Meet the Composers behind the Battle of the Sections
What makes the Battle of the Sections like no other event is reimagined classical favorites being arranged to showcase the talents and sounds of each section. These award-winning musicians are creating amazing “mash-ups” of your classical favorites that are specifically arranged for just one section. Below are the playlists incorporated into each arranger’s section medleys, and these exciting and sometimes whimsical interpretations can only be heard at the Battle of the Sections: Orchestra Sections!
Each team selected one of the following themes, and out battle composers used these themes as inspiration for their arrangements:
Heart Beat – music that gets our hearts racing;
Dance Beat – music designed to get our toes tapping;
Up Beat – music that ascends or preparatory beats in the musical sense;
Down Beat – music with strong, driving beats.
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David CampbellTeam Strings
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David’s description of the works:
“The strings will perform a fast, sometimes furious, playful and fiery collection of pieces designed to inspire dancing! There will be a few whimsical and hilarious surprises along the way. . .”
Playlist
| Bizet | Habanera from Carmen |
| Traditional | Down in the River to Pray |
| Mozart | Eine Kleine Nachtmusik |
| Khachaturian | Sabre Dance |
| Saint-Saëns | Danse Macabre |
| Grieg | In the Hall of the Mountain King |
Biography
Composer-arranger-conductor David Campbell’s work appears on more than 425 gold or platinum albums, such as #1 hits by Muse, Bette Midler, Dixie Chicks, Kelly Clarkson, Linda Ronstadt, Metallica, Tim McGraw, Miley Cyrus and Adele. From a filmography of over 100 films, his film work has earned two Oscars for music. With Pharrell Williams, David co-composed a 40 minute orchestral piece, premiered by the Dallas Symphony. He has arranged for and guest-conducted the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Dallas, Nashville, Melbourne, Baltimore and National symphonies, Tokyo Philharmonic, and for the 2000 & 2012 Olympics.
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Fernando ArroyoTeam Woodwinds
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Playlist
| Rimsky-Korsakov | Scheherezade |
| Mozart | Symphony No. 40 |
| Mozart | Eine Kleine Nachtmusik |
| Gershwin | Rhapsody in Blue |
| Rachmaninoff | Prelude in C# Minor |
| Saint-Saëns | The Swan |
| Tchaikovsky | Serenade for Strings |
| Mahler | Symphony No. 5 |
| Paganini | Capriccio No. 24 |
| Ravel | Bolero |
| Debussy | Clair de lune |
| Puccini | Nessun dorma |
Biography
Fernando Arroyo García Lascurain received his Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in Composition at the Manhattan School of and a PhD in Composition at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) where he worked with composers Bruce Broughton, Paul Chihara, Ian Krouse and David S. Lefkowitz.
His music has been performed throughout the world and ranges from solo instrumental works, chamber music and large symphonic works to film, theatre and popular music. Most recently the Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra (NYC), the Southern California Viola Choir (LA)and members of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Long Beach Symphony Orchestra and Santa Barbara Symphony have performed Fernando’s music. As a film composer, Fernando wrote the music for “Any Given Tuesday”, a PSA featuring Elton John and Jamie Foxx. Recent film collaborations highlights include work on Independence Day: Resurgence(2016), Pet Fooled (2016), Survivors (2018), and Midway (2019).
As a violinist, Fernando is an active violinist in the Hollywood studios recording for films, TV, records and with orchestras including the Los Angeles Master Chorale, New West Symphony, Santa Barbara Symphony, Riverside Symphony and the San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra.
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Lev ‘Ljova’ ZhurbinTeam Brass
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Ljova’s description of the music:
“The brass sequence is going to be an epic journey through time and composers finishing each other’s thoughts.”
Playlist
| Beethoven | Symphony No. 5 in C minor |
| Mahler | Symphony No. 5 |
| Vivaldi | Summer from The Four Seasons |
| Strauss | Sallome |
| Tchaikovsky | Waltz of the Flowers |
| Offenbach | Can-Can from Orpheus in the Underworld |
| Beethoven | Für Elise |
| Berlioz | March to the Scaffold from Symphonie Fantastique |
| Mendelssohn | Wedding March from A Midsummer Night’s Dream |
| Mozart | Eine Kleine Nachtmusik |
| Haydn | Symphony No. 94 “Surprise” |
| Schubert | Piano Quintet in A major “Trout” |
| Traditional | When the Saints Go Marching In |
| Traditional | Baby Shark |
Biography
Lev “Ljova” Zhurbin divides his time between composing for the concert stage, contemporary dance & film, leading his own ensemble Ljova and the Kontraband, as well as a busy career as a freelance violist, violinist & musical arranger. Among recent projects are commissions from the City of London Sinfonia, The Louisville Orchestra, a new work for Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble, a string quartet for Brooklyn Rider, a clarinet quintet for Art of Élan, and works for The Knights, Sybarite5 and A Far Cry, as well arrangements for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, tenor Javier Camarena, conductors Gustavo Dudamel and Alondra de la Parra, the Mexican songwriter Natalia Lafourcade, Argentine composer/guitarist Gustavo Santaolalla. Ljova is a graduate of The Juilliard School, where he was a pupil of Samuel Rhodes (violist of the Juilliard String Quartet).
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David RozenblattTeam Percussion
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David’s description of the music:
The universal language of music has the ability to bring people together in a way no other art form can. This piece, which melds together works from the 17th through 20th centuries, from Germany, Russia, Italy and the USA, demonstrates the undeniable connectivity of cultures throughout both space and time.
Playlist
| Strauss | Also Sprach Zarathustra |
| Bach | Concerto for Two Violins in D minor |
| Vivaldi | Winter and Spring from The Four Seasons |
| Bernstein | Mambo (Symphonic Dances from West Side Story) |
| Tchaikovsky | 1812 Overture |
Biography
David Rozenblatt is a platinum selling, Grammy nominated drummer, percussionist, and composer who has collaborated with some of the finest talents in pop, jazz and classical music. He has appeared to sold out stadiums and arenas all over the world and has collaborated on chart-topping Grammy and Emmy winning albums and DVDs. He received two Grammy nominations for both classical and pop genres: Absolute Ensemble’s Absolution (Best Small Ensemble Performance) and Barry Manilow’s platinum selling In The Swing of Christmas (Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. David has played with an all-star line up including Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Diamond, John Legend, Andrea Bocelli, Diana Krall, k.d. lang, Lady Gaga, Michael Bublé and is featured on Leslie Odom Jr’s percussion-driven rendition of Autumn Leaves. David received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from The Juilliard School.