Skip to main content
New Student homeNews home
Story
6 of 15

Watch: The CCM Wind Symphony performs guest composer Viet Cuong's 'Re(new)al'

The UC College-Conservatory of Music's concert series continued on November 1 with a performance by the CCM Wind Symphony presenting multiple pieces by guest composer Viet Cuong, who is one of the most inventive voices in the wind repertoire. The centerpiece of the concert was Cuong’s piece Re(new)al, a concerto for percussion quartet that celebrates the innovations of renewable energy. The four soloists use crystal glasses, a single snare drum, compressed air cans and more to evoke three sources of renewable energy: hydro, wind and solar.

The UC College-Conservatory of Music's concert series continued on Nov. 1 with a performance by the CCM Wind Symphony presenting multiple pieces by guest composer Viet Cuong, who is one of the most inventive voices in the wind repertoire.

The centerpiece of the concert was Cuong’s piece Re(new)al, a concerto for percussion quartet that celebrates the innovations of renewable energy. The four soloists use crystal glasses, a single snare drum, compressed air cans and more to evoke three sources of renewable energy: hydro, wind and solar.

CCM's performance of Re(new)al is now available for on-demand viewing. CCM faculty member Kevin Michael Holzman conducts. The performance was recorded in Corbett Auditorium on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. View the ensemble roster and learn more about the guest composer.

About Cuong's "Re(new)al"

Hailed as “alluring” and “wildly inventive” by the New York Times, Cuong’s music is played by Grammy-winning orchestras and the world’s pre-eminent wind ensembles. Celebrated for his innovative and whimsical approach to instrumentation, ranging from cello octets to wine glasses and sandpaper, Cuong’s music conjures up enchanting sound worlds that defy easy categorizations.

“Cooperation and synergy are … core themes of the piece, as I believe we all have to work together to move forward,” writes Cuong in a program note for Re(new)al. “All of the music played by the solo quartet is comprised of single musical ideas that are evenly distributed between the four soloists …the music would therefore be dysfunctional without the presence and dedication of all four members.”

“I knew I wanted to program Re(new)al to feature our fantastic percussion studio at CCM,” says Holzman. “It is a relatively new piece for percussion quartet and winds, and is a true creative masterpiece.”

The Wind Symphony's November 1 concert was the culmination of Cuong’s recent visit to CCM, during which he coached the Wind Symphony, CCM Musica Nova and the Youth Wind Ensemble on their interpretations of his pieces.

This CCM OnStage Archives video was produced by CCM Recording Productions, with music recording and mixing by Michael Hughes, TTL Audio. CCM Recording Productions is an in-house video production entity that plans a season of live streams, promotional videos, short documentaries and concert recordings showcasing CCM students, faculty, staff and alumni.

Camera Operators
Davison Black
Hunter Calderon
Melissa Godoy
Aislinn Moss-Buckey

Music Recording & Mix
Michael Hughes, TTL Audio

Recording Assistant
Abigail Stamps

Editors
Hunter Calderon
Melissa Godoy

Enjoying CCM's video releases? Support CCM's students by making a gift to CCMpower:

Louise Dieterle Nippert Trust
Scholarship and Resident Artist Supporter
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
CSO/CCM Diversity Fellowship Sponsor
The Corbett Endowment at CCM
Dance Department Supporter
All-Steinway School Supporter
The Joseph and Frances Jones Poetker Fund of the Cambridge Charitable Foundation, Ritter & Randolph, LLC, Corporate Counsel
Visiting Artists & Thinking About Music Supporter
William L. Gasch Endowment Fund for Dance Excellence
CCM Dance Department Supporter
J. Brett Offenberger, MD and Mr. Douglas E. Duckett;
Dr. & Mrs. Carl G. Fischer 
Greg Mathein 
Jim & Linda Miller 
George & Caroll Roden
Musical Theatre Department Supporters
Gearsupply.com AV Marketplace
Theater Design & Production Supporter
The Estate of Genevieve Smith
Opera Production Supporter
Bacchus Legacy Foundation
TAPAA Guest Director Supporter
Rafael and Kimberly de Acha
Opera D’Arte Supporter
Estate of Mrs. William A. Friedlander
Dr. Randolph L. Wadsworth
Judith Schonbach Landgren and Peter Landgren
Mr. & Mrs. Harry H. Santen
Elizabeth C.B. Sittenfeld
Elizabeth Stone
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas E. Stegman
Mrs. Theodore W. Striker
Mrs. Harry M. Hoffheimer
Ariel Quartet Supporters
Friedlander Family Fund
Karl Zipser
Chamber Music at CCM
Jan Rogers
Willard and Jean Mulford Charitable Fund of the Cambridge Charitable Foundation
Choral Studies Supporters
Anonymous
Classical Guitar Supporter
Mr. & Mrs. Joseph W. Hirschhorn
Philharmonia Supporters
Dorothy Richard Starling Foundation
Starling Pre-Collegiate Supporter
Starling Strings Supporter
Dr. Timothy E. and Janet L. Johnson
Thom Miles and Roberta Gary
Organ Department Supporters
Keyboard Club of Cincinnati
L. Ried Schott
Piano Department Supporters
Kevin and Nancy Rhein
Wind Studies Supporters
Willis Music/ Buddy Rogers Music
LINKS Instrument Donation Supporter
Strader Fund of the Greter Cincinnati Foundation
CCM Innovation Supporter

Next OnStage

Tickets are now on sale for CCM's 2024-25 performances and public events! Want to see what's Next OnStage at CCM? Sign up for our e-newsletter to receive details on upcoming CCM OnStage performances. New issues are published every other Wednesday, and you can manage your subscription settings at any time.

Featured image at top: The CCM Wind Symphony performs with a percussion quartet in Corbett Auditorium. Photo taken from the video recording of CCM's concert on Nov. 1, 2024.

Latest UC News