Apollo Unleashed is the third movement of Ticheli's Second Symphony, which was commissioned to honor James E. Croft as he retired as Director of Bands at Florida State University in 2003. Each of the movements refers to celestial light. The composer has said that the finale's title and its "blazing energy" were inspired by the image of the powerful ancient god of the sun. The movement's bright sonorities, fast tempos, and galloping rhythms are tempered and enriched by one of the composer's favorite Bach Chorales (BWV 433). According to Ticheli, this sublime chorale "serves as a kind of spiritual anchor, giving a soul to the gregarious foreground events." Originally from Louisiana, Ticheli is Professor of Composition at the University of Southern California's Thornton School of Music. --Jam