(2022) Bohemian Queen
Concerto For Trumpet & Strings
Duration: 15 Minutes | World Premiere: November 20, 2022 — Mary Elizabeth Bowden, trumpet, with the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra, Allen Tinkham conducting — Chicago, IL
Movement Titles:
I. Girl Searching
II, The Stroll
III. Hyde Park Jam
A Surrealist Painter Ahead of Her Time
Bohemian Queen is a concerto for trumpeter Mary Elizabeth Bowden, trumpet and string orchestra, and the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra. The subject of the piece is the surrealist art of Gertrude Abercrombie (1909-1977), an American painter based in Chicago who was called “the queen of the bohemian artists,” She was profoundly in the jazz scene and friends with no less than musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, and Sarah Vaughan and used to throw some amazing parties for them.
The piece is in three movements. Inspired by two of her paintings (I. Girl Searching, 1945), (II. The Strool, 1943) and III. Hyde Park Jam is an imaginary depiction of her memorable parties where she used to sit in as a pianist herself and play with jazz’s greatest masters.
Abercrombie was profoundly in the jazz scene at a time when the divide between blacks and whites was a massive taboo in the united states. A liberal woman is often in conflict with her sense of self.
Abercrombie’s paintings are characterized by their use of dreamlike symbolism and careful attention to detail. Her work often featured animals and plants in surreal, otherworldly settings. In addition to her role as a painter, Abercrombie was also a musician and poet. She was an active member of the Chicago jazz scene —a bold move for a white woman when racial tensions were high in the United States.
COMMISSIONING | CONSORTIUM MEMBERS:
Akron Symphony Orchestra – Christopher Wilkins, Music Director
Albany Symphony Orchestra – Claire Fox Hillard, Music Director and Conductor
Austin Symphony Orchestra – Peter Bay, Music Director and Conductor
Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia
Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra at Chautauqua Institution
Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras – Allen Tinkham, Music Director
Lexington Philharmonic – Mélisse Brunet, Music Director
Seattle Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra – Geoffrey Larson, Music Director
Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra – Matthew Aubin, Music Director
The Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle, Niccoló Muti
Wichita Falls Symphony Orchestra – Fouad Fakhouri, Music Director, and Conductor
Wintergreen Music – Erin Freeman, Artistic Director
Performance History
Nov 20, 2022 — World Premiere: Bohemian Queen — Mary Elizabeth Bowden, trumpet, with the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra, Allen Tinkham conducting — Chicago, IL
2023
Feb 18, 2023 — Bohemian Queen (Trumpet Concerto) — Mary Elizabeth Bowden
Jul 15–16, 2023 — Wintergreen Music Festival Orchestra, “MountainTop Masterworks II” — Wintergreen, VA
Nov 17–18, 2023 — Texas Premiere: Austin Symphony Orchestra, Peter Bay conducting — Long Center’s Dell Hall, Austin, TX
2024
Jan 20, 2024 — Wichita Falls Symphony Orchestra, “Bohemian Dreams” — Memorial Auditorium, Wichita Falls, TX
Mar 9, 2024 — Lexington Philharmonic, “MAVERICKS”
Apr 6, 2024 — Ohio Premiere: Akron Symphony Orchestra, Christopher Wilkins conducting — E.J. Thomas Hall, Akron, OH
Apr 21, 2024 — Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Dirk Brossé conducting — Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center, Philadelphia, PA
Jun 1, 2024 — West Coast Premiere: Seattle Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra, Geoffrey Larson conducting — Town Hall Seattle, WA
Also toured to five cities in Argentina during the 2022/23 season with the Shenandoah Conservatory Symphony Orchestra (exact tour dates not publicly listed).
Compiled from the site’s events calendar and may not reflect every performance.