Austin High School graduate Daniel Kallman visited the morning rehearsal of the Albert Lea concert band on April 6 to work with students on an upcoming world premiere performance of his composition “Entrada and Courtly Dances.” The ALHS concert band will give the world premiere performance of this work in their May 9 spring concert.

“Entrada and Courtly Dances” was written a few years ago, but is unpublished and has never been performed.

Kallman attended the ALHS concert band rehearsal to offer suggestions and compliment. He was excited to hear the work played live for the first time.

Kallman, a full-time composer from Northfield also visited with the Mmusic theory class taught by ALHS band director, Peter Gepson. Some of the theory students have done some composing of their own, and Kallman offered some insights into the life of a composer/musician and shared some musical examples with the theory students.

Kallman’s compositions for orchestra, winds and choir are widely published and have been performed across North America, Europe and East Asia. His steady stream of commissions also includes music for worship, theater, dance and the young musician. Kallman has composed for the National Symphony Orchestra, the Air Force Academy Band, the Hong Kong Children’s Choir and the Minnesota Orchestra. His works have also been performed by the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

As a composer of music for worship, Kallman is best known for his liturgical setting “Light of Christ,” commissioned for the Lutheran hymnal “With One Voice” and included in the Presbyterian hymnal “Holy Is the Lord.” His youth choir musical, “Jubilee, We Are Set Free,” has been widely performed. Kallman’s church choir anthems, hymn settings and other liturgical service music are sung throughout the country.