UW Symphonic Band and Chamber Ensembles to Perform May 1

“Music with Meaning” will be presented by the University of Wyoming Department of Music’s Symphonic Band at 7:30 p.m. Monday, May 1, in the Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts concert hall.

Tickets are $12 for the public, $9 for senior citizens and $8 for students. To purchase tickets, visit the Performing Arts box office, call (307) 766-6666 or go online at www.tix.com/ticket-sales/uwyo/6984. UW faculty and staff members, and military personnel can purchase tickets at a discounted rate. To receive the discount, visit the Performing Arts box office between noon-6 p.m. Monday-Friday or call (307) 766-6666.

The concert opens with performances by several smaller UW chamber ensembles. The UW Faculty Brass Quintet will perform “Mountains of Brass” by David Uber; the Cutthroat Brass Quintet will perform “Vuelta del Fuego,” and the UW Trumpet Ensemble will perform “Durrenhorn Passage,” both by Kevin McKee; and the UW Saxophone Quartet will perform “Cityscapes” by Rick Hirsch.

The UW Symphonic Band will perform music composed to draw attention to pivotal events in the country’s history. UW Department of Music Assistant Professor Joseph Carver will conduct the first two pieces.

“A Mother of a Revolution!” by Omar Thomas is a celebration of the bravery of trans women and, in particular, Marsha “Pay It No Mind” Johnson, who is credited with being among instigators of the famous Stonewall uprising June 28, 1969. It is among the pivotal events of the LGBTQ liberation movement of the 20th century.

“City Trees” by Michael Markowski is commissioned by the Lesbian and Gay Band Association to commemorate 30 years of music, visibility and pride.

The final two pieces of the concert will be conducted by graduating master’s student Amber Sturdevant, a UW McMurry teaching assistant from Gillette. “The Nine” by Randall Standridge was commissioned by the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site to honor the nine African American students who applied for enrollment at Little Rock Central High School following the verdict of Brown vs. Board of Education.

“Haven’s Conviction” by David Samuel, commissioned for the Winter Haven High School Band, celebrates the students who persevered through the difficult circumstances of the pandemic of 2020 to graduate.

For more information, call Kathy Kirkaldie, UW Fine Arts coordinator, at (307) 766-2160 or email kirisk@uwyo.edu.