We are thrilled to announce that composer/conductor Don Owens has been commissioned to write a piece for the South High School Wind Ensemble and the Gaudete Brass Quintet. This piece will be premiered when the South HS Wind Ensemble debuts at Carnegie Hall on March 2, 2014. Additionally, Professor Owens will be the guest conductor for the closing selection in the performance, Paul Whiteman's orchestration of Rhapsody in Blue.
Don Owens, Coordinator Emeritus of the Jazz Studies and Pedagogy Program, Director Emeritus, Contemporary Music Ensemble, and the National High School Music Institute at Northwestern University, began his tenure at Northwestern University in 1979. Before coming to Northwestern, he taught for twelve years at Evanston (Illinois) Township High School where his duties included directing band, brass ensembles, and jazz band, as well as teaching classes in music theory, popular music, free improvisation, and composition. He created the Electronic Music Studio at ETHS in 1971.
Owens received the Bachelor of Music Education degree from North Texas State University, where he also studied Composition and Jazz. His Master of Musical Arts degree is from the University of Illinois, where he majored in Composition. He studied composition with Morgan Powell, Merrill Ellis, Samuel Adler, and Salvatore Martirano. He has won several grants and awards, and is regularly commissioned for new works.
In his first few years at Northwestern, Mr. Owens conducted the nationally renowned Jazz Ensemble, directed the "Wildcat” Marching Band and Symphonic Band, and taught advanced Method classes for undergraduate Music Education Majors. He eventually was appointed Coordinator of the Jazz Studies and Pedagogy Program, teaching courses in Jazz Writing, Seminar in Jazz Pedagogy, Jazz in the Public Schools, and conducted the Jazz Ensemble. Under his leadership, the Northwestern Jazz Program grew to offer the B.M. in Jazz Studies and the M.M. in Jazz Pedagogy.
In addition to Owens' responsibilities in the Jazz area, he served as Director and Primary Conductor of the internationally acclaimed Northwestern University Contemporary Music Ensemble for over 20 years. This group performed over 200 world premiers, as well as the standard 20th century repertory. In 1991, the Northwestern CME served as the primary chamber music ensemble for the John Cage Now World Festival. In the spring of 1995, the CME served as one of two visiting Artist Ensembles for the National Meeting of the Society of Composers at the University of Iowa. In 2002, the CME played a major role in the Stephan Wolpe Festival, sponsored by the School of Music.
During the summers, Owens served as Director of the National High School Music Institute, from 1991 to 2004. Under his leadership, the enrollment increased by 100%. With a curriculum that required the attending students to declare a Major - Classical Guitar, Composition, Jazz Studies, Music Education, Piano, Strings, Voice, or Winds and Percussion- NHSMI consistently attracted students from all 50 states, as well as many foreign countries.
Mr. Owens is an internationally recognized clinician/conductor. He has served as an adjudicator and has conducted Festival and All-State Concert and Jazz Bands in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin, Canada, Greece, Germany, and Norway. As a conductor, he has shared in the art of music making with world famous figures from both the Jazz and Contemporary Classical idioms. His compositions have been performed across America, as well as in Canada, England, Greece, Germany, Japan, Norway, and South America.
In April of 1998, Mr. Owens presented a Faculty Recital of his original compositions at Northwestern. A CD of that recital, plus other works was produced: Don Owens/Compositions. In April of 2001, he presented another Faculty Recital, with all new works, including two works for Jazz Ensemble, one Chamber work, entitled...Harmolodics I..., and two Wind Ensemble pieces, Two Elegies for Alto Saxophone and Wind Ensemble, and a major work in four movements, Concerto for Wind Symphony. The new CD, Don Owens/Compositions II, from that recital (and Don Owens/Compositions I) are available from the Composer. This second CD also contains Sirhcaladav, for solo soprano saxophone and wind ensemble, performed by Chris Vadala and the National High School Music Institute Wind Ensemble, a work commissioned by The Commission Project. Also in 2001, Owens premiered a new work entitled, Foundations, a set of miniature episodes for Concert Band, performed by the IMEA District VII Junior Honor Symphonic Band. In January, 2002, Mr. Owens premiered a new work, plus conducted several of his other compositions and arrangements with the Athens (Greece) Municipal Jazz Band, as well as a concert of new music with the Athens Municipal Contemporary and Computer Music Ensemble. In 2004, Three Movements for Symphonic Band, was premiered by the York Community Symphonic Band under the baton of Ronald Polancich, who commissioned the work. In January of 2005, the first movement of a new work for Jazz Tenor Saxophonist and Symphonic Band was premiered at the MENC Convention at the University of Michigan by the McCracken Middle School Symphonic Band, Chip Destefano, conductor, Matt Olson, soloist. In 2006-2007, Mr. Owens engaged in a composition project with the Highland Park (IL) Middle Schools sponsored by the Ravinia Outreach Program, which produced three new works, Elm Place Overture for Orchestra (Also, transcribed for concert band.), Suess Sayings for choir, and 9 Miniatures and an Essay for Band. In May, 2007, he premiered Celebration 40, commissioned and performed by the Elk Grove (IL.) High School Symphonic Band. Music, My Gift, My Life, for choir and wind ensemble was commissioned by the Downers Grove South High School in 2008. The Glenbrook North High School Wind Ensemble commissioned Intermix, for combo and wind ensemble in 2009, a work that has been performed across the U.S. Downers Grove North High School commissioned a major work for percussion and wind ensemble entitled Triplet Set, for three percussion soloists, harp and wind ensemble in 2010. More recently Mr. Owens has been fulfilling jazz commissions for high school and collegiate levels.
