In Sunday’s (4/17) Sioux City Journal (Iowa), Bruce R. Miller writes, “When composer Clint Needham saw a Chihuly sculpture at the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha, he was moved to write a 10-minute orchestra piece. Saturday night that eclectic, moving and, at times, inspiring work got its premiere at the Orpheum Theatre. Part of the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra’s ‘New Discoveries’ finale, Needham’s ‘Inside & Out’ had echoes of Leonard Bernstein’s ‘On the Town’ with a few original elements thrown in. The light bouncing around a Dale Chihuly glasswork was reflected in the flute and xylophone. The effort it takes to make could be seen in the work of the percussionists. And wood blocks? They figured in, too, as did a pretty hefty trumpet thread. … To show how far the musicians have come, music director Ryan Haskins tossed them Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 5—a challenge for just about everyone, including Haskins. … To continue supporting new composers, the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra will embark upon a ‘composer of the year’ project in the 2011-12 season.”
Posted April 18, 2011
