SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - To help celebrate the centennial of manned flight this year, the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra again looked to its principal tuba player and internationally acclaimed composer Steven Winteregg, adjunct associate professor of music at Wittenberg, to contribute his musical talent. The result is "To Fly Unbounded," an original composition of flight-related texts by poets Walt Whitman and Paul Laurence Dunbar, which the Dayton Philharmonic will premiere at 8 p.m. tonight, Jan. 23, and again on Saturday, Jan. 25, at Memorial Hall in Dayton.
"'To Fly Unbounded' explores the beauty and mystery of flight, and what it took to achieve this amazing feat," Winteregg said. "It was an honor to be asked to contribute to this celebration."
Considered the Miami Valley's most accomplished composer, Winteregg is no stranger to the musical stage. His compositions have been performed throughout North and South America, Africa, Asia, Australia and Europe, and he has produced the musical score two full-length ballets, commissioned and premiered by the Dayton Ballet, including "An American Cinderella" with award-winning arranger, musician and audio engineer Bill Sellers.
His work has also been performed and recorded by the Czech Radio Symphony in Prague, and it has been featured on six CDs, including "Flights of Imagination" with horn soloist Richard Chenoweth. In addition, the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, the Delaware Symphony and the Indianapolis Symphony all performed his 1996 orchestral work "Fanfare to the City," which Winteregg composed in honor of Dayton's bicentennial celebration.
The winner of dozens of awards and fellowships in his 25 years as a composer, Winteregg recently received first prize in the International Trumpet Guild's Composition Contest for his piece "Eastwind Variations."
A native of Dayton, Winteregg teaches courses in euphonium and tuba performance, composition and theory, brass methods and symphonic literature at Wittenberg. He earned his B.M. degree from the University of Cincinnati, his M.M. degree from Wright State University and his D.M.A. degree from The Ohio State University. He joined the Wittenberg faculty in 1981.
Prior to the premiere performances of his work, Winteregg will discuss "To Fly Unbounded" between 7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on both nights in the main auditorium at Memorial Hall. For more information, contact Memorial Hall at (937) 224-9000.
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