Alumnus, Dave Sartor

David SartorDavid P. Sartor, graduate of the MTSU School of Music with a master of music degree, has had an impressive year of success in Academic Year 2017-2018.   Professional groups performed many of his compositions. July of 2017 saw the world premiere of his The Saints of Sewanee for large brass choir, organ, timpani and percussion at the Sewanee Summer Music Festival by the Sewanee Festival Brass, Eric Bubacz conducting. In October 2017, his Reveries for String Orchestra were performed by Orchestra Unlimited, Kirk Smith, Music Director, Midtown Arts and Theater Center, Houston, TX.   Twice The U. S. Pacific Fleet Band, Lt. Kelly Cartwright, Fleet Bandmaster, performed his work, Dies Irae: once in Orvis Auditorium, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI and again on Hawaii Public Radio's Atherton Studio, Honolulu, HI.  His Celebration for Trumpet and Organ was performed twice by Metropolitan Opera Orchestra Trumpeter Peter Bond and Dr. Geoffrey Ward, Organist, at All Saints Chapel, University of the South, Sewanee, TN and again at Episcopal Church of Heavenly Rest, New York, NY.

As to awards, Sartor's Sonata for Trumpet and Piano was named a National Finalist for The American Prize in Chamber Music Composition.  He advanced to the National Semi-Finals for the American Prize in Orchestral Conducting where judging is ongoing in the category.  His group, The Parthenon Chamber Orchestra, advanced to the National Semi-Finals for The American Prize in Orchestral Performance.  Judging is also ongoing in this category.   Sartor also received his twenty-eighth ASCAP award for Composition this past year.

 In addition, Sartor was honored to judge the First Annual Trevecca Nazarene University Orchestra Composition Contest, along with Dr. Paul Osterfield, and MTSU professor of composition.

As an active conductor, Sartor has had a busy year.  He conducted university faculty and area musicians in a public performance of Eric Jones' Cosmic Armada for Brass and Percussion at Trevecca Nazarene University, Nashville, TN. He conducted the Nashville Concerto Orchestra in a performance of Robert Schumann’s Cello Concerto with Nashville Symphony cellist Stephen Drake as soloist.  He conducted the Parthenon Chamber Orchestra in a summer concert featuring my Reveries for String Orchestra, Beethoven’s Symphony #3 and the Strauss Horn Concerto #1 with Jennifer Kummer as soloist.   Additionally, he  conducted the Parthenon Chamber Orchestra in a performance of Bach’s Violin Concerto in A Minor with Austin Peay State University violin professor Emily Hanna Crane as soloist as part of Bachanalia 2018, a six-hour regional festival of works by Bach at Christ Episcopal Church, Nashville, TN.