Photo: UWM Peck School of the Arts
Casey Dierlam Tse and Nicki Roman
Casey Dierlam Tse and Nicki Roman
Nicki Roman, assistant professor of saxophone at UWM. will be joined in a recital by Casey Dierlam Tse (piano) and Zachary Childress (saxophone and PSOA graduate student). The program will consist of 21st century works for the saxophone, including compositions by Viet Cuong, Kevin Day, Gilda Lyons and Logan Rutledge.
Roman reminded me that the saxophone was invented in 1840 and composers started writing classical music for it mid-20th century with the predominance of the literature being written only in the last 20 years.
She premiered the first movement of Kevin Day’s Unquiet Waters at the 2020 North American Saxophone Biennial Conference shortly before COVID “shut the world down.” When the composition was completed, she recorded it on her first solo album, also titled Unquiet Waters. Day is a Miami-based composer whose compositions have been performed world-wide. He told her that this piece was inspired by a quote from the philosopher Prasad Mahes. “The mind is like water. When its turbulent, it’s difficult to see. When its calm, everything becomes clear.”
The recital will also feature the Milwaukee premier of Viet Cuong’s Sanctuary, for piano and soprano saxophone. The composer uses a few simple chord progressions to create a reverberant atmosphere effectively creating a musical hug.
Roman met Casey while they were both students at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. They’ve played together for many years and have collaborated on several recordings though this will be their first in-person recital since November 2019. Tse is a concert pianist and the collaborative piano coordinator for the North American Saxophone Alliance. In 2019 she was a guest performer at the Asian Saxophone Congress in Shanghai, China.
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Roman will be playing both the alto and soprano saxophones. She will be joined by one of her current graduate students, Zachery Childress, on a work for two soprano saxophones. She said that “(she) frequently asks students to perform with (her) in recitals. Not only is it a joy for me, but I think the students learn a lot from rehearsing and performing with their teacher.”
The tones and timbres of the saxophone in classical compositions can be plaintive, soothing, melodic, pleading, and run the full spectrum of emotions. This promises to be an exciting concert and if you’ve never heard classical music for the saxophone this will be the perfect opportunity. The acoustics in the Recital Hall are excellent and the price—free—is right. Further details can be found on the UWM website: uwm.edu/arts/event/nicki-roman-faculty-recital.
The concert is at 7:30, Monday April 25 at the Music Recital Hall, Room 175 (2400 E. Kenwood Blvd.) on the UWM campus.
