The FGCU Wind Orchestra performs a history-spanning concert titled “Then and Now” at 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 25 at Hayes Hall at Artis-Naples.
In fall 2006, Florida Gulf Coast University’s newly minted Bower School of Music premiered the first student-ensembles performance. The band and string orchestra were newly created ensembles and the University Choir had been incorporated into the program. The generosity of Alan and Marilyn Korest gave impetus to a vision of a music program that could transform FGCU and Southwest Florida’s musical culture. Now, the Wind Orchestra celebrates that seminal event by re-creating the first band concert.
Programming works by major composers like Holst, Bernstein and Vaughan Williams signaled a commitment to creating the finest music and setting an expectation of excellence. After intermission, the Wind Orchestra continues down that path, performing works by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Kevin Puts, 20th century icon Paul Hindemith and celebrated wind composer David Maslanka. The Hindemith symphony is a cornerstone work, rarely performed due to its complexity and demand for musical maturity, while Maslanka’s “Give Us This Day” has a life and spirit that complements that of the band program in the Bower School of Music & the Arts.
The concert will feature Rod M. Chesnutt as conductor and Karen Ambrose as conducting associate.
Tickets are $15 and are available online, or at Artis-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. For more information, contact Joanna Hoch at (239) 745-4268 or [email protected].