‘Spirits of Wildness’ Flute Concerto

Giancarlo Castro 

Spirits of Wildness Flute Concerto was inspired back in 2021 when Adam was appointed Chair of the Recording Inclusivity Initiative at All Classical Radio creating a blueprint for other stations to find and record music of underrepresented composers that have never been recorded before — establishing a new anthology on the airways. During the inaugural recording of the initiative, Adam had the privilege of recording a flute sonata by Coleridge Taylor-Perkinson which was written for Harold Jones, one of Adam’s greatest sources of inspiration. A quick back story: Harold was a flutist and conductor based in NYC. During the 1970's, he started a chamber orchestra with a single focus to make classical music more accessible to the public. He also started a record label promoting music by black composers during a time where it wasn't popular -- he found a way. 

Fast forward, Adam wanted someone special to write a concerto that would embody his multifaceted culture. From his Southern roots, Caribbean roots and Afro-Latino roots; As well as, his love for this beautiful place he calls home, the Pacific Northwest. 

Spirits of Wildness conjures a realm where nature breathes without witness, where wind, stone and water move with intention, guided by unseen forces. This work imagines ethereal entities born from the composer's inner vision: guardians of the wild, embodiments of elemental behavior beyond the reach of human presence. These spirits serve as narrative vessels, inviting us to consider how nature might express itself when left entirely to its own rhythms. Their voices are shaped not only by imagination, but also by the musical and cultural echoes of towns across the American continent, places where ancestral memory and sonic tradition remain deeply entwined with the land. Through this score, the flute becomes a storyteller, channeling the whispers, cries and dances of a wilderness alive with mystery. It is a tribute to the unseen, the untamed and the enduring spirit of place.

Movement one: Talker Spirits: two spirits, an elder and a younger are represented at measure one and two respectively. They're talking to each other regarding their different perspective about nature's behavior making the nature musical theme sound confusing.

Movement two: Nature Spirits: some spirits are quite calm, others are not. The nature musical theme varies according to them.

Movement three: Dancing Spirits: a gathering of spirits. They dance by the melody of the flute accompanied by the energetic rhythm of the bongos where the nature music theme rises to its highest shape.

Concerto performances

• September 2025 (premiere): Metropolitan Youth Orchestra performed at Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall (2700 guests).

• January 2026: Orchestra Nova Northwest performed at Reser Center for the Arts (410 guests)

• April 2027: Portland Youth Philharmonic performing at Central Lutheran Church (max: 500 guests)

About the Composer

Award-winning composer, conductor, and trumpet player, Giancarlo Castro D’Addona is recognized as one of the most outstanding artists to have emerged from Venezuela’s acclaimed El Sistema music education program developing an exceptional career.

His works have been recorded by the Simon Bolivar Symphonic Band of Venezuela under GENUIN label (Germany) as well as the Bergen International Festival in Norway and Carnegie Hall in New York. His piece “Grand Fanfare” has also been performed at the BBC Proms Festival at the Royal Albert Hall (London), the Walt Disney Hall (Los Angeles), the Berlin Konzerthaus (Germany), and The President’s Own United States Marine Band in the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C.

Currently, he continues creating new compositions, “Festival Quintet”, commissioned by the New World Symphony Orchestra (Florida). “Diversity”, performed by the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Yannick Nézet-Séguin. “Portland Beauty”, commissioned by Portland State University and recorded by the Oregon Symphony Orchestra in 2022. “Encuentro Obertura Festiva”, commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, performed at the Hollywood Bowl 100 Year Celebration Concert Series under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel. “Rush”, commissioned by Carol Jantsch, principal Tuba of Philadelphia Orchestra, premiered at the Interlochen Camp and “De Mi Tierra”, commissioned by the Oregon Symphony Orchestra premiered last year and broadcasted by All Classical Radio.

Giancarlo's music is edited and published by Editions BIM in Switzerland and also distributed around the world by La Flute de Pan, J.W Pepper, HeBu, Just for Brass, Presto Sheet Music, Sheet Music Plus, Partition Musicales, Midwest Sheet Music and Blas Musik Shop.