Band and Orchestra ensembles kick off series of seven spring concerts

WHAT: Series of Seven - ASU School of Music Band and Orchestra Concerts

WHEN: 7:30 p.m., (Tuesday) March 26, (Tuesday) April 2, (Thursday) April 4, (Wednesday) April 17, (Wednesday) April 24, (Thursday) April 25, (Tuesday) April 30

WHERE: Gammage Auditorium, Katzin Concert Hall, Evelyn Smith Music Theatre

TICKETS: Free admission, no tickets required; doors open 30 minutes before the performance

INFORMATION: 480-965-TUNE (8863)

Choices, choices, choices. This spring, Valley audiences have the enjoyable task of choosing one or more in the Series of Seven concerts performed by the band and orchestra ensembles from the School of Music in the Herberger College of Fine Arts at ASU. Gary Hill, director of bands, and Timothy Russell, director of orchestras, have assembled a diverse set of concerts, each showcasing one or more of the ensembles in the band and orchestra programs.

Adding to the pleasure - all the Series of Seven concerts are free and open to the public, with no tickets required. Concert locations are Gammage Auditorium, Katzin Concert Hall or the Evelyn Smith Music Theatre.

Wind Ensemble and Concert Band kick off the series with a "Spring Spectacular" at 7:30 p.m. (Tuesday) March 26 in Gammage Auditorium. Musical selections include The Liberty Bell March by John Philip Sousa, A Festival Prelude by Alfred Reed, A Copland Portrait adapted by Clare Grundman,Koenigsmarsch by Richard Strauss, Sinfonia V: Symphonia Sacra et Profana by Timothy Broege, Trauersinfonie by Richard Wagner and Suite Francaise by Darius Milhaud.

Wind Symphony presents "Dreams and Fancies" at 7:30 p.m. (Tuesday) April 2 in Gammage Auditorium. The program includes Grainger'sLincolnshire Posy and Colgrass' Arctic Dreams.

The Music Building's Katzin Concert Hall is the site for a Chamber Winds evening of "Decadent Masterpieces" at 7:30 p.m. on (Thursday) April 4. Selections include Gounod's Petite Symphonie, Stravinsky's "Dance Suite" from L'Histoire du Soldat and Rossini's "Una voce poco fa," with a solo by bassoonist Jeffrey Lyman, a seasoned performer who is also a member of the School of Music faculty.

University Symphony Orchestra & Choral Union join forces to perform "The Best of Broadway" at 7:30 p.m. (Wednesday) April 17 at Gammage Auditorium. Musicals to be highlighted include South Pacific, The King and I, The Sound of Music, Carousel, Phantom of the Opera and Oklahoma.

Wind Symphony, Wind Ensemble and Chamber Winds present "Fleming's Finale" (Wednesday) April 24 in Gammage Auditorium. The concert marks Robert "Coach" Fleming's farewell appearance as associate director of bands at ASU. Known throughout the country for his long-time stint as director of the award-winning Sun Devil Marching Band, Fleming retires at the end of the semester.

"Music from around the World" is the theme for the (Thursday) April 25 concert by Sinfonietta at 7:30 p.m. in Gammage Auditorium. Program selections include American Salute by Gould, Vaughan Williams' English Folk Song Suite, Grieg's Norwegian Dances and Bizet's L'Arlesienne Suite No. 1.

Chamber Orchestra performs the last School of Music concert of the season (Tuesday) April 30 at 7:30 p.m. in the Music Building's Evelyn Smith Music Theatre. The program features works by Mozart, Bach and Stravinsky, as well as Phoenix composer Kenneth LaFave.

Media Contact:
Mary Brennan
480-965-3587
mary.brennan@asu.edu