ASU Wind Bands announces 2021–22 concert season

September 21, 2021

The ASU School of Music, Dance and Theater Wind Bands 2021–22 concert season brings music back to the stage with a live audience.

“Musicians love to make music for others,” said Jason Caslor, conductor and associate professor in the School of Music, Dance and Drama. “I think the great impact of the pandemic brought back the joy of being in the room with other musicians and being able to make music together. I know we all can’t wait to be able to share this music with a live audience. ”

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Students of the ASU Wind Bands program, which includes the Wind Ensemble, Wind Symphony, Maroon and Gold Band and Chamber Winds, learned last year about recording and virtual performances after live performances were canceled. Caslor said the skills they learned are very important, but the students and faculty are also “excited to be together for performances again.”

“For me this year is kind of an introduction – introducing myself to Wind Symphony, ASU and the community,” said Jamal Duncan, Associate Director of Groups. “While my first year was taken by the pandemic, I couldn’t meet many of my students in person and I couldn’t make music with many of them. This year, I want to share not only great music, but also music that is close to my heart. “

Duncan joined the school in the fall of 2020 and will make his main stage debut with the Wind Symphony in the season premiere on September 22 at the Madison Center for the Arts in Phoenix.

According to Duncan, the planning process for each season begins with the selection of the lead piece and / or guest artist, and then the other pieces are selected for each concert.

“Once I have the main piece, I then try to make some sort of artistic statement or find a way to connect it to the other pieces in the concert,” Duncan said. “Sometimes the connection is subtle, sometimes more obvious. “

For example, the second concert of the Wind Symphony features Nathan Bitter (BM ’20), ASU alumnus, winner of the ASU Concerto Competition 2019, performing the famous trombone concerto by Danish composer Launy Grondahl. Once this piece was chosen, Duncan said, “her mind immediately turned to a concert with an international twist and pieces that would take the audience on a journey through the world in music – ‘Wanderlust: Let’s Travel the World! ‘”

This year’s season also features three other ASU Concerto Competition winners: Musical Arts PhD students Jared Waters, saxophone; Michael Robinson, clarinet; and Ziyu Wang, composition. In addition, three members of the ASU Faculty of Music will perform with the wind orchestras – Thomas Landschoot, cello; Christopher Creviston, saxophone; and Joshua Gardner, clarinet.

Composer Kevin Day will visit the campus for a multi-day residency in February. The ASU Wind Ensemble will perform the consortium’s premiere of his Virtuoso Concerto for Wind Ensemble, and the ASU Wind Symphony will perform the world premiere of a new work he is writing especially for them. Guest conductors include Armand Hall, Gregory Whitmore and Carl St. Clair.

The ASU Wind Bands Composer-in-Residence program is new this year. ASU student composers Laura Brackney, Jacob Chesney and Sarah Lucas-Page were each selected through a competition and will have the one-year opportunity to fully immerse themselves in writing a short story. work for harmony orchestra. The collaboration includes the ability to create, workshop, rehearse, record and possibly create a new work.

“Seen as a true collaborative effort, we view the composer, conductor and ensemble members as equal partners in this endeavor,” said Caslor.

ASU Chamber Winds, the newest ensemble in the ASU Wind Bands family, has been peer reviewed to perform at the College Band Directors National Association West / Northwest Regional Conference at Puget University Sound in Tacoma, Washington, in March 2022. The main work of their program will be Mozart’s Serenade in E flat, K. 375.

All performance attendees are required to agree to adhere to ASU policies that conform to CDC guidelines for colleges and universities. Face coverings are mandatory in indoor performance halls of music, dance and theater schools. Information on COVID-19 from the university can be found at coronavirus.asu.edu.

2021-22 ASU Wind Bands Season

ASU Wind Ensemble and Wind Symphony – “In This Broad Earth: Music of the Spheres“
7:30 p.m., September 22; to buy tickets
Madison Center for the Arts, Phoenix; directions

The ASU Wind Symphony, led by Jamal Duncan, in its main stage debut as Associate Group Director, and the ASU Wind Ensemble open their seasons at the Madison Center for the Arts performing works by Norman Dello Joio, John Philip Sousa and Omar Thomas.

Steven Bryant: “In this vast land”
Omar Thomas: “Shenandoah”
Tielman Susato / Dunnigan: “The Dancer”
Kimberly Archer: “Fanfare Politeia”
Ziyu Wang: “Rhapsody for a Flight of Stairs” (world premiere), winner of the 2019 ASU composition competition
Nicole Piunno: “Where words can’t go”
Norman Dello Joio: “Variants on a medieval tune”

Brown and gold ASU band
7:30 p.m., October 5; free
Nelson Fine Arts Plaza, Tempe Campus

ASU Wind Ensemble and Wind Symphony – “Wanderlust: Let’s Travel the World!” “
7:30 p.m. on October 26; to buy tickets
Madison Center for the Arts, Phoenix; directions
Guest conductor: Salle Armand

The ASU Wind Ensemble and Wind Symphony perform works by Alfred Reed and Percy Grainger and present the 2021 ASU Concerto Competition winners Nathan Bitter, trombone and Jared Waters, saxophone.

Brandon Scott Rumsey: “Wanderlust” with Armand Hall, guest conductor
Luis Serrano Alarcón: “Tramonto”, Thomas Landschoot, cello
Launy Grøndahl: “Concerto for trombone and orchestra”, Nathan Bitter, trombone
Alfred Reed: “Armenian Dances Pt. 1.”
Percy Grainger: “Shepherd’s Hey” and “Irish Tune” from County Derry
André Waignein: “Rhapsodie for alto saxophone and orchestra”, Jared Waters, saxophone
Omar Thomas: Come Sunday

ASU Wind Ensemble and Tempe Winds – “Maslanka Symphony No. 4”
7:30 p.m. November 17
ASU Gammage, Tempe Campus

Guest conductors Phil Vallejo and Kristen Zelenak conduct the ASU Wind Ensemble in David Maslanka’s epic “Symphony No. 4” and Weber’s “Clarinet Concerto No. 2”, with award-winning Michael Robinson. ASU Concerto Competition 2020. They will also share the evening with Tempe Winds.

David Maslanka: “Symphony No. 4”
Carl Maria von Weber: “Clarinet Concerto No. 2”, Michael Robinson, clarinet

ASU Maroon and Gold Band and ASU Wind Symphony
7:30 p.m. 23 November
ASU Gammage, Tempe Campus

ASU Maroon and Gold Band and ASU Wind Symphony present their last concert of 2021.

Sally Greenaway: “Aurora Musis Amic”
Williams Himes: “Incredible Grace”
Percy Grainger: “Lincolnshire Posy”

ASU chamber winds
10 a.m. on February 7; to buy tickets
Madison Center for the Arts, Phoenix; directions

ASU Chamber Winds perform for students in the Madison School District.

ASU Wind Ensemble and Wind Symphony – “Old, New, Borrowed and Blue”
7:30 p.m. February 16
ASU Gammage, Tempe Campus

ASU Wind Bands is pleased to welcome composer Kevin Day to campus as we present the premiere of his virtuoso’s consortium “Concerto for Wind Ensemble”. The ASU Wind Symphony will also present a brand new work by Day written especially for them.

Kevin Day: TBD (world premiere)
by Cabezon / Grainger: “Prelude in Dorian mode”
Gustav Holst / Matthews: “First suite in Eb”
Frank Ticheli: “Blue shades”
Darius Milhaud: “French Suite”
Kevin Day: “Concerto for Wind Ensemble” (consortium premiere)

ASU Wind Ensemble – “The answer, my friend …”
4 p.m. February 20
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts

Join the ASU School of Music, Dance and Drama for an afternoon of colorful and dynamic chamber music by ASU faculty and a performance of Milhaud’s “Suite française” by the wind ensemble KNEW.

Darius Milhaud: “French Suite”
Kevin Day: “Concerto for Wind Ensemble” (consortium premiere)

ASU Maroon and Gold Band
7:30 p.m. February 22
ASU Gammage, Tempe Campus

The first concert of the spring semester presents a variety of traditional and contemporary wind music.

ASU Wind Ensemble – “Gran Partita” by Mozart
7:30 p.m. on March 2; free
Katzin Concert Hall, Tempe Campus

Conductor Kristen Zelenak conducts an evening of chamber music.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: “Serenade No. 10 in B flat major, K. 361 / 370a”, “Gran Partita”

ASU Wind Symphony
10 a.m. on March 24; to buy tickets
Madison Center for the Arts, Phoenix; directions

The ASU Wind Symphony gives a concert for students at the Madison Center for the Arts.

ASU Wind Symphony – “How is the sequel”
7:30 p.m. on March 24; to buy tickets
Madison Center for the Arts, Phoenix; directions

The ASU Wind Symphony performs at the Madison Center for the Arts, with music by Chad “Sir Wick” Hughes and Frank Ticheli. We also welcome our second guest conductor, Gregory Whitmore from California State University in Fullerton.

Matthew Schoendorff: “The State of the Fugue”
Frank Ticheli: “Rest”, Gregory Whitmore, guest conductor
Chad Hughes: “Symphonic Suite”
Alton Adams: “The Governor”
Erika Svanoe: “Steampunk Suite”

ASU Wind Ensemble – “Dahl’s Sinfonietta”
7:30 p.m. April 6
ASU Gammage, Tempe Campus

The ASU Wind Ensemble performs Dahl’s masterful “Sinfonietta” and features ASU teachers Christopher Creviston, saxophone, and Joshua Gardner, clarinet, in the consortium premiere of Carter Pann’s “Double Concerto”.

Ingolf Dahl: “Sinfonietta”
Carter Pann: “Double Concerto”, Christopher Creviston, saxophone, and Joshua Gardner, clarinet

ASU Wind Ensemble
7:30 p.m. April 14; free
Nelson Fine Arts Plaza, Tempe Campus

ASU Maroon and Gold Bands and ASU Wind Symphony – “Medieval Sketches”
7:30 p.m. April 26
ASU Gammage, Tempe Campus

The ASU Wind Symphony travels through time to present works that reflect our past. Carl Orff’s imposing “Carmina Burana” is based on 13th century poems about love, wine and fortune. We also present “Homage to Perotin the Great” by Ron Nelson, one of the most famous composers of the time.

Ron Nelson: “Homage to Perotin”
Carl Orff / John Krance: “Carmina Burana”

ASU Symphony Orchestra and Wind Symphony
7:30 p.m. April 28
ASU Gammage, Tempe Campus

Internationally renowned conductor Carl St. Clair leads the ASU Symphony Orchestra and ASU Wind Symphony in the 2021-2022 season finale featuring works by Berlioz and Ticheli, ending with the thunderous “Pines of Rome ”by Respighi.

Ron Nelson: “Homage to Perotin”
Frank Ticheli: “Rest”
Ticheli: “Blue shades”
Berlioz: “Opening of the Roman Carnival”
Respighi: “Les Pins de Rome”