Concerto for Marimba & Wind Orchestra

Brett Dietz’s Concerto for Marimba and Wind Orchestra is a wonderful exploration of the marimba’s rhythmic qualities and can be played with high school ensembles and professional groups alike.

Genre: Solo Marimba with Band | # of Players: Standard + 1
Level: 5 | Duration: 12:15

Instrumentation
Flute 1
Flute 2
Oboe
Bassoon 1
Bassoon 2
B-flat Clarinet 1
B-flat Clarinet 2
B-flat Clarinet 3
B-flat Clarinet 4
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone 1
E-flat Alto Saxophone 2
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone

B-flat Trumpet 1
B-flat Trumpet 2
B-flat Trumpet 3
F Horn 1
F Horn 2
Trombone 1
Trombone 2
Euphonium
B-flat Baritone T.C.
Tuba

Double Bass

SOLO MARIMBA [4.5-octave]

Timpani (4 drums)
Crotales/Glockenspiel
Chimes/Xylophone
Vibraphone
Percussion 1: Woodblock, Tambourine, Claves, Triangle, Suspended Cymbal [shared]
Percussion 2: Snare Drum
Percussion 3: Crash Cymbals, Suspended Cymbal [shared], Triangle
Percussion 4: Bass Drum, Tam-Tam

Program Notes
The Concerto for Marimba and Wind Orchestra was written for percussionist Gustavo Miranda and was premiered by the Nicholls State University Wind Ensemble in 2020. The idea for the piece was to create a composition for Dr. Miranda to perform with local high school bands. The composition is in three movements (fast-slow-fast) and each movement can be played separately on a concert if desired. With the solo marimba part I chose to write for the instrument's rhythmic qualities rather than the melodic. However, the harmonic language of the piece allows for the soloist to be highly interpretive in their performance. -B.W.D.