SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music Hosts Dual Program for Family Weekend, Featuring Wind & Jazz Ensembles, on Sept. 20
SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music will host a special concert featuring both the Crane Jazz Ensemble and the Crane Wind Ensemble for Family Weekend 2019. The performance will be offered on Friday, Sept. 20 at 7:30 p.m., in the Helen M. Hosmer Concert Hall.
The Crane Wind Ensemble will present Antonio Gervasoni’s “Peruvian Fanfare No. 1” and Donald White’s “Miniature Set for Band” to open the concert. Composer, conductor and Crane alumnus John O’Reilly ’62 will conduct the Crane Wind Ensemble in the performance, with the group set to perform his original work, “Concertino for Oboe and Wind Ensemble.” O’Reilly is the retired executive vice president and editor-in-chief for Alfred Music, the largest educational music publisher in the world. Dr. Anna Hendrickson, an associate professor of oboe, will perform as the soloist alongside the Crane Wind Ensemble. The group will then present the consortium premiere of Carlos Simon’s “Sweet Chariot,” before finally concluding with Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “Toccata Marziale.”
In the second half of the concert, the Crane Jazz Ensemble will present a highly accessible program of great arrangements featuring selections from “The Great American Songbook.” Both contemporary and classic settings of tunes such as “Fly Me to The Moon,” “April in Paris,” “My Ship,” “That's Life” and more will be served up in fine style by Crane's premier jazz musicians. This semester, the Crane Jazz Ensemble is directed by Tim Savage ’84 & ’96.
About the performers:
Formed in 1956 by Willard Musser, the Crane Wind Ensemble comprises 63 of the most outstanding wind and percussion majors in The Crane School of Music. Directed by Dr. Brian K. Doyle, the Crane Wind Ensemble performs as a full wind band and also in smaller chamber groups with varied instrumentation. This group is dedicated to the performance of the finest wind repertoire, regardless of period or disposition of instrumental forces. The Crane Wind Ensemble is also committed to performing music of our time, and is active in working with composers in the commissioning of new works to support this goal. Recent premieres include works by Stephen Bryant, Roshanne Etezady, Stacy Garrop, David Heinick, Kristin Kuster, James Mobberley, Andre Previn, Joel Puckett, D.J. Sparr, Christopher Theofanidis, Gregory Wanamaker and Dana Wilson. The ensemble performs at least three performances each fall and spring, and also tours regularly. Recent off-campus performances have included concerts at the CBDNA Eastern Division Conference, the NYSSMA Winter Conference and the NYSBDA Winter Symposium. In 2014, the Crane Wind Ensemble released its album, “Adirondack Songs.” A new album, titled “cranesongs,” is in preparation. All the works on the recording were commissioned by, or expressly written for, the Crane Bands.
The Crane Jazz Ensemble is the premier performance group in the jazz studies program at The Crane School of Music. The 19 outstanding musicians in the ensemble perform on saxophone, trumpet, trombone, piano, bass, vibes, percussion and electronics.
This concert is free, and the public is invited to attend.
This concert will be broadcast live on the Crane School of Music YouTube channel at the performance time. To view the program and see other upcoming streaming performances, visit www.potsdam.edu/academics/Crane/streaming.
About The Crane School of Music:
Founded in 1886, SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music has a long legacy of excellence in music education and performance. Life at Crane includes an incredible array of more than 300 recitals, lectures and concerts presented by faculty, students and guests each year. The Crane School of Music is the State University of New York’s only All-Steinway institution. For more information, please visit www.potsdam.edu/crane.
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