University & Symphonic Bands

Love, in its many forms, unfolds across this program as both a journey and a reflection—beginning in innocence, deepening through longing and devotion, and ultimately arriving at celebration and connection. Each work offers a distinct perspective on partnership, revealing how love shapes our experiences from childhood to life’s most profound moments.

Percy Grainger’s Children’s March: “Over the Hills and Far Away” opens with radiant energy and spontaneity. Its buoyant rhythms and colorful scoring capture a sense of youthful adventure and boundless imagination. Beneath its playful surface lies a personal connection: Grainger dedicated the work to his ‘playmate’, Karen Holten. This dedication adds an additional layer of meaning, suggesting that even within its exuberance, the music reflects a spirit of affection and personal joy—an expression of love that is as lively as it is sincere.

The program then turns to the deeply emotional operatic world of Giacomo Puccini (transcribed by Sawako Yamasato), whose music explores love in its most vulnerable and dramatic forms. In Tosca, “E lucevan le stelle” reflects on love in the face of loss, its lyrical lines tinged with resignation and memory. “Un bel dì, vedremo” from Madama Butterfly unfolds as an expression of fragile hope and unwavering devotion, while “O mio babbino caro” from Gianni Schicchi offers a tender and intimate plea shaped by both romantic longing and familial love. The set culminates in “Nessun dorma” from Turandot, where love becomes a force of determination and ultimate triumph.

Of all stars are love Steven Bryant writes, the work “began as a simple song written as a surprise gift for my wife, Verena, for our wedding in 2010. I set the E.E. Cummings poem all stars are (and not one star only) love, and our dear friend and extraordinary soprano Hila Plitmann performed it at the ceremony in Austria.” The work carries a personal foundation beneath its expansive musical language. With shimmering sonorities, and broad, luminous textures, Bryant suggests love not only as an intimate bond, but as something that radiates outward—connecting individuals to something larger than themselves. We are excited to welcome Lindsay Kesselman back to Kobacker Hall to perform this beautiful work.

Derek Bourgeois’s Serenade, Op. 22 continues the program with wit, rhythmic ingenuity, and a touch of humor rooted in its origin. Written for his own wedding, Bourgeois reportedly crafted the piece with a practical goal in mind: to prevent guests from slipping away too quickly. This intention is reflected in the music’s persistent forward motion and playful unpredictability. Irregular phrase lengths, shifting accents, and subtly off-kilter rhythmic patterns keep the listener engaged and slightly off balance, resisting any sense of easy closure. At the same time, moments of lyricism emerge within this rhythmic framework, suggesting warmth and sincerity beneath the surface. The result is a work that is both charming and cleverly constructed—an affectionate musical gesture that mirrors the complexity of partnership itself, where stability and surprise coexist.

Finally, The Wedding March by John Philip Sousa brings ceremonial grandeur and tradition to the program. Commissioned by the American Legion, the work was intended to provide a distinctly American alternative to the long-associated European wedding music of Felix Mendelssohn and Richard Wagner. Through bold brass writing and stately rhythms, Sousa captures the public celebration of partnership—the formal, communal recognition of a bond that is both deeply personal and culturally shared.

Flute
Rachel Moeller
Jacob Egts
Libby Dotterer
Johnathan Robinson
Macy Pohorence
Isabelle Hayes
Jenna Schumaker, piccolo

Oboe
Grace Russell
Quentin O’Brien
Luke Bass

Bassoon
Corbin Johns
Audrey Benson
Shaun Knox

Eb Clarinet
Elliot Bentley

Bb Clarinet
Ethan Ondrish
Chris Boyes
Cee Costello
Reagan Fairbanks
Jadyn Ochoa
Mollie Barrett

Bass Clarinet
Maelee Zerkle

Saxophone
Conor Lynch
Helen Kangas
Alex Dale
Mitchell Daniel

Horn
Emma Clement
Rowen Raynes
Ash Behn
Micky McMahon
Ella Jobe
Rion Van Zile
Jacob Phillips

Trumpet
Evan Picchioni
Alex Preston
Courtney Woerlein
Lucas Vile
Jonathan Perez Blanco
Blaine Mitchell
Jocelyn Huber
Tyler Heuerman

Trombone
Sky Spiriti
Connor Kirkner
Mason Armitage
Jacob Palumbo
Lucas Davis
Chelsea Dean

Euphonium
Zai Johnson
Hannah Crowe
Meg Gierula

Tuba
Trey Reed
Noah White
Braeden Scheirer
Tyler Huntington

Percussion
Josh Boyd
Ian Holdridge
Carson Van Gorder
Zion Bateman
Sarah Hertenstein
El Wisniewski
Emily Brand

Piano
Luca Albano

Harp
Nora Cufr

The suite Aquarium is Johan de Meij's third composition for symphonic band and features six tropical fishes, each of them represented by a motif, and surfacing as such in several guises. The composition consists of three movements, of which the second and third merge uninterruptedly into each other.

1. Allegretto grazioso (Neon Tetra, Electric Eel and Angelfish)
2. Andante/Adagio (Sea Horse and Zebra fish)
3. Finale: Allegro giocoso (Guppy & Co.)

The neon tetra motif functions as a kind of 'leitmotiv' and describes the beautifully colored, frisky fish: A number of variants have been derived from this theme and will also appear in the other movements. The electric eel is fact is not represented by a motif, but by a rhythm based on the restless electric pulses made audible in some aquaria. The angel fish is represented by elegant chord clusters.

In the second movement the sea horse emerges out of the water vegetation and starts a dialogue with the zebra fish, which is represented by one melodic phrase in unison getting more and more threatening by adding parallel fifths and octaves. Simultaneously with the sea horse motif the neon tetra theme emerges, this time in 3/4 time and in Eb minor.

The third movement starts with only two instruments (trumpet and xylophone), but as it is often the case with guppies, their number rapidly increases. Piccolo and alto saxophone introduce the guppy theme, followed by several instrumental combinations. Every theme from the first movement 'swims by' once more, after which the principal motif leads us to a brilliant ending.

Aquarium was commissioned by the Dutch Music Foundation "Fonds voor de Scheppende Toonkunst."

- Program note from the score
 

Across a Golden Skyis composer Quinn Mason’s second rhapsody. This work explores the hidden wonders of the magical period of daytime known as the “golden hour,” a phenomenon shortly before sunset where the sun is redder than the sky itself. Mason crafts gentle melodic fragments with undulating harmonic motion to create a pastoral work that, at its peak, emanates a brilliant and majestic landscape of vibrant color and pure beauty. Shimmers of sunlight are ever present with freely-flowing, aleatoric passages in the winds and bright, metallic percussive colors. As the sun slowly but surely disappears into the horizon, so too does Across a Golden Sky find a wondrous resolve in this mystical soundscape.

- Program note by Josh Trentadue
 

Dusk is a simple, chorale-like work that captures the reflective calm of dusk, paradoxically illuminated by the fiery hues of sunset. I'm always struck by the dual nature of this experience, as if witnessing an event of epic proportions silently occurring in slow motion. Dusk is intended as a short, passionate evocation of this moment of dramatic stillness.

Dusk is part of a three-work “night cycle,” continuing with The Marbled Midnight Mile and concluding with First Light.

Dusk was commissioned by the Langley High School Wind Symphony, Andrew Gekoskie, conductor, and was premiered in April 2004 at the MENC National Convention by the commissioning ensemble.

- Program note by composer
 

An American Elegy is, above all, an expression of hope. It was composed in memory of those who lost their lives at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999, and to honor the survivors. It is offered as a tribute to their great strength and courage in the face of a terrible tragedy. I hope the work can also serve as one reminder of how fragile and precious life is and how intimately connected we all are as human beings. 

I was moved and honored by this commission invitation, and deeply inspired by the circumstances surrounding it. Rarely has a work revealed itself to me with such powerful speed and clarity. The first eight bars of the main melody came to me fully formed in a dream. Virtually every element of the work was discovered within the span of about two weeks. The remainder of my time was spent refining, developing, and orchestrating. 

The work begins at the bottom of the ensemble's register, and ascends gradually to a heartfelt cry of hope. The main theme that follows, stated by the horns, reveals a more lyrical, serene side of the piece. A second theme, based on a simple repeated harmonic pattern, suggests yet another, more poignant mood. These three moods -- hope, serenity, and sadness -- become intertwined throughout the work, defining its complex expressive character. A four-part canon builds to a climactic quotation of the Columbine Alma Mater. The music recedes, and an offstage trumpeter is heard, suggesting a celestial voice -- a heavenly message. The full ensemble returns with a final, exalted statement of the main theme.

An American Elegy was commissioned by the Columbine Commissioning Fund, a special project sponsored by the Alpha Iota Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi at the University of Colorado on behalf of the Columbine High School Band. Contributors to the Fund included members, chapters, alumni, and friends of Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma National Honorary Band Fraternity and Sorority. 

The work received its premiere performance by the Columbine High School Band, William Biskup, Director, Frank Ticheli, guest conductor, on April 23, 2000. Its premiere served as the centerpiece of a special commemorative concert given by the Columbine High School Band in conjunction with the University of Colorado Wind Symphony, held at Mackey Hall in Boulder, Colorado. 

- Program note by the composer
 

The Cat and Mouse chase has been a part of folklore and popular culture since the time of pharaohs in ancient Egypt. Over the ages, the chase has served as a metaphor for the suspenseful and sometimes alternating relation between hunter and hunted. In the modern age, the story has been played out hundreds of times in popular animated cartoons, often accompanied by a musical score representing the energetic spirit of the chase with lively twists and turns, sudden surprises and tongue-in-cheek music. In this spirit of playfulness and suspense, Robert Spittal has created a marvelous work that is both entertaining and exhilarating.

- Program note by the publisher

Flute
Kylee Helmick 
Isabelle Hayes 
Macy Pohorence (Piccolo) 
Sarah Beckstedt 
Alex Wentz 
Teagan Norman 
Wyatt Cobb 
Mia Przybylski 
Ashton Anderson 
Jay Ortega 
Quinn Earnest 
Bailee Cape 
Olivia Hershberger 
Sarah Winn  
Elizabeth Allen 
Claire McKinney 
Alyssa Khoury 
Karson Spurgeon 
Audrey Kocel 

Oboe
CJ Brown 
Emily Nash 
Ramon Kulwicki 
Abbie Kaye 
Madelynn Ketola 
Ash Bell 

Bassoon
Shaun Knox 
Jenna Boekhoff 
David Neuman 
Jaksyn Trimbach 

Clarinet
Rachel Hoose 
Camryn O’Shea 
Raiden Hemming 
Ethan Huffman 
Steven Demchak 
Megan Heuerman 
Ryan Bowshier 
McKayla James 
Sam Reineck 
Olivia Ellerman 
Aurora Conner 
Eloise Kolakowski 
Lillian Fiedler 
Maggie Pridemore 
Elle Hammerhofer 
Jamie Chester 
Xavier Bucher 

Bass Clarinet
Michael Nordeman 
Ethan Sanders 
Marissa Pitz 
Joe Boyle 
Curtis Graham 
Reagan Fairbanks 

Alto Saxophone
Helen Kangas 
Hannah Huddle 
Brittney Vonalt 
Julian LaFontsee 
Charlie Miley 
Jakob Hancock 
Audrey Simon 
Audrianna Barnett 
Andrew Condy 
Madison Baldenado 
Sage Szappanos 

Tenor Saxophone
Max Miles 
Landon McGee 
Joel Farkasdi 
Kyle Prisco 

Baritone Saxophone
Cole Aten 
Lydia Hallman 

French Horn
Rion Van Zile 
Ben Reese 
Jacob Phillips 
Kate Irelan 
Kyle Slaght 

Trumpet
Blaine Mitchell 
Jocelyn Huber 
Sydney Gankosky 
Tyler Heuerman 
Erika Voigt 
Elijah Spokony 
Harrison Gustafson 
Madison Valentine 
Nicholas Adams 
Esmer Hatten 
JD Holtzen 
Allison Hawk 
Nathan Wood 
Joey Pokrywka 
Ryan Meitzner 
James Dixon 

Trombone
Lucas Davis 
Chelsea Dean 
Michael Carlozzi 
Luke Sommers 
Jacob Palumbo 
Savanah Westfall 
Paige Filbrun 
Sarah Gold-Anderson 
Nancy Brown 
Landon Coy 
Andrew Sowders 
Matthew Kane 
Michael Ferraro, bass 
Ryan Weirs, bass 

Euphonium
Joe Twardesky 
Meg Gierula 
Austin Bleile 
Kayden Moore 
Brendan Stein 
Elijah Ondrish 

Tuba
Noah White 
Braeden Scheirer 
Tyler Huntington 
Miguel Gaspar 
Jacob Stierman 
Chris Flores 
Andrew Fordyce 
Miguel Gaspar 

Percussion
Aiden Barrows 
Carson Brockman 
Macey Craddock 
Liz Moening 
Luka Ingram 
Jessica Kozik 
Evelyn Donaghey 
Andrew Christiansen-Temple 
Andrew Fulk 
Noah Lancianese 

Piano
Andrew Sowders 

Lindsay Kesselman is a twice GRAMMY-nominated soprano known for her warm, collaborative spirit and investment in personal, intimate communication with audiences. She regularly collaborates with orchestras, wind symphonies, chamber ensembles, opera/theater companies, and new music ensembles across the United States, often premiering, touring and recording new works written for her by living composers. She is a passionate advocate for contemporary music, and has commissioned/premiered over 100 works to date.
 
Recent and upcoming highlights include frequent performances of Darkening, then Brightening by Christopher Cerrone across the country, a tour culminating at National CBDNA with the UNC Greensboro Wind Ensemble, premieres of wind transcriptions of Caroline Shaw’s Is a Rose and Maria Schneider’s Winter Morning Walks, Pierrot Lunaire with Ensemble ATL, Energy in All Directions by Kenneth Frazelle with Sandbox Percussion at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, the role of Anna in Kurt Weill’s The Seven Deadly Sins with the Charlotte Symphony, the role of Ada Lovelace in a new opera, Galaxies in Her Eyes by Mark Lanz Weiser and Amy Punt, Astronautica: Voices of Women in Space with Voices of Ascension, ongoing performances of works written for Kesselman by John Mackey with orchestras and wind symphonies across the country, the John Corigliano 80th birthday celebration at National Sawdust (2018), Quixote (Amy Beth Kirsten and Mark DeChiazza) with Peak Performances at Montclair State University (2017), a leading role in Louis Andriessen’s opera Theatre of the World with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Dutch National Opera and an international tour of Einstein on the Beach with the Philip Glass Ensemble (2012-2015).
 
She is featured on several recent recordings: David Biedenbender’s all we are given we cannot hold (2023, Blue Griffin), Chris Cerrone’s opera In a Grove (2023, In a Circle Records), Caroline Shaw’s Is a Rose (2023, Blue Griffin), Chris Cerrone’s The Arching Path (2021, In a Circle Records), Russell Hartenberger’s Requiem for Percussion and Voices (2019, Nexus Records), Chris Cerrone’s The Pieces That Fall to Earth with Wild Up (2019, New Amsterdam Records), Mathew Rosenblum’s Lament/Witches’ Sabbath with the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble (2018, New Focus Recordings), Louis Andriessen’s Theatre of the World with the Los Angeles Philharmonic (2017, Nonesuch), and Jon Magnussen’s Twinge with HAVEN (2016, Blue Griffin).
 
Kesselman has been the resident soprano of the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble for 13 seasons, and Haven, Kesselman’s trio with Kimberly Cole Luevano, clarinet and Midori Koga, piano ( www.haventrio.com ) actively commissions and tours throughout North America. Haven is the recipient of a 2021 Barlow Endowment for Music Composition award with composer David Biedenbender and a 2021 Chamber Music America Classical Commissioning Grant with composer Ivette Herryman Rodríguez.

She is a dedicated teacher and serves as Assistant Professor of Voice and Choral Music at UNC Greensboro. There she maintains an active voice studio and she conducts the UNCG Treble Ensemble. Kesselman also co-directs the Heretic’s Guide to Musicianship: A Score Study and Interpretation Workshop with Kevin Noe. A frequent guest clinician at colleges and universities across the United States, Kesselman specializes in voice teaching, leadership, entrepreneurship, musicianship, young composer mentoring, chamber music, audience development, programming, interdisciplinary collaboration, harnessing vulnerability in performance, and community engagement.

Kesselman holds degrees in voice performance and music education from Rice University and Michigan State University. She is represented by Trudy Chan at Black Tea Music and lives in Charlotte, NC with her husband Kevin Noe and son Rowan. More information can be found at:  www.lindsaykesselman.com

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