U.S. Marine Band to premiere W&M professor's work

Paul K. Bhasin Assistant Professor of Music Paul K. Bhasin's "Tango Suite" will be performed by the U.S. Marine Band -- "The President's Own" -- on Oct. 9 in Washington D.C. Courtesy photo

The President's Own The band will perform the piece in the John Philip Sousa Band Hall at the Marine Barracks Annex. Courtesy photo

by Erin Zagursky �� October 5, 2011

The U.S. Marine Band will premiere a new work by 91��Ƭ��’s director of in Washington D.C. this week.

Assistant Professor of Paul K. Bhasin’s “Tango Suite” will be performed by “The President’s Own” band on Oct. 9 at 2 p.m. in the John Philip Sousa Band Hall at the . The concert is free and open to the public.

The piece is based on three tango compositions -- "Fugata," "Milonga del Angel," and "Libertango" -- by Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla.

"The U.S. Marine Band is the finest professional wind ensemble in the country,” said Bhasin, who is new to 91��Ƭ�� this semester. “I feel especially honored that they will be performing my Piazzolla adaptation.”

Although Piazzolla wrote for an ensemble that included violin, bass piano, electric guitar and bandoneon, Bhasin’s version was written for brass instruments, he said.

“Since none of Piazzolla's music was originally written for winds, this Marine Band performance will raise the profile of his music among wind ensembles and hopefully lead to further adaptation projects," Bhasin said.

The 91��Ƭ�� Wind Symphony is planning a performance of “Tango Suite” for 2012.