Rigby’s Escape for Flute, Clarinet, & String Orchestra by Andre Madatian (b.1992)
Bradford Malbon, flute ~ Justin Landry, clarinet
“Humours of Mallow” by Landon Walker
“Prism” by Jennie Walker Brunner
“The Ashebrook” by Scott Walker, arranged by Scott Walker
The Walker Family Band
Soñando en Español for harp and orchestra, III. Baroque Flamenco, by Deborah Henson-Conant (b. 1953)
Tori Parrish, harp
“Call My Name” by Seth Walker
“Rewind” by Seth Walker, arranged by Scott Walker Seth Walker, vocals and guitar ~ Landon Walker, bass
“All of These Things” by Seth Walker, arranged by Scott Walker
Intermission
Gaelic Symphony, II. Alla siciliana – Allegro vivace – Andante, by Amy Beach (1867–1944)
The Nutcracker Suite, Op.71a
II. Danses caractéristiques
a. Marche
b. Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy
c. Russian Dance (Trepak)
d. Arabian Dance
e. Chinese Dance
f. Dance of the Reed-Flutes
III. Waltz of the Flowers
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893)
Sleigh Ride by Leroy Anderson (1908–1975)
Guest Conductor, David Jamison
Featured Artists
Andre Madatian, composer
Andre Madatian is a guitarist, composer, and educator currently residing in Nashville, Tennessee. Andre holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Film Scoring with a minor in Contemporary Conducting from Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, and a Master of Music in Composition from Middle Tennessee State University. Aside from composing, Andre is also an active touring guitarist as well as an educator where he mentors students from all around the globe in several areas including composition, arranging, orchestration, and music theory. Andre recently accepted a full-time professorship position with Tennessee State University where he teaches arranging, music appreciation, and directs a commercial music ensemble.
Bradford Malbon, flute
Bradford Malbon is a flute maker and repair technician residing in Asheville since 2012. He works locally with the Abell Flute Company and has previously worked with Powell Flutes of Boston. As a musician, he has played flute and piccolo with many ensembles, including the Mercury Orchestra, Lowell House Opera Orchestra, and Boston Civic Symphony, as well as Irish flute and whistle in Asheville-area traditional Irish music sessions. He has a particular love for the symphony orchestra, and he has been pleased to play with the Blue Ridge Orchestra since 2012. Bradford earned a Master of Music degree in flute performance from the University of Nevada Las Vegas in 2007, after studying music and mathematics at the College of William and Mary in Virginia.
Justin Landry, clarinet
Justin Landry (clarinet) has been playing clarinet for over thirty years. He attended the University of Maine, in his home state, where he studied Music Performance and
Mathematics. Later, Justin received his Master of Music Performance degree from State University of New York at Purchase under the tutelage of Ayako Oshima. He has since performed with theatre companies, chamber groups, and WNC regional orchestras and musicians, including the Four Seasons Chamber Orchestra, Asheville Clarinet Choir, and the Blue Ridge Orchestra. He enjoys the outdoors, his family, and
his dog, Yogi.
Seth Walker
Seth Walker, the son of Scott Walker and brother to Jennie Brunner, is often cited as one of the most prolific contemporary American artists on the scene today. He’s a multi-dimensional talent who combines a gift for melody and lyric, He has a natural knack for getting around the guitar, and in the words of American Songwriter, a rich, Gospel-drenched Southern-inflected voice! In addition to extensive recording and songwriting pursuits, Seth is consistently touring and performing at venues around the world. Along with headlining shows, he has opened for The Mavericks, The Wood Brothers and Paul Thorn.
For the Blue Ridge Orchestra performance, he will be joined by Landon Walker on Bass. Landon is a seasoned jazz bassist, and not only hired Seth for his first professional gig way back in the early 90’s, he also helped introduce Seth to the world of the blues by mailing him cassettes of radio shows that Landon produced and narrated on Jacksonville Florida’s NPR affiliate WJCT.
The Walker Family Band
For over two decades, The Walker Family Band has delighted audiences throughout the Southeast with a distinctive take on traditional styles, performing Irish dance music and American old-time music with a forward-reaching attitude. We especially enjoy sharing original tunes, which grow naturally from these roots and from our thorough training and experience in classical music and jazz. The result is varied music and not compartmentalized into a particular genre. All now living in the Asheville area, the band is playing for events in the area. Jennie Brunner is a long-standing member of the Blue Ridge Orchestra.
Jennie leads the way, with beautiful and heartfelt fiddle playing, and is a master of connecting with the audience. She is accompanied and supported, very capably by her dad, Scott Walker, on guitar and fiddle, and her uncle, Landon Walker on accordion and Bass. For the Blue Ridge Orchestra performances, we will be enhanced by a close friend and extended Walker Family Band member, Laura Boswell.
The orchestra will join both the Walker Family Band and Seth with string orchestra arrangements, written by Scott Walker, under the fine direction of our friend, Milt Crotts. They are thankful to him and everyone with the BRO for creating this opportunity.
Tori Parrish, harp
Tori Parrish (they/them pronouns) is a classically trained harpist with a degree in fine art painting from Stanford University and over a decade of experience performing at weddings, concerts and events. Tori has performed worldwide with the American Youth Harp Ensemble as well as across the United States with the Stanford Symphony Orchestra. Some notable venues include the Stanford Memorial Church, Bing Concert Hall, SLAC Accelerator Lab in California and St. Peter’s Cathedral in Vienna. You can learn more about Tori’s work at luxuryharpist.com.
