Varietals was written in 2008 and first performed at Towson Trombone Day in 2009, and again at the 2010 Eastern Trombone Workshop in Washington, DC. The piece is dedicated to my friend and former colleague, Dr. Natalie Mannix, professor of trombone at Towson University, and it was she who premiered the work along with pianist Stephanie Armstrong. Natalie is a serious oenophile, so I thought it would be interesting to base my piece on different types of wine grapes, and to try to capture something of their essence in music.
Andrew J. Skaggs is a professional trombonist, conductor and composer living in the Washington, DC area. He currently performs with the United States Navy Band and has previously held positions with the Charlotte Symphony and the South Carolina Philharmonic. Mr. Skaggs grew up in Ashland, Kentucky and began writing music at an early age, mostly vocal and choral. His early works garnered numerous awards during his teenage years and drew high praise from several notable contemporaries including Pulitzer Prize winners Dominick Argento and John Corigliano. Mr. Skaggs studied composition, voice, piano and trombone at DePauw University, where his teachers included David Ott and James Beckel.
