Four Bands Open the Spring Concert Season at the Walton Arts Center

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The University of Arkansas Wind Ensemble, Wind Symphony, Symphonic Band, and Concert Band will open their spring concert season with two days of performances at the Walton Center. The Wind Symphony and Concert Band will perform at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 24. The Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 25. The concerts can be viewed live from the program’s website.

The Wind Ensemble concert will debut the world premiere of City of Giants by University of Arkansas professor of composition, Robert Mueller.

In addition to City of Giants, the Wind Ensemble will also perform pieces by Michael Daugherty, Michael Gandolfi, Ryan George, Percy Grainger and Joseph Turrin. Concertino for 11 Instruments and Wind Ensemble by Turrin will feature all of the music department’s wind, brass and percussion faculty: Nophachai Cholthitchanta (clarinet), Theresa Delaplain (oboe), Ronda Mains (flute), Stan Morris (saxophone), Cory Mixdorf (trombone), Ben Pierce (euphonium) and Chalon Ragsdale (percussion), Richard Rulli (trumpet), Tim Thompson (French horn) and Lia Uribe (bassoon).

The Wind Symphony concert will feature Nophachai Cholthitchanta, instructor of clarinet and Robert Umiker on clarinet on Konzertstuck No. 1 in F minor, Op. 113 by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy.

Christopher Knighten, director of bands, conducts the Wind Ensemble. W. Dale Warren, senior wind conductor and professor of music, conducts the Wind Symphony. Jamal Duncan, assistant director of bands, conducts the Symphonic Band and, Chase Jones and Austin Jay, graduate assistants, conduct the Concert Band.

The concerts are presented by the department of music in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences as part of the Joy Pratt Markham Series. Admission is $1 for students with a valid University of Arkansas ID and $5 for the general public.

The programs are as following:

Tuesday, Feb. 24, 7 p.m.

Wind Symphony, Warren, conductor

• A Festival Prelude by Alfred Reed
• Danzon No. 2 by Arturo  Marquez, transcribed by Oliver Nickel
• Intermezzo from Act 3, Manon Lescaut by  Giacomo Puccini, arr. by W. Francis McBeth
• Konzertstuck No. 1 in F minor, Op. 113 by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, arr. by Donato Semerano
• Trittico by Václav Nelhýbel   

Concert Band, Jay and Jones, conductors

• National Emblem by E.E. Bagley
• Ye  Banks  and  Braes  O'Bonnie  Doon  by Percy  Aldridge  Grainger    
• In the Forest of The King by Pierre La Plante    
• Ave Maria by Franz  Biebl , arr. by  William  Ballenger    
• Undertow by John Mackey           

Wednesday, Feb. 25, 7:30 p.m.

Wind Ensemble, Knighten, conductor

• Firefly by Ryan George   
• Concerto for Eleven Instruments and Wind Ensemble by Joseph Turrin  
• City of Giants by Robert Mueller
• The Solitary Dancer by Warren Benson    
• Bell Piece by Percy Aldridge Grainger  
• Bells for Stokowski by Michael Daugherty 

Symphonic Band, Duncan, conductor

• Fugue State by Matthew Schoendorff  
• Sheltering Sky by John Mackey
• Heart Songs by David Maslanka        
• Single by Jonathan Newman