Recent and Upcoming Events

Forge Ahead! and Courage Shining Forth

Two of Shirley’s band works will be performed at Winona State University in November 2024. The Winona State University Bands’ yearly High School Honor Band Festival takes place at 5pm Sat. Nov. 2, 2024. The program features Forge Ahead! along with works by other Minnesota composers. The following day, at 2pm Sun. Nov. 3, the WSU Wind Ensemble will perform Courage Shining Forth (originally commissioned by the Minnesota Symphonic Winds in 2013) at their November concert. Both events will be held at the DuFresne Performing Arts Center. See the Winona State University Bands Facebook page for more information.

The High School Honor Band Festival is a longstanding tradition at WSU, and I am honored that my music is a part of it this year. Thank you to director Janet Heukeshoven for programming these works, and best wishes for a successful weekend of performances!

Deep Freeze

The Capilano University Instrumental Ensemble (located in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) will perform Shirley’s flex-band work Deep Freeze at their concert on Nov. 29, 2024, 7:30pm. The concert is titled “Vivid Landscapes” and features visually evocative compositions such as Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition and Vaughan Williams’ English Folk Song Suite. Thank you to director Karen Nakajima for including Deep Freeze on this program – best wishes for a successful concert (and fair weather)!

Holden Village Vespers

Exciting news! Earlier this year, Claire Larson, Director of Bands at Kenyon-Wanamingo High School, commissioned Shirley to compose a band work based on Marty Haugen’s Holden Evening Prayer, a vespers service he wrote while in residence at Holden Village (a Lutheran retreat in the Cascade Mountains in Washington State) in the 1980s.  The new work, Holden Village Vespers, will be premiered by the Kenyon Wanamingo High School Band at their “Sounds of the Season” concert on Mon. Dec. 9, 2024. The band was selected to perform at the 2025 MMEA Midwinter Convention in Mpls, MN, and will play Holden Village Vespers again at their MMEA concert on Fri. Feb. 14, 2025.

Holden Village Vespers is truly a collaborative effort, a project that celebrates the power of music and community. Thank you to Claire Larson and the Kenyon Wanamingo High School Band for commissioning the work and bringing it to life!

Of Lakes and Legends: Scenes from White Bear Lake (Concert Band)

Shirley’s concert band suite Of Lakes and Legends will be performed by the University of South Dakota’s top band at their spring concert scheduled for April 24, 2025.  The work will be conducted by doctoral student Justin (Pray) Lincoln at his doctoral degree recital. Best wishes for a successful recital, and thank you to Director of Bands Bethany Amundson for programming the work!

Of Lakes and Legends: Scenes from White Bear Lake was first composed for the Century Chamber Orchestra and premiered in May 2017 at Century College in White Bear Lake, MN.  The work has subsequently been recorded and performed by the Zagreb Philharmonic (Czech Republic).  Reggie Buresh, a longtime member of the Century Band as well as the Century Chamber Orchestra, commissioned this transcription for concert band, and the concert band rendition was premiered by the Century College Concert Band (Charles Preis, Director) in November 2023.  The scrolling score video is now viewable on YouTube.

Music Directing and Performing

Comedy Improv

Shirley is excited to be playing piano on the comedy improv stage again!  In March 2024 she performed a monthlong gig with Stevie Ray’s Comedy Cabaret at the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre, and since August 2023 she has performed multiple gigs with the Masters of Improvisation at Crooners Supper Club and other venues. They are returning to Crooner’s on Thu. Nov. 21 at 6:30pm in celebration of Crooner’s 10-year anniversary – get your tickets here and see you there!