Steven Bryant

from Salamander Studios: Gettin' Down To Tha Bone.

Memphis BBQ Aftermath #3 by Steven Bryant.

...is finished. This is the new work for the New York All-State Gigantic Symphonic Band. The horns have plenty of good lines...all 16 of'em.

The piece is a sort of companion work to Dusk, in that it depicts the flip-side, dawn. In particular, the dawn I witnessed in Malcesine, Italy, over the summer. See below for more on that.

A partial perusal score is posted on the First Light page, if...

Just a quick note to say I've posted the optional (but strongly recommended!) parts for Suite Dreams, as well as an updated perusal score. You can download them all for free on the Suite Dreams page. I've also created a page for my Concerto for Wind Ensemble, which also includes a perusal score. I don't yet have a recording I can post here, though the USAF Band of Mid-America will be releasing...

We returned from Europe one evening last week, packed our stuff, slept 4 hours, and at 5am began our 8-hour drive from Little Rock to Austin. Ugh.

Nice to be here, though. I've been setting up the apartment, assembling IKEA furniture, and fielding a nice influx of interest in some pieces. It appears H. Robert Reynolds and the USC Thornton Wind Ensemble will perform the first movement of Alchemy...

Spent a week being a total tourist on the southern coast of Spain. Very relaxing - went swimming in the Mediterranean, read Neal Stephenson's Baroque Cycle, and ate. Spent some time thinking about my next piece, for the New York All-State Symphonic Band - more on that later.

On Tuesday, we took a side-trip to Gibraltar, which is a mere 70 km away from where we stayed. Gibraltar is still the...

Malcesine, Italy was just as wonderful as last year, and twice I witnessed a lovely sunrise moment over the mountains. The sky begins to lighten very early somewhere in the 5am range, but because of the tall mountains surrounding the lake (Lago di Garda), you don't actually see the sun until right at 8am, when it very abrupty pops over the mountain and sends intense rays of light down the...

Busy week here in Schladming - had two performance on Wednesday (SüdTiroler Jugendblasorchester performed Stampede under the amazing direction of Karl Geroldinger, and the LA Symphonic Winds played MetaMarch with gusto despite my flailing arms). Both were great concerts and great performances. This Saturday night, I have two more pieces with the World Youth Wind Orchestra Project (Suite...

On the way to Schladming, we stopped in Hallstatt, a tiny town on the edge of the Ebensee (Lake Eben). This is home to the world's oldest salt mine, dating back at least 7,000 years. It's an unbelievably scenic location. Also made a couple of trips to Salzburg. Pictures forthcoming. First, I'm about to go jump off a mountain...literally. Wish me luck!

I'm in Austria at the moment, preparing for MidEurope where I will be the guest composer for the week! The festival is held each summer in Schladming, Austria, nestled in an Alpine valley, about an hour's drive from Salzburg. It's as idyllic as it sounds. :)

The schedule includes performances of Stampede by the Südtiroler Jugendblasorchester, MetaMarch with the LA Winds (I'm conducting this...

The Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corp has arranged my Hummingbrrd as part of their 2007 show! Unfortunately, I won't have a chance to see it since I'll be out of the country all summer, but if someone out there gets a chance to see their show, let me know how it sounds!

I've posted a score excerpt and recording for Suite Dreams. It opens and ends very quietly, so if you don't hear anything at first, turn up the volume.

Took a quick trip to Denton and Dallas this weekend. The Lone Star Wind Orchestra is recording their first CD this weekend, and I'm lucky enough to be on it! Last night, they spent a solid 2 hours on Radiant Joy, and I have to say the group is *very* good. They've been going all weekend, and this was at the end of a long day of recording, and they still managed to be radiantly joyful the...