I wrote this piece in the summer of 2022 after being commissioned by Dr. Christopher Wilke to create a fanfare to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the CCM Guitar Department. Since the Bearcat is the University of Cincinnati's mascot, I originally planned to name the piece Fanfare for the Bearcats to evoke a sense of belonging for the department's alumni. However, after finishing the composition, the sound did not feel like a fanfare to me anymore. Therefore, I decided to keep the original idea and renamed it Song of the Bearcats.

(Wenbin Lyu, August 4, 2022)

November 1, 2022; CCM; Cincinnati, OH; CCM Guitar Ensemble

October 26, 2022; View From the Edge; CCM; Cincinnati, OH; CCM Guitar Ensemble

September 3, 2022 (premiere); CCM 50th Anniversary Guitar Gala; CCM; Cincinnati, OH; CCM Guitar Orchestra & Christopher Wilke, conductor