HOMEGROWN HARMONY. Eau Claire native Geoffrey Keezer will return to his hometown March 1 to perform with the Chippewa Valley Symphony Orchestra. (Submitted photo)

A Grammy-winning Eau Claire native will premiere a new work March 1 as part of a celebration of the Chippewa Valley Symphony Orchestra’s 50th season.

Jazz pianist Geoffrey Keezer grew up in Eau Claire, the son of two musical parents – one of whom was a founding member of the Chippewa Valley Symphony Orchestra – making him a fitting choice to help celebrate the symphony’s golden anniversary. He was commissioned to create a work ultimately titled “There Must Be Something in the Water!” – a reference to Eau Claire’s “Clear Water” moniker as well as to the confluence of the jazz and classical genres.

“When asked to compose a piece for the CVSO’s 50th Anniversary, my first thought was the music should be celebratory and festive,” Keezer said in a media release. “And it needs to have an American classical music sound, because the CVSO is an American orchestra. … And if you’re talking about American music, Jazz has to be part of the conversation, being America’s true indigenous art form.”

The piece will combine traditional orchestral instrumentation with alto saxophone and drum set as well as the composer himself on the piano. Added Keezer: “It also features a healthy amount of mallet percussion (in tribute to my father Ron Keezer, the percussion teacher at UWEC from 1969-2001), soaring French Horn section moments (in memory of my mother Mary Keezer, a founding member and principal hornist of CVSO), an energetic drum set solo featuring guest Kevin Washington, and improvised alto saxophone solos by Jeff Reitz.”

The Chippewa Valley Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Nobuyoshi Yasuda. (Submitted photo)

“I’m very excited to compose for and perform with the CVSO again, with Maestro (Nobuyoshi) Yasuda at the helm, and this time in the beautiful Pablo Center,” Keezer added. “It’s been nearly 20 years since we last played together. And it’s a large piece with a rather difficult piano part, so I better start practicing!”

A prolific performer and recording artist since joining the legendary Art Blakey’s band at the tender age of 18, Keezer has been nominated for a number of Grammy Awards over the years. In 2023 he won the Grammy for Best Instrumental Composition for the tune “Refuge” from his 23rd album, Playdate.

The March 1 concert, titled “Homegrown Harmony: Featuring Geofrey Keezer,” will also include works by two other notable American composers: “Buckaroo Holiday” from Rodeo by Aaron Copeland and Leonard Bernstein’s “Symphonic Dances” from West Side Story and “Make Our Garden Grow” from Candide. The latter will feature a local choir, Schola Cantorum.

“Homegrown Harmony: Featuring Geoffrey Keezer” • Chippewa Valley Symphony Orchestra • Saturday, March 1, 7:30pm • Pablo Center at the Confluence, Eau Claire • $25 plus fees for adults, $10 plus fees for students • tickets available at pablocenter.org, (715) 832-2787 or boxoffice@pablocenter.org