Wind Symphony Invited To Attend Premier Band Directors' Conference

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The UA Wind Symphony will represent the University and the State of Arkansas February 18 at the College Band Directors' National Association - Southwestern Division Conference at the University of Oklahoma in Norman.

"Our presence at this conference says that we're among the top schools in the region," said W. Dale Warren, conductor and director of the Wind Symphony. It's a phenomenal recruiting opportunity as well. The fact you can say in your recruiting literature that you played at the conference is definitely a feather in your cap."

The association is the premier organization of college bands and directors. To be invited to the conference, Warren said, universities send in audition tapes to a committee comprised of the most respected musicians in the region. Groups are invited based on the quality of these tapes.

During the conference, each band offers a free public performance. The UA Wind Symphony, scheduled to perform at 1 p.m. at the Catlett Music Center on the OU Campus, will offer a repertoire that includes works by Aaron Copland, Ney Rosauro, Percy Grainger, and Ottorino Respighi. Before arriving at OU, the symphony plans a mini-tour on February 17 of three Oklahoma high schools, Owasso High School in Owasso; Union High School in Tulsa, and Westmoore High School in Moore.

"The experience is good for our students. They get to hear their peers play as well as perform for them. The audience will consist of many professionals in fields such as musicology, music theory, conducting and music performance, so they'll be playing in front of a very sophisticated audience. The bands are not judged, but rather are given an opportunity to display their abilities and present a repertoire of high artistic merit," said Warren.

The UA Wind Symphony performed at both the 1992 and 1994 regional conferences, which are held every even year, while the national conferences are held every odd year. The group consists of 70 graduate and undergraduate wind and percussion musicians who come from every college on the UA campus.

Other ensembles that will perform at the Southwestern Division Conference include the Oklahoma City Philharmonic Orchestra, Truman State University Wind Symphony, Texas A&M Symphonic Band, Oklahoma Intercollegiate Honor Band, University of Oklahoma Wind Symphony, University of Central Oklahoma Wind Ensemble, Texas Tech University Symphonic Band, Southwestern University Wind Ensemble, and Oklahoma State University Wind Ensemble.

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W. Dale Warren, director of bands, J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, 479-575-4100, wdwarren@comp.uark.edu