Sunday, September 1, 2019 - 3:00pm

1707 16th Street Vero Beach, FL 32960


**Due to the threat of Hurricane Dorian and the governor’s state of emergency for the state of Florida, the Dance Mix: From Tango to Tarantella concert has been cancelled. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Your SCSO family hopes that you all stay safe.**

GORB Yiddish Dances
NUNES In League of Extraordinary Women
CORIGLIANO Gazebo Dances
MACKEY Red Line Tango

Matthew Nunes, guest composer
Robin Sisk, tuba

The Space Coast Symphony Wind Orchestra gets dance fever, when Aaron Collins directs the thrilling, Dance Mix: From Tango to Tarantella, with dance music from around the globe.  Selections include Academy Award-winning composer John Corigliano’s Gazebo Dances, John Mackey’s sonic rollercoaster, Redline Tango,  winner of the 2005 American Bandmasters’ Association Ostwald Composition Contest, and Adam Gorb’s fun Yiddish Dances, based on Klezmer dances, the folk music of the Yiddish-speaking people. Rounding out the program is an exciting new work featuring Robin Sisk by Matthew Nunes, In League with Extraordinary Women, a Concerto for Tuba and Wind Band.  Inspired by the extraordinary lives of aviator Amelia Earhart, scientist Marie Curie and the Irish pirate queen, Grace O’Malley, each movement offers a glimpse into their different worlds while providing thrilling challenges for the soloist.

Artist Information


Over the course of her career, Pittsburgh native Dr. Robin Sisk has established herself as an effective and enthusiastic teacher, versatile musician, and during her time in Florida as one of the most active freelance tubists across the Sunshine State. In addition to currently serving as Principal Tuba of the Gainesville Orchestra, Bach Festival Orchestra of Winter Park, Gainesville Brass Quintet, and a musician for Walt Disney World, she has performed most notably with the Florida Orchestra, Jacksonville Symphony, Naples Philharmonic, Orlando Philharmonic, Sarasota Ballet, Orlando Ballet, Brevard Symphony, Ocala Symphony, Space Coast Symphony, and at major theme parks and entertainment venues.

Dr. Sisk resides in Orlando where she maintains a steady freelancing career and is an active private teacher, including serving on the faculties of Rollins and Florida Southern Colleges. Before pursuing performing on a more full-time basis, she previously built and led successful collegiate tuba euphonium studios in a diverse collection of colleges and universities, most recently the University of Florida and Missouri Southern State University.

An avid brass-bander, she was Principal Eb Bass of the world-renowned Brass Band of Central Florida and of the New England Brass Band (Boston, MA), toured internationally with the Natural State Brass Band (Little Rock, AR), and is a member of the Athena Brass Band - America's all-star female brass band.

Robin is a proud founding member of the country’s first professional stilt-walking band, performing at Legoland Florida, Walt Disney World Resort, and at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba. She has also appeared with Band Bajha Brass – North America’s first Bollywood Bhangra Baraat band - throughout the United States and Canada.

Recording credits include the BBCF's albums recorded in the UK: "Sing, Sang, Sung" (2007), "Omnium Gatherum" (2012), and "15" (2015); "All Is Bright: A Choral Christmas" (2013) from the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park, “300 Trumpets Hit the Sky” by Dontae Winslow (2015), and "Raw Earth: New Music for Wind Band" with the Hartt Wind Ensemble.

In addition to being featured with brass bands, orchestras, and university ensembles, solo and chamber highlights include regional and international instrumental conferences, and she is a two-time semi-finalist for the International Tuba Euphonium Quartet Competition. Dr. Sisk has also held a wide array of teaching positions in public and private schools and organizations across the eastern U.S.

Robin has championed new music in recent years, with completed commissions including "Under a Gibbous Moon" for tuba/marimba by Steven Landis, "Fragile Dreams" for tuba/flugelhorn/piano by Barbara York, and "In League With Extraordinary Women" tuba concerto with wind band by Matthew Nunes. Robin was proud to serve on the most recent committee for the ITEA Harvey Phillips Awards for new music.

Dr. Sisk earned a Doctor of Musical Arts from The Hartt School of the University of Hartford, MM in Tuba Performance from the University of South Florida, and a BM in Music Education, Summa Cum Laude, from West Virginia University. Upon graduation from WVU, she was recognized as the College of Creative Arts “Most Outstanding Graduate.” Her primary teachers have included Scott Mendoker, Jay Hunsberger, Dave McCollum, and Les Dean, Sr.


Matthew Nunes is a composer and euphonist on the rise. 2017 was a breakout year as he advanced to the Northeast Regional Tuba-Euphonium Conference's Mock Band Audition finals, the Leonard Falcone International Tuba-Euphonium Festival's Euphonium Artist semi-finals, and won the 2017 Montclair State University Concerto Competition with his own Concerto for Euphonium (2015). In 2012 he won the University of Central Florida Concerto Aria Competition for Band – earning the distinction of being the first euphonium player to win since his former teacher Dr. Gail Robertson. He has performed with the Brass Band of Central Florida, Space Coast Wind Symphony, 2014 FMEA Intercollegiate Band, the National Music Festival Symphony Orchestra, as well as the UCF and MSU Wind Ensembles and Orchestras. He earned his Masters in Euphonium Performance at Montclair State University studying with Derek Fenstermacher. His former teachers include Dr. Gail Robertson, Dr. Robin Sisk, and Tim Van Dam.

Matthew is a published composer with nine works for various mediums available from Cimarron Music Press as well as Flurry for flute quartet (or ensemble) available through Brixton Publications. In 2014 his band piece Second Strike won the Phi Mu Alpha Mu Eta Chapter Composition Competition and was premiered by the Space Coast Wind Symphony. His Concerto for Euphonium and Wind Band was premiered by Dr. Gail Robertson and the Little Rock Wind Symphony in 2016, while one of his latest works In League with Extraordinary Women (Concerto for Tuba and Wind Band) was premiered by Dr. Robin Sisk and the University of Florida Symphonic Band in 2019. Matthew earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Music Composition from UCF studying with composer Christopher Marshall. Matthew’s music is available for listening on his SoundCloud profile and for purchase on his website.

Matthew is always writing new music and is auditioning for bands in the Washington, D.C. area. He is planning a 2-in-1 debut solo/composition CD (TBA) as well as the first online database for theoretical writings on the tuba and euphonium repertoires.  Please visit MatthewNunesMusic.com for more information.