Dr. Rebecca Phillips Begins New Season with the Newly Re-named Ensemble
The CSU Wind Symphony, under the baton of new Director of Bands Rebecca Phillips, will perform its inaugural concert of the season on Wednesday, Oct. 8, at 7:30 p.m. with a concert entitled ‘Elements: Air’ in the Griffin Concert Hall, University Center for the Arts, located at 1400 Remington St.
Tickets are $7 for CSU students, $1 for youth (under 18), and $12 for the public. Please note that the University Center for the Arts (UCA) ticket office hours have changed. Tickets are available at the ticket office in the UCA lobby 90 minutes prior to any UCA performance and through intermission or online at CSUArtsTickets.universitytickets.com. Information about upcoming performances can be found at (970) 491-ARTS (2787). Advance or online purchase is recommended to avoid at-the-door fees.
This season, each concert by the Wind Symphony (previously the Wind Ensemble) showcases music embodying a different element, including: air, earth, water, and fire. Represented through musical themes, inspirations, rhythms, and other musical characteristics, this season, the vision of newly appointed Director of Bands Dr. Rebecca Phillips, will delight the senses through this elemental exploration.
“The Elements Series idea is a vehicle for exploring composers who’ve written in these areas,” said Phillips. “It allows our students to perform some of the finest literature in the genre in a new way.”
The first installment of the series, Air, features William Schuman’s 1956 New England Triptych, Aaron Copland’s grandiose An Outdoor Overture, and a world premiere of Big Four on the River by CSU faculty composer James David.
“Air is the essential element of a wind band,” said Phillips. “With all these pieces, there is a component of breath, breeze, or open air that ties them together.”
Written specifically for the CSU Wind Symphony by resident composer Dr. James David, Big Four on the River is a short work for wind ensemble inspired by the historic outdoor riverfront cities of his native Southeastern United States.
“Cities like Savannah, Charleston, and New Orleans share a rich cultural heritage that reflects the diversity and conflict found within the region,” said David. “Of course, jazz played a strong role in these towns and is on full display in this piece, moving through a strong Dixieland flavor, the swing era, 70’s fusion, and finally a touch of indie grunge. This work is dedicated to my colleague, fellow southerner, and trombonist Dr. Rebecca Phillips.”
“When I think of these cities, I envision these postcard-like images of the open-air riverfronts,” said Phillips. “And the air is full of the diverse types of sounds that [Jim] has captured here.”
About Rebecca Phillips
Dr. Rebecca Phillips is the newly appointed director of bands at Colorado State University where she conducts the CSU Wind Symphony and guides all aspects of the band and graduate wind conducting program. Prior to this appointment, she served as the associate director of bands, director of athletic bands, and associate professor at the University of South Carolina where she was responsible for directing the Symphonic Winds Concert Band, “The Mighty Sound of the Southeast” Carolina Marching Band, “Concocktion” Pep Bands, teaching undergraduate instrumental conducting, and directing the Carolina Summer Drum Major Clinic. Read more.
About James David
Dr. James M. David (b. 1978) is associate professor of composition and music theory at Colorado State University. He previously taught on the faculty of the Schwob School of Music at Columbus State University and the Georgia Governor’s Honors Program. Additionally, he has served as composer-in-residence for Leon County Public Schools in Florida and ART 342 in Colorado.
About the CSU Wind Symphony
The Colorado State University Wind Symphony performs the finest literature of yesterday, today, and tomorrow with a flexible instrumentation that includes as few as eight or as many as seventy-five players. Membership, determined each semester by a blind audition, includes the most accomplished graduate and undergraduate CSU music and non-music majors. In addition to commissioning and premiering new works, the CSU Wind Symphony regularly features faculty artists and the ensemble tours throughout the state and region, performing at conventions, conferences, and other venues across the west.
The University Center for the Arts at Colorado State University provides an enriched venue in which the study and practice of Art, Dance, Music, and Theatre are nurtured and sustained by building the skills and knowledge needed by future generations of arts professionals to become contributors to the essential vitality of our culture and society.