Author Archives: Amy Riebs Mills

World Premieres and World Performances

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Hi everyone!

So excited that “Catharsis” for Bass Trombone and Piano has been selected for the final round of the International Trombone Association’s Donald Yaxley Bass Trombone Competition for 2023!  All the best to all the contestants!

My music is going digital!  “Catharsis” will be the first piece to be offered digitally by Subito Music Distribution…. Starts Feb 2023.

Many thanks to Jemmie Robertson, trombone soloist, and Maestro Evans Haile, and all the wonderful musicians of the Gainesville Orchestra for a beautiful performance of “Red Dragonfly” in January 2023!

“Flee! Novella for String Quartet” WORLD PREMIERE by four talented and brave SAIs at the SAI National Convention in July 2022.  With only 2 days of rehearsal at the convention, they pulled together to present a powerful performance with enthusiastic reception.  Congrats and thanks to Deb Volker, Olivia Coyne, Marcie Trembus Kraus, and Amy Catron.

“Flee!” will soon be published by and available through C. F. Peters.

“One More Mountain” for Horn, Trombone and Piano, WORLD PREMIERE was commissioned and premiered by Nathan Dishman and Zach Cooper.  This robust and heartfelt piece has been performed on several university faculty recitals already….it’s fun, playable, and a hit with the audiences.

Megumi Kanda took “Golden” for trombone and piano to Japan for three concerts in 2022.  She is the one who commissioned our now famous “Red Dragonfly.”  She then commissioned “Golden” and it’s our next great piece, thanks Megumi for championing it around the world!

The Interstice Chamber Ensemble in Milwaukee performed the WORLD PREMIERE of “Three Vignettes for Viola, Cello and Piano in December 2022….”The piece was a hit with our audience and we had several people asking about more music that you offer. “  Thank you to group leader pianist Grace Betry!

I am grateful to all the musician artists who have the vision and courage to explore and present new music like mine!   And I am grateful to the listeners whose curiosity includes new musical works.  God bless you all!

Purchase Amy Mills Music!

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Hi Everyone!

I’m proud to announce that you can purchase my music at Subito Music Distribution.

Works:

Thanks! Amy

3 World Premieres!

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This will be an amazing few weeks!

Mezzo soprano Shelley Waite will sing the world premiere of “Advent Trilogy” in a concert at the First Baptist Church of Morristown, Tennessee on Sunday evening, March 8th. Thanks to dear friends Mark and Johanna Hostetter for arranging for the invitation and to Dr. Dean Haun, Senior Pastor, and John Greene, Worship Pastor, for believing in the music!

Megumi Kanda will perform the world premiere of Red Dragonfly, Sonata for Trombone and Band with The United States Army Band on March 21 during the American Trombone Festival. She premiered the original version for trombone and piano at the International Trombone Festival in 2013, and when The US Army band asked her to perform with them, she asked me if I thought it would work for band… I said, yes! The concert is free and open to the public, get there early, it will be full.

Professional clarinetist Anna Najoom introduced my 3 movement “New Dancing Shoes” to her fabulous Chicago-based Sapphire Woodwind Quintet, and they have decided to program it for their April 3rd concert in Chicago!

It is thrilling to have such great artists present these compositions. Thanks to all the performers and all the listeners! I hope to have some of these up on YouTube for you all to enjoy soon.

 

Amy Mills’ Music at the International Women’s Brass Conference

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I am honored and delighted to have two of my major works programmed by two wonderful artists at featured recitals at this year’s IWBC!

Dr. Natalie Mannix of Towson University has chosen to perform the first movement of “Red Dragonfly, Sonata for Trombone and Piano.”  Thanks for sharing the piece on this international stage!

And Amy McCabe of the US Marine Band will perform the live world premiere of “Journey One, Concerto for Solo Trumpet.”  Thanks Amy McCabe, for your courage and vision!  http://www.iwbc2014.com/2013/02/12/amy-mccabe/

Red Dragonfly grounded at Towson, flew at West Virginia University…Heading East.

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My sincere thanks go to Dr. Natalie Mannix of Towson University for selecting “Red Dragonfly, Sonata for Trombone and Piano” for your recitals at Towson University and West Virginia University!

While we were disappointed that one of the snowstorms grounded the Dragonfly and cancelled the recital in Towson, I am honored and delighted that Dr. Mannix has chosen to play the first movement on her featured recital at the International Women’s Brass Conference!

Thanks Natalie!

Happy 2014!

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Happy New Year!

Wow, 2013 was an amazing year!

Special thanks to Megumi Kanda for her spectacular performance of “Red Dragonfly” Sonata for Trombone and Piano at the International Trombone Festival in Augusta, GA.  Her performance inspired many to buy the music, and I know for sure that Professor Jim Bicigo from the University of Alaska – Anchorage performed it on his recital in November.  Thanks Jim for that all so important 2nd performance of the piece!

Also, special thanks go to Mark Breutzman and the choir who commissioned and performed “Everybody Everything Praise the Lord” for the 125th anniversary of Emanuel United Church of Christ in Wisconsin.  Bravo!

And in 2013, we got this website up and running and received our first orders to purchase printed music and to download recorded music!   Thanks to website designer Cindy Emmett for her creativity and skill!  Let me know if you would like her contact info, she is great.

Looking forward to 2014 to complete a set of 3 songs for mezzo-soprano Shelley Waite.  She saved poetry written by her pastor, Stuart McAlpine, for years, thinking the poems would be great songs.  I am blessed to be the one offered the opportunity to set them.  There will be 3, based on three men in the Christmas story…Joseph, the Innkeeper, and Simeon.  Written for piano and mezzo, the first two are done, the third should be done this year.

2014 opened with our first order from overseas!  So, we are quickly updating things on the website to accommodate those orders.

Hoping for a great 2014 for everyone!

Amy

Megumi Kanda’s Stunning World Premiere of “Red Dragonfly”

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“Red Dragonfly” took flight and soared in its world premiere at the International Trombone Festival in Columbus, Georgia in June.

Megumi Kanda, Principal Trombone of the Milwaukee Symphony, and commissioner of the piece, played a spectacular, flawless performance in the world premiere…despite a small incident where, after the dramatic first movement, her water key fell off her slide!  Yes, that was, fell off.  Thankfully, a trombonist in the audience had the same make of instrument, so he ran and got his slide for her.  Megumi invited me to the stage to fill time, so I told the audience about the genesis of the piece.  In only a few minutes, the new slide was in place and she was able to continue.  After a tender second movement and a joyful final movement, the audience gave her a long and enthusiastic ovation…. a wonderful beginning of a fabulous recital, congratulations and thank you Megumi!

Thanks everyone, for your wonderful comments about the piece!  And special thanks go to Dennis Klophaus of Anthem Works Publishing who hosted the music for “Red Dragonfly” at his table.  We sold copies to people who live on three continents, so “Red Dragonfly” is going worldwide, thanks to all of you who will be performing it in the future!

World Premiere of “Red Dragonfly” at the International Trombone Festival in June!

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Hi everyone!

Megumi Kanda, principal trombone of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, will premiere “Red Dragonfly” Sonata for Trombone and Piano at the International Trombone Festival in Columbus, Georgia on Wednesday, June 26th!  She is a spectacular player…combining a gorgeous unique sound with amazing technical abilities.

When interviewing Megumi  in preparation for writing a new trombone sonata for her, I asked if there was a special Japanese melody she would like to have included in the piece.  She immediately suggested her favorite, Red Dragonfly, by Kosaku Yamada.  She sang it for me over the phone, I wrote it down, and this lovely melody became the basis for the piece.  It has three movements, the first dramatic, the second lovely, the third joyful and fun.  Click on “Order Music” and then click on “Red Dragonfly” to hear excerpts for free, or download an MP3 recording from the store.

The website store is now open with printed music for players and recorded music for music lovers.  Click “Order Music” to see what’s in store!

I hope everyone has a great summer with great music!

Amy