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UK Wind Symphony to Perform Music by Stravinsky, Holst, Mackey, Bernstein
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 16, 2012) — The University of Kentucky Wind Symphony, conducted by John Cody Birdwell, will be joined by guest conductor Kenneth Javier Iyescas for a concert of outstanding works by some of the world’s most highly respected composers. The concert will begin 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 18, in the Singletary Center for the Arts Concert Hall. Admission for the concert is free and open to the public.
Included in the program will be the iconic "Octet" by Igor Stravinsky, First Suite in E-flat for Military Band by Gustav Holst (conducted by Iyescas), prize-winning "Aurora Awakes" by John Mackey, and the Symphonic Suite from "On the Waterfront" by Leonard Bernstein.
Mackey’s "Aurora Awakes," winner of the 2009 American Bandmasters Association’s ABA/Ostwald Prize and the 2009 National Band Association William D. Revelli Award is a composition written to musically bring forth images of the coming of light as represented in the Aurora Borealis.
Bernstein’s monumental score to the “On the Waterfront,” winner of the 1954 Academy Award for Best Picture, is regarded as one of the greatest film scores of all time. The Symphonic Suite from "On the Waterfront" is a cinematic achievement by one of America’s most treasured composers, and is one of the most distinctive symphonic portraits of an American scene.
Iyescas, who holds a bachelor's degree in music education from Howard Payne University and a master's degree in horn performance from Texas Tech University, is a graduate assistant for UK Bands.
The UK Wind Symphony is made up of the finest wind and percussion performers in the UK School of Music at the UK College of Fine Arts. As the centerpiece of a band program that has served the Commonwealth of Kentucky for more than 100 years, the Wind Symphony continues a tradition of professional-level performances to appreciative audiences throughout Kentucky and beyond. In 2008, the Wind Symphony participated in a 10-day concert tour of the People's Republic of China and performed for thousands of Chinese citizens in the cities of Suzhou, Yangzhou, Changzhou and Beijing in celebration of China's hosting of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games.
Recently, the UK Wind Symphony received national and international recognition by being selected to perform at the prestigious 2013 College Band Directors National Association National Convention.
For more information on this concert or UK Wind Symphony, contact the UK Bands at 859-257-2263 or visit www.ukbands.org.
MEDIA CONTACT: Whitney Hale, (859) 257-8716
or whitney.hale@uky.edu
