Symphonic Band, Concert Band performing April 9 concert

Northwest Missouri State University’s Symphonic Band and Concert Band will perform their final concert of the academic year on Tuesday, April 9.

The concert, which is free and open to the public, begins at 7 p.m. in the Charles Johnson Theater at the Olive DeLuce Fine Arts Building.

“These concerts truly have something for everyone, played by a representation of our wide campus population that includes students from almost every major and classification, community members, Northwest band alumni and area high school band students,” Dr. Katy Strickland, Northwest’s Dennis C. Dau Professor of Instrumental Music, said. “It’s a concert for everyone by everyone.”

The Symphonic Band will perform four pieces spanning the globe and periods, including “The Governor’s Own” by Alton Adams, the first Black Navy bandmaster; “Courtly Airs and Dances,” a suite of themes based on Renaissance dances; “A Simple Song,” a slow, beautiful arrangement of the piece by American composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein; and “Arabesque,” a piece by Samuel Hazo centered on Middle Eastern themes of traditional Arabic improvisation and celebratory line dance.

The Concert Band will play will perform a mix of works, featuring three student conductors. Music education majors Gariel Roller, Paige Rodewald and Aimen Zieske will take the podium, leading the ensemble in “After the Rain” by Matt Neufeld, “Jungle Dance” by Brian Balmages and “Yorkshire Ballad” by James Barnes.

This Symphonic Band, which is conducted by Strickland, is active during the spring semester and performs a broad range of music literature, including modern wind compositions and light pop selections. The band is open to all Northwest students and presents two concerts during the spring semester.

Founded in 2021, the Concert Band, under the direction of Dr. William Sutton, assistant professor of music, is the newest instrumental ensemble at Northwest. It features brass instruments, woodwinds, percussion and string bass, and it performs music from a variety of time periods and styles, from historically significant works to new band compositions and premieres. There are no auditions to join the ensemble, which is open to all Northwest students and employees as well as local residents. The ensemble presents two concerts during both the fall and spring semesters.

To learn more about musical ensembles at Northwest, visit www.nwmissouri.edu/finearts/music/ensembles/.