[1] The fanfares are a tribute to "women who take risks and are adventurous", with each dedicated to an inspiring woman in music.
It was originally inspired by Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man and employs the same instrumentation while adding the glockenspiel, marimba, chimes, and drums.
[4] It contains an opening flourish, huge percussion strokes, and then a galloping rhythm that pushes through the rest of the piece to reach the conclusion.
It is laid out on a larger scale than the others and gradually moves from quiet lyricism to full-ensemble chords before slowing down into a final coda.
The fourth Fanfare was written in 1992 and was the only one in the series scored for full orchestra where the brass does not dominate.
The piece was commissioned by the Kansas City Symphony, and premiered on October 16, 1992, conducted by William McGlaughlin.
The fifth Fanfare was written in 1993 and was commissioned by the Aspen Music Festival for the opening of the Joan and Irving Harris Concert Hall in 1993.