Symphonic Wind Ensemble Performs in Italy
April 13, 2005
The Penn State Symphonic Wind Ensemble performed by invitation at the opening concert of the 2005 Flicorno D'Oro Concorso Bandistico Internazionale in Riva del Garda, Italy on March 19. The Flicorno D'Oro, a biennial international competition/festival, is one of the most established and important symphonic band events in Europe.
The Penn State Symphonic Wind Ensemble is the first American band to be honored with an invitation to open this prestigous event. This year, 36 bands from eight countries performed duirng the five-day competition. Past members of the jury panel have included such internationally renowned composers and conductors as Johan de Meij, Jan van der Roost, Timothy Reinish, Philip Spark, James Curnow, Joseph Horowitz and Ito Yasuhide.
While in Italy, the Symphonic Wind Ensemble also performed concerts in the Salone delle Feste del Casino Municipale in Arco and in the PalaCreberg in Bergamo. The Symphonic Wind Ensemble performed a program of music by American composers, including Overture to Candide by Leonard Bernstein, Chester by William Schuman, Blue Shades by Frank Ticheli, Zion by Dan Welcher, Shortcut Home by Dana Wilson and H. Robert Reynolds' transcription of Morten Lauridsen's O Magnum Mystrerium. Velvet Brown, associate professor of tuba and euphonium at Penn State, was the featured soloist, performing Eric Ewazen's Concerto for Tuba and Wind Ensemble. The audience reaction brought conductor Dennis Glocke back on stage for four encores: the Italian march L'Inglesina, the American march The Circus Bee and Johann Strauss's Radetzky March, which, due the audiences' continued applause and cheers, was repeated.
The Symphonic Wind Ensemble is the premier wind/percussion ensemble in the School of Music. This highly select 46-member group is composed of the finest wind and percussion instrumentalists on campus. It performs a variety of repertoire ranging from the music of Gabrieli and eighteenth-century harmoniemusik to contemporary works that utilize the resources of the full ensemble. The Symphonic Wind Ensemble is conducted by Dennis Glocke, director of concert bands and associate professor of music.
Contact: Kate Hoffman, kah39@psu.edu or 814.863.2104