John Kenny
John Kenny, renowned trombone soloist, actor, composer and creative artist, will be a special guest soloist during a free UW Wind Symphony concert Thursday, Feb. 19, at 7:30 p.m. in the Fine Arts Center concert hall.
Kenny will present the Wyoming premiere of the "Trombone Concerto" by Buxton Orr with the band and may also introduce UW audiences to a unique ancient instrument: the carnyx, a Celtic war trumpet.
Kenny's guest appearance with the UW Wind Symphony is part of the opening concert of the 20th annual Rocky Mountain Festival of Winds, with guest high school musicians selected from the three-state region.
"This event has become one of the most anticipated weekends by many of our high school bands," reports Robert Belser, professor of music, conductor of the UW Wind Symphony and co-director with Scott Turpen of the Festival of Winds.
The weekend will also be an opportunity for senior musicians planning to attend UW to audition for Department of Music talent scholarships. High school guests are selected from recommendations by their high school directors and represent the finest prep musicians in the Rocky Mountain region. They are chosen and placed into two select jazz ensembles and a select concert band. The Festival of Winds is organized and presented by UW Fine Arts Outreach.
In addition to Thursday's concert, guests will spend Friday in master classes, clinics and rehearsals and will attend the concert by UW's jazz ensembles with special featured jazz trumpet artist Ingrid Jensen. That concert is Friday at 7:30 p.m. in the College of Arts and Sciences auditorium. Tickets cost $5 for students and senior citizens and $7 for others.
Everyone is also invited to the free Festival of Winds concert featuring guest high
school artists in their final concert Saturday, Feb. 21, at 3 p.m. in the Fine Arts
Center concert hall.
Posted on Tuesday, February 17, 2009
