Commissioned by the Owensboro Symphony and conductor Nicholas Palmer, River City Fanfare—alternately titled Fanfare for Owensboro, after Witold Lutosławski’s Fanfare for Louisville—is a playful and joyful celebration of Owensboro, Kentucky, and the Ohio River that has shaped the city’s history and identity. As my hometown, Owensboro carries a particular personal significance, and the piece reflects both affection for the place and the energy of the community surrounding it.

The work begins with a rhythmic cryptogram derived from the name “Owensboro,” translated into a playful pattern based on Morse code. This material provides the piece with its initial momentum and returns in different forms throughout the music.

At the center of the work, the Ohio River comes into focus. Broad melodic lines and expansive harmonies suggest the river’s movement, scale, and constant presence within the landscape. The music gradually opens outward before turning back toward the material heard at the beginning.

The piece is shaped as an arch, inspired by the curve of the Ohio River as it passes through Owensboro. The opening cryptogram eventually returns, bringing the work full circle and closing the fanfare much as it began.

—SC