Canberra Wind Symphony collaborates with the pre-eminent St. Olaf Band from USA

This year, January 26^th gains new meaning with the collaboration of two marvellous wind ensembles in Llewellyn Hall in a FREE concert co-ordinated through the US Embassy.

The 90+ piece St. Olaf Band is one of America’s pre-eminent wind ensembles and is conducting an Australian/NZ tour this summer, collaborating with leading wind ensembles.

Conductor of the St. Olaf Band, Dr. Timothy Mahr, will present a widely varied program of primarily American music, with a focus on the centennial celebration of Leonard Bernstein’s birth, the music of John Williams, and classic works from the wind band repertoire. Works featuring soloists and a good march or two will also be presented, along with Mahr’s own award-winning composition, The Soaring Hawk.

Canberra Wind Symphony will also take the stage to perform works by living composers:

Equus – Eric Whitacre (USA),

An Australian Rhapsody – Ralph Hultgren (AUS),

The Fly – Oscar Navarro (Spain),

Symphonic Dances (Belly Dance) – Yosuke Fukuda (JPN)

Cartoon – Paul Hart (UK)

And deliver staples of the wind ensemble repertoire:

Ye Banks and Braes o’ Bonnie Doon – Percy Grainger (AUS)

Hoe Down – Aaron Copland (USA)

Conductor of the Canberra Wind Symphony, Geoff Grey, says this is an exciting collaboration for Canberra, as the wind ensemble has become the new blank canvas for modern-day art music, bringing fresh takes on classical idioms.

“Think of our performances like an air-show: bask in the majesty of the breadth and depth of the ensemble, feel the thrills as it effortlessly glides to new heights, negotiating breathtaking acrobatics before an edge-of-your-seat landing. The wind ensemble is where new music is at.” – Geoff Grey.

This concert is Canberra Wind Symphony’s debut in Llewellyn Hall and their first collaboration with an international touring ensemble.

Friday 26^th January 2018, 2:30 pm at Llewellyn Hall, Childers St. Acton.

Tickets are free with registration via Eventbrite: http://www.canberrawindsymphony.com.au/tickets/