The members of the West Virginia University Wind Symphony will grow as artists under the batons of three guest conductors at their 7:30 p.m. concert on Friday, Feb. 12, in the Lyell B. Clay Concert Theatre at the Creative Arts Center.

“This concert is part of WVU’s annual High School Honor Bands event,” said John Hendricks, WVU Director of Bands and Conductor of the Wind Symphony. “The guest conductors will also serve as guest conductors for the high-school students.”

The guests are Robert W. Smith, Steven Barnett, and Julia Kade.

Smith is “one of the most popular and prolific composers in America today,” said Hendricks. His original works for winds and percussion have been programmed by countless military, university, high school, and middle school bands around the world.

Barnett is the West Tennessee Educational Representative for the Amro Music Company. He’s also the former director of bands at Marshall University.

Kade is the director of bands at Princeton High School in Princeton, W.Va. “She’s built and maintained a high-quality band program at Princeton for many years,” said Hendricks.

The program will include:

• “Appalachian Folk Song Suite,” written and composed by Smith and dedicated to Hendricks and the Wind Symphony.
• “Overture for Winds” by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, arranged by John Boyd, originally composed for chamber ensemble and expanded for full concert band.
• “Sheltering Sky” by John Mackey, evoking folk songs with an atmosphere of calm and repose.
• “Valdres” by Johannes Hanssen, arranged by Loras Schissel, and widely considered one of the world’s best concert marches.
• “Prelude and Rondo” by David Holsinger, full of syncopated melodies.
• Through the Looking Glass” by Jess Turner, a fanfare piece that takes the audience into the musical world.
• “With Heart and Voice” by David Gillingham, based on an old Spanish hymn

In addition to Hendricks and guests, the Wind Symphony is under the baton of Dearl J. Drury, associate conductor, and Christopher J. Nichter, assistant conductor.

For tickets and information, please call the WVU Box Office at 304-293-SHOW.

-WVU-

dw/1/28/16

CONTACT: David Welsh, WVU College of Creative Arts
304.293.3397; David.Welsh@mail.wvu.edu

Follow @WVUToday on Twitter.