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A Winter’s Poem for Orchestra

The piece “A Winter’s Poem” came from the desire to test ideas with polytonality, and rhythmic generation. It is sonata-allegro form but does not have a recapitulation. It goes directly from the development into the finale of the piece. It was originally written in the winter of 2022, and is only partially programmatic. There is no direct story along with this piece but the ideas, feelings, and colors are representative of winter. The bright shimmering colors represent the sunlight hitting a snow covered landscape. The dark colors represent the peaceful nature of a night time winter scene with a full moon. The moonlight casts a dark glow on the landscape, the texture gets thicker and more agitated before daylight returns. 

Winner of the 2023 Boston University Composition Contest

Premiered by BU Symphony Orchestra May 1st, 2023

Conducted by James Burton

Fading Embers For Wind Ensemble

Fading Embers is a somber piece written for wind ensemble. It shows the power of love and how even though it is changed by confusion and strife, it is still there. It contains two distinct moods and themes. The first theme, apparent in the solo oboe, is the theme of love and caring. As the piece progresses the  love and caring themes grow in intensity until love is overwhelming. After it slowly dissipates and falls back into confusion and the second theme. The second theme is that of strife and despair. This section of music is ominous and sparse. It slowly builds combining confusing sounds with a driving melody, and an unignorable march in the bass. Throughout the rest of the piece there is a constant back and forth with the love theme and the strife theme, instruments interject each other, chords dont line up, but while the love theme may get slightly altered and changed, it is still there. It is consistent and it is letting us know that it will always be there no matter the despair, no matter the strife. 

Reading by Boston University Concert Band October 2022

Premier by Boston University Concert Band Feb. 26, 2023.

saxeT for Horn and Piano

saxeT was written with a request to include a melodic theme that spelled out the word "Texas". The Idea for the piece was born of that. Texas is a vibrant state consisting of many contradictions that work together as a whole. The same is in this piece. Textures combine and are juxtaposed, colors mix in ways you don't expect, everything works together but not always fitting the way that you would like.

Commissioned by Jessica Young for final DMA recital

Premiered March 31st, 2023

RJ Horvat

Performed in November of 2019 by the 14th annual ESU Honors Band under the Direction of Dr. Gary Ziek

Emergence for Concert Band

Emergence was written as a dance to describe the changes in life and how we adapt to them. It starts off with a big chord that dissolves into dissonance and eventually resolves with the dance. The main theme keeps flowing throughout the piece from instrument to instrument, sometimes getting distorted when it moves, but always there still the same. This is used to describe the struggles of starting something new. You are always a part of it but you change as the process keeps going without stopping. Emerging into something new doesn't happen all at the same time and it is a process but it is worth it. Once you get there you have grown as a person and are better for the process, and more prepared for the future. 

Premiered and commissioned for ESU Honors Band, November 23rd, 2019

RJ Horvat

Fog was Raymond’s fourth piece to premiere at ESU and the third piece premiered by the ESU Wind Ensemble. Fog is the third movement of his weather suite that includes Snow (2015), Rain (unfinished), and Wind (2016). Fog fits into the weather suite like all the other pieces, in that it doesn’t directly represent the weather, but more the mood the weather evokes. This movement starts with a main theme in the low reeds that persists throughout the entire piece. Slowly the texture gets thicker and thicker until it is a swirling maze that you don’t know how to escape. All of a sudden the fog clears, and you can see where you are going. You wonder why you were ever worried in the first place. This all leads to the grand finale, reiterating that no matter what the struggles, there is always hope that you can make it through. Perfromed by the Emporia State Wind Ensemble on 4/28/2017

Fog for Concert Band

Fog is the third movement of his weather suite that includes others like Snow (2015), Rain (Unfinished), and Wind (2016). Fog fits into the weather suite like all the other pieces, in that it doesn’t directly represent the weather, but more of the mood the weather makes you feel. This movement starts off with a main theme in the low reeds that persists throughout the entire piece. Slowly the texture gets thicker and thicker until it is a swirling maze that you don’t know how to get out of. All of a sudden the fog clears and you can see where you are going and you wonder why you were ever worried in the first place. This all leads to the grand finale, reiterating that no matter what the struggles, there is always hope that you can make it through. 

Premiered by the Emporia State Wind Ensemble, April 28th, 2017

Performed by Boston University Concert Band, March 19, 2022

RJ Horvat ·

Premiered on April 28, 2016 in Emporia, Kansas. Performance by Emporia State University Wind Ensemble

Wind for Concert Band

Wind (2016) is a through composed piece written in late 2015. It is the last movement in Horvat’s Weather Suite and depicts all the different moods of wind. It starts out with a big gust of wind that slowly turns into a gentle floating ostinato. The melody floats over the ostinato and eventually gets over complicated until the gentle breeze turns in a full wind storm. The music continues back into a gentle breeze until it turns into a more grandiose melody that shows a picture of kites flying in the air supported by a strong warm breeze. It eventually ends and goes back to a more ominous restless breeze that then builds up to the finale where the final gust of winds blows us into the ending.

Premiered by the Emporia State Wind ensemble, April 28th, 2016

Quit Hunting, Start Fishing- For Trumpet and Piano

This piece was written about my family based off of five prints of the same name and nature by my sister Kate Horvat. The Name Quit Hunting, Start Fishing comes from a news article, of the same title, about our grandfather’s retirement. Our Grandpa, Joseph Horvat, was an investigator for the Defense Attorney’s office in Kansas City, Kansas. His plan for retirement was to keep fishing, hence the name of the piece.

The first movement is a portrait of a summer evening by the lake, relaxing and swimming, catching bugs, and hanging out with friends.

The second movement is about the love of our parents. They have been faithfully married since 1982. Their love for each other, their love for us and their love for what they do has been a beacon of light throughout my life.

The third movement is a representation of the carefree energy of playing as a child. Running around the yard, meeting new people, and eating ice cream with your family.

The fourth movement is representative of extended family. I have three aunts who are like other parents to us. They are confidants, they give sage advice, and they help us when needed. This movement is based on a Croatian hymn titled Lepa Si Roza Marija, which roughly translates to we love you beautiful virgin Mary.

The fifth movement represents all the festivities and parties my family would have. Even if the smallest victory was won we would celebrate it. This piece is based on a Croatian folk song called a Cacak (pronounced Cha-Cha). It is a fiery movement that ebbs and flows with a lot of interplay between the piano and the trumpet.

Premiered on Dec. 9th, 2016 at Senior Recital

RJ Horvat

Performed by the Emporia State Wind Ensemble on April 23, 2015

Snow for Wind Ensemble

Snow (2015) is the first movement in a suite of four songs for band. It was written in the beginning of 2014 and edited until the month it was performed. The piece starts off very ominous like there is a snow storm approaching. As you start to see a couple of little snowflakes falling, the piece speeds up until you are engulfed in a full fledged ostinato blizzard. You are engulfed by the storm and have no idea what is going on until finally the storm lets up. You then hear a more calm sound and have more of a sense of what is going on around you. You then start to look around at the snow covered landscape and realize the beauty of the snow and how Mother Nature creates beauty from chaos. You are so memorized by the beauty that you don't see the other blizzard coming in and it catches you by surprise, wrapping you up again in the same ostinato. As you go through the crazy and confusing storm again, and you realize the power of Mother Nature and realize you insignificant you are to her. Like all chaos though it subsides again, and you once again realize the grandeur and power of her. You finally understand how we have to respect nature and its power. At the end of the piece you fall asleep with a sense of comfort, feeling that you understand your place in nature, and know how you should treat her.

Premiered by the Emporia State Wind Ensemble, April 23rd, 2015

RJ Horvat

Midi Recording. Premiere performance by the Council Grove Junior High Band on May 8th, 2019 under the direction of RJ Horvat. Performance not recorded.

Something Hidden for Concert Band

Something Hidden (2019) was written for the Council Grove Junior High Band in 2018. It was written to give an opportunity for each instrument section to play the melody. Something Hidden is about any object that gets lost or hidden and finds comfort in not being seen. The melody goes about the entire band without until it grows and grows and finally comes out of the shadow, where it finds less comfort and gets scared. Eventually it goes back into hiding only to be uncovered again in the loud and climatic ending.

Premiered by Council Grove Junior High Band, May 8th, 2019