeck, however, remains mostly unknown, remaining in the shadow of his prolific jazz output. After serving in Patton’s 3rd Army in WWII, Brubeck returned to the United States to study classical music composition, with Darius Milhaud in California. Although he found early and sustained success with his career as a jazz pianist and composer, he continued to create highest quality serious works, often inspired by his deep faith and devotion, until his untimely demise in 2012.
Lago Vista Community Concerts Foundation will partner with Houston Chamber Choir, PARMA Recordings, the Brubeck Brothers Quartet (led by two of Dave Brubeck’s sons), the Paul English Quartet, and several prominent guest performers, to present Dave Brubeck’s classical compositions, along with some of his pure jazz works, as representative of the complete musical output of this great American musical genius. Each phase of the project will be in close collaboration with Brubeck’s sons and family to produce arrangements, performances, and recordings that closely align with the original ideas of the composer. The Houston Chamber Choir brought Dave Brubeck to Houston in 2006, for his first performance here in over 20 years. After 18 more years they will conclude their 2023-24 season with “The Voice of Dave Brubeck” tribute concert. This will truly be a magical moment in Houston’s cultural history, and the beginning of an exciting and worthwhile project.
The first component of this initiative will occur on June 1, 2024, at Rice University’s cutting-edge Stude Concert Hall, and will feature The Houston Chamber choir, under the direction of Robert Simpson, along with the Brubeck Brothers, Paul English, and an assortment of stellar soloists and an orchestra. In this concert, Brubeck’s freshly arranged sacred vocal music will be presented alongside some of his jazz masterpieces, creating a unique opportunity for the listener to experience Brubeck’s versatile and complex musical narrative unrestrained by stylistic boundaries. Paul English will collaborate with Chris Brubeck to create some of the very first arrangements of Dave Brubeck’s sacred vocal works and some new ones of his jazz masterpieces. Each arrangement will be designed to showcase the soloists and utilize the full potential of the Houston Chamber Choir and the Brubeck Brothers Quartet.
These same musicians will professionally record the program at the Stude Concert Hall on June 2-4, 2024. The recording will help create unhindered access to Dave Brubeck’s music and disseminate his works to the larger world of music lovers. The recording will be produced and made commercially available by PARMA Recordings in the Fall of 2024. PARMA Recordings will create a marketing campaign to promote the recording to multiple commercial outlets and their audiences. To further promote Dave Brubeck’s music to a wider audience, Houston Chamber Choir will include this program in their touring during their 2024-2025 season.
The Voice of Dave Brubeck is a unique opportunity for our multigenerational audience to experience and learn about Dave Brubeck’s music. Several decades ago, Dave Brubeck’s jazz compositions were widely performed, but young audiences today are mostly unfamiliar with Brubeck’s music. Through this project, our audience will gain access and appreciation for his classical and jazz works. Supporting programming will include multiple educational opportunities, such as panel discussions, guest lectures, and a pre-concert talk. During these sessions, audience members will be able to ask questions, engage in a conversation with Chris Brubeck and project principals, and hear more about Dave Brubeck’s music and the Voice of Brubeck initiative. Lastly, holding the inaugural performance at a university campus makes it convenient for students to attend the concert. Admission will be free for university students.