Minnesota Symphonic Winds to Open Season at Southwest High School

For immediate release​                   Contact:  Roxanne Seidel

October 10, 2014​         ​    ​612/867-4306

THE MINNESOTA SYMPHONIC WINDS TO OPEN NEW CONCERT SEASON

“MOVING TO THE MUSIC; CELEBRATING THE WORLD OF DANCE”

ON SUNDAY NOVEMBER 2NDAT MINNEAPOLIS SOUTHWEST HIGH SCHOOL

Minneapolis, MN. . .The Minnesota Symphonic Winds will perform the inaugural program of its 2014-15 concert season on Sunday, November 2nd at 3:00 p.m.   Under the direction of Dr. Timothy Mahr, the Winds will perform concert selections that highlight classic and contemporary dance music composed and arranged for wind band.  “Moving to the Music: Celebrating the World of Dance,” will also feature guest soloist Larry Zimmerman, trombone.  The concert venue is Southwest High School, located at 3414 West 47th Street in South Minneapolis.  The Minnesota Symphonic Winds performance is free and open to the public.

The autumn concert of dance-themed selections will open with the 90-member Minnesota Symphonic Winds performing the exciting Danse Celestiale, one of composer Robert Sheldon’s most popular works.  Dramatic fanfares and dance gestures dominate the opening and closing of the piece, with a lyrical mid-section providing a majestic contrast.  Next MSW conductor Timothy Mahr directs his own 2001 composition entitledMourning Dances.  Of the piece, Mahr states: “The work structures itself as a series of dances, all which seem in my mind to be natural responses involving physical movement to the wide array of emotional states encountered after the loss of someone dear to the heart.  Some are dances of grief or confusion, while others are dances of fond memory.”

Performing with the Minnesota Symphonic Winds will be guest artist Larry Zimmerman, presenting Paul Basler’s Dances for Trombone and Wind Ensemble (1996).  Minneapolis resident Zimmerman is a member of the Grammy-winning Chestnut Brass Company, and is Principal Trombonist of the Duluth-Superior Symphony Orchestra and the Minneapolis Pops Orchestra.  He serves as low brass instructor at several Minnesota colleges and universities, including St. Olaf College, Bethel University, The University of St. Thomas and Gustavus Adolphus College.

Selections to follow include Ballet Music from the opera Prince Igor, by Alexander Borodin (movements II, III and IV), as well as Erik Satie’s lush Gymnopedie No.1 from the composer’s set of three dances for piano.  The latter was transcribed for band by Alfred Reed (after Claude Debussy’s orchestration) and will feature the MSW flute section.  The Minnesota Symphonic Winds will conclude their concert program with Rimsky-Korsakov’s popular Dance of the Tumblers, from his opera The Snow Maiden.  Transcribed for band by Terry Vosbein, the piece depicts acrobats dancing for Russian royalty, providing an exciting and lively finish to an afternoon of danced-themed wind ensemble music.

For more information regarding this or future Minnesota Symphonic Winds 2014-15 season concerts, visit the band’s website at www.mswinds.org or call Minnesota Symphonic Winds at 612-5MSWINDS (612/567-9463).  Also find MSW on Facebook (search Minnesota Symphonic Winds) or on Twitter (mswinds).