The Bozeman Symphony presents its first-ever contemporary music series, Current Commotion, for its inaugural performance at the Rialto, a concert venue on Main Street in Bozeman’s bustling downtown district. This unique series aims to explore new music by living composers from across the globe, including the Symphony’s Composer-in-Residence Scott Lee’s Hurry Up and Wait, Andrei Pushkarev’s A Little Jazz Waltz, Kimberly Osberg’s Interplay, and much more. This hour-long program curated by Music Director Norman Huynh and Scott Lee is presented in a cabaret-style format featuring musicians from the Bozeman Symphony orchestra. 

 
“It is our duty to push the limits of our musicians, listeners, and genre. Current Commotion is an experimental series that allows the Bozeman Symphony to be on the cutting edge of our industry,” said Huynh. 
 
Huynh is honored to welcome fellow Peabody Institute graduate and dynamic composer Scott Lee to co-curate the Current Commotion program. Lee was announced as the Bozeman Symphony’s first-ever Composer-in-Residence in early February 2021, and will begin his week-long residency in Bozeman on May 22, 2021. 

“I couldn’t be more excited for this concert of incredible and exciting music, and to have the opportunity to experience the wonderful people and beautiful scenery of Bozeman for the very first time,” said Lee. 
 
During his residency, Lee is commissioned by the Symphony to write a piece inspired by the unique spirit and energy of Bozeman that will open the much-anticipated 2021 – 2022 concert season. Lee believes opportunities like Current Commotion and writing this world premiere piece for the Bozeman Symphony are pivotal for composers to keep symphonic music alive for decades to come. 

 
“Living composers are the lynchpin that keeps classical music connected to our current age, writing in contemporary idioms that speak directly to modern audiences. It’s essential that orchestras champion new music by living composers, as otherwise they become irrelevant as institutions dedicated only to performing the music of ancient history,” said Lee. 

 
As Music Director Huynh plans to expand the Symphony’s concert offerings each season, Current Commotion will be a staple to attract new audiences beyond classical to this new and innovative series featuring living composers. 
 
The free livestream concert, Current Commotion, will premiere on the Bozeman Symphony’s website, YouTube, and Facebook pages on Thursday, May 27, 2021, at 7:30 PM. Limited in-person Current Commotion tickets are available to purchase on the Bozeman Symphony website (bozemansymphony.org), or via (406) 585-9774 or info@bozemansymphony.org. The Symphony wishes to thank Rob and Lynn Maher for sponsoring this performance series in addition to Donald B. Gimbel and Ben and Barbara Phinney for sponsoring the Composer-in-Residence program. 

 
Norman Huynh, Music Director - American conductor Norman Huynh continues to establish his reputation as one of classical music’s most adventurous ambassadors. Hailed for the exuberance with which he leads orchestras across Europe, Asia, and North America, Huynh has received equal renowned for his ability to attract new audiences to the orchestra. The 2020 season inaugurated his tenure as Music Director of the Bozeman Symphony Orchestra, joining an existing appointment as Associate Conductor for the Oregon Symphony.

Huynh has attained international prominence in the first years of his career, most recently through an invitation to the Bruno Walter Young Conductor Preview, a selective showcase hosted by the League of American Orchestras. 
 
Scott Lee, Composer - Praised as “colorful” and “engaging” (The Philadelphia Inquirer), Scott Lee's music often takes inspiration from popular genres, exploring odd-meter grooves and interlocking hockets while featuring pointillistic orchestration and extended performance techniques. His music marries the traditional intricacy of classical form with the more body-centered and visceral language of contemporary popular music, creating complex music of the present with broad appeal. The Berkshire Edge described the world premiere of his Slack Tide at Tanglewood Music Center as having “moments both of calm and maximum tension...we’ve never heard anything like it.”  

 
Lee has worked with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the North Carolina Symphony, the Portland Symphony Orchestra, Symphony in C, the JACK Quartet, yMusic, the Da Capo Chamber Players, and pop artist Ben Folds. Recent commissioners include the Tanglewood Music Center, Aspen Music Festival, Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra, loadbang, and the Raleigh Civic Symphony. Notable honors include a Charles Ives Scholarship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and two ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Awards. Lee is currently Assistant Professor of Composition at the University of Florida School of Music. Lee earned a PhD in Composition at Duke University, and also holds degrees from the Peabody Institute and Vanderbilt University. Learn more at scottleemusic.net.