Three CWU music ensembles to perform in early March

The Central Washington University Department of Music will present two concerts featuring three different ensembles early next month, and members of the campus community and the general public are invited to attend.

First up is a joint concert on Tuesday, March 3, featuring the CWU Symphonic Band and CWU Concert Band. The performance begins at 7 p.m. in the Hertz Concert Hall in the McIntyre Music Building, and there is no charge for admission.

The evening will begin with the CWU Concert Band, which will perform a vibrant and stylistically rich program highlighting works by Julius Fučik, Frank Ticheli, Yo Goto, Percy A. Grainger, and Andrew Boysen Jr. This diverse collection spans exuberant marches, lyrical contemporary works, and deeply expressive musical storytelling, offering listeners a journey across eras, cultures, and emotional landscapes.

The program, conducted by Lecturer of Band Kyle Edwards, highlights the remarkable versatility of the wind band medium while celebrating the unique voice of each composer. The ensemble will also welcome first-year master’s conducting student Tyler White as guest conductor.

For the second half of the performance, the CWU Symphonic Band will take the stage. Under the direction of Dr. T. André Feagin, CWU’s Director of Bands, the ensemble will be playing selections by William A. R. May, Michael Markowski, Julie Giroux, John Mackey. The evening will culminate in a performance of Spangled Heavens by Donald Grantham. The ensemble will welcome second-year master’s conducting student Eric Mills as guest conductor.

A few days later, on Sunday, March 8, the CWU Wind Ensemble — also under the direction of Feagin — will perform its own vibrant and stylistically diverse program featuring music by Paul Creston, Claude T. Smith, Michael Gandolfi, Yasuhide Ito, Percy Fletcher, and Margaret Bonds. These works reflect the expressive breadth of the wind ensemble medium, from bold rhythmic energy and lush lyricism to profound spiritual reflection. The free special Sunday afternoon performance begins at 4 p.m. in the Hertz Concert Hall.

A special highlight of the program will be a collaboration with saxophonist and music Lecturer Dr. Aaron Burr, who will appear as soloist in Claude T. Smith’s Fantasia for Alto Saxophone. Composed in 1983 for virtuoso Dale Underwood, the work has become one of the most significant saxophone compositions of the 20th century and remains a cornerstone of the instrument’s solo repertoire.

The CWU Wind Ensemble is the university’s flagship wind band with a four-decade legacy of artistic excellence. The ensemble has been featured at state, regional, national, and international conferences, including the 2022 CBDNA Western/Northwestern Division Conference, the 2024 WASBE International Conference in Gwangju, South Korea, and an invitation to perform at the 2026 CBDNA Western/Northwestern Division Conference from March 18-21 in Reno, Nevada.