Italian Rhapsody was commissioned by Colonel Arnald D. Gabriel. It is dedicated to his parents, Ferdinando and Filomena Gabriele. It is a joyful collection of Italian folk songs and a few operatic excerpts, scored with Italian gusto.

Solo clarinet opens with a certain Mafioso flair developing into a devious rendition of "The Italian Wedding Song #2" (The Wedding Tarantella). "Caderna," composed by A.D. Arcangelo, is presented in both an Italian street band and contemporary march style. Giacomo Puccini’s La Bohème "Quando m'en vo" (Musetta's Waltz) makes an appearance as an accordion player serenading young lovers in the moonlight. The finale features Luigi Denza’s "Funiculi! Funicula!," Giuseppe Verdi’s Il Trovatore (Act II - Anvil Chorus) and Gioachino Rossini’s Barber of Seville.

Julie Giroux (b. 1961) began composing as a teen. In 1992, with a recent degree in performance from LSU, she won an Emmy for music direction, the first woman and youngest person so honored. With credits for over 100 films, and television programs, she has composed for symphony orchestras, wind ensembles, military bands, soloists, brass and wood- wind quintets and many other serious and commercial formats.