Home Official News Releases Drake University Wind Symphony to perform at College Band Directors National Association North Central Division Conference

Drake University Wind Symphony to perform at College Band Directors National Association North Central Division Conference

The Drake University Wind Symphony, Robert Meunier, conductor, will
perform at this year’s College Band Directors National Association North
Central Division Conference. The concert will take place at Staples
Concert Hall on the campus of Central Michigan University on Friday,
Feb. 24 at 4:15 p.m. The wind symphony was selected to perform by blind
review from numerous submissions made by colleges and universities from
the ten-state division that ranges from Ohio to the Dakotas. This is the
third time since 2000 that the Drake’s wind symphony has earned this
prestigious honor.

The concert will feature Clarence Padilla, professor of clarinet,
performing Dana Wilson’s Liquid Ebony, as well as the world premiere of
Mark Engebretson’s Duo Concertante, performed by Drake’s James Romain,
associate professor of saxophone, and Susan Fancher of Duke University.

The wind symphony will also give an invited performance for the
annual Iowa Bandmasters Association Conference on Friday, May 11 at 8
p.m. at the Marriott Hotel in Des Moines.


About the Drake University Wind Symphony: 

Drake’s premier wind band is comprised of the finest wind and
percussion students at the University and dedicated to performing the
highest quality literature for band, ranging from chamber wind works to
the contemporary band repertoire. Since its inception in 1998, the Wind
Symphony has developed a national reputation for musical excellence.

The ensemble has thrice given invited performances for the North
Central Division of the College Band Director’s National Association
(2000/2008/2012). It has also performed for the North American Saxophone
Alliance (2005), Iowa Bandmasters Association (1999/2006/2012), South
Central Iowa Bandmasters Association, and toured extensively throughout
the Midwest.

It has released six compact discs, including Angels and Demons
(2001), Homage (2003), Impressions (2005), Reflections (2007), Collage
(2009) and Windscapes (2011) through Mark Custom Recording. These have
received accolades from composers and critics alike, including Band
World’s Ira Novoselsky, who has called Drake’s Wind Symphony “”¦one of
the Midwest’s premier wind orchestras,” and stated: “”¦the Drake
University Wind Symphony gives the utmost attention to every musical
detail & nuance.”

Impressions, Reflection, and Collage have received Grammy Nomination
Eligibility status from the Grammy Nomination Committee in both the
Best Classical Music and Best Orchestral Performance categories.

Recordings by the wind symphony have received high praise from noted
band composers including Dana Wilson, Jan Van der Roost, Joseph
Spaniola, Roger Cichy, Timothy Mahr and Barry Kopetz. The wind symphony
has also produced promotional recordings for both Daehn Publications and
C. Alan Publications.