Wild Rose by Ivana Bilic

Ivana Bilic is an internationally recognized marimba virtuoso and versatile percussion artist. She composed this piece, inspired by several musical genres including rock ’n’ roll, jazz, soundtracks, and world music, for the 2012 Salzburg Marimba Competition. Technically, it contains contrapuntal lines, triple laterals, double verticals, same-hand octaves in the low register, independent rolls, and a brief chorale phrase. Some of the compositional style is reminiscent of Keiko Abe, with Bilic stating “It is an impromptu with a free flow of ideas, using certain patterns, intervals or rhythmical permutation, and familiar musical material as the driving force and inspiration.”

The varied technical requirements help make this an excellent work with many teaching and learning opportunities in a package that will please the performer and audience. I found the composition quality to be excellent and very idiomatic. With its eclectic mix of genres and techniques, this work is unique and is highly deserving of consideration for programming at the college level.