Doebler Conducts Epic Film Music Concert, Feb 8
Top: Joe Hisaishi, composer Bottom: Dr. Jeffrey Scott Doebler, conductor
EPIC FILM MUSIC CONCERT: Music of Asia
📅 Saturday, February 8, 2025
⏰ 7:00 p.m.
📍 Chapel of the Resurrection, Valparaiso University
1600 Chapel Drive, Valparaiso, Indiana 46383
Valparaiso University Chamber Concert Band
Jeffrey Scott Doebler ’87, conductor
Valparaiso High School Wind Ensemble
Andria Kessler, Sarah DeRossi ‘13, Miguel Rosario, conductors
Admission is free for everyone
February 8, 2025, marks the thirteenth year of collaboration between the bands from Valparaiso High School and Valparaiso University to present epic film music in the Chapel of the Resurrection.
As you think about memorable movies and television programs, you can probably also recall the compelling music composed especially for each. The music is expressive and helps tell the story. The theme this year is Music from Asia, featuring the music from several well-known films. We’ll also be celebrating the 75th birthday of Japanese film composer Joe Hisaishi.
The first half of the concert will feature the Valparaiso University Chamber Concert Band. The opening selection will be the monumental Concerto for Marimba by Emmanuel Sejourne. The soloist will be Conner Daehler, a third-year electrical engineering major from McHenry, Illinois. Conner was a winner in the Valparaiso University Concerto Competition. His VU percussion teacher is Prof. Jeffrey Brown. Next, Chamber Concert Band will perform a gentle and lyrical selection by Florence Price, entitled The Old Boatman. Timothy Mahr has been one of the most important composers for bands in the last 40 years, and he recently retired from his position as director of bands at St. Olaf College. The View from the Mountaintop is Dr. Mahr’s reflection on the creation of the national standards for music education in 1994. Arts educators were the first subject areas to create world class standards for what students should know and be able to do. Chamber Concert Band will close the first half of the performance with Song of the Big Catch in the Northern Ocean by Japanese composer Saburo Iwakawa.
The Valparaiso High School Wind Ensemble and VU Chamber Concert Band will combine for the second half of the program, presenting movie music from Spirited Away; Studio Ghibli’s Anime March Medley; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; and Slumdog Millionaire. Spirited Away and the music from Studio Ghibli allow us to honor the 75th birthday of award-winning Japanese composer Joe Hisaishi. Mr. Hisaishi has written music for more than 100 films, many of them in the anime genre. The score for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was created by renowned Chinese-American composer Tan Dun, who won both an Academy Award and a Grammy Award for the soundtrack.