MEADVILLE, Pa. – April 21, 2009 – The Allegheny College Wind Symphony and Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Professor of Music Lowell Hepler, will present a free concert on Sunday, April 26 at 3:15 p.m. in Shafer Auditorium on the Allegheny College campus.
The Wind Symphony is a 93-member symphonic band with membership open, by audition, to all Allegheny College students. The Wind Ensemble is a select 43-member ensemble chosen by audition from the Wind Symphony. In addition to performing on campus, the Allegheny ensembles in past years have toured the eastern, southern and midwestern United States.
Sunday’s program will feature music for a broad range of tastes. The Wind Symphony will open the concert with “Procession of Nobles” by Rimsky-Korsakov, “Overture to The Royal Fireworks Music” by Handel, “Country Band March” by Ives and “The Hounds of Spring” by Alfred Reed. The Wind Ensemble will then take the stage to perform Rossini’s “Fantasia” “Una Voce poco fa” and “Blue Shades” by Ticheli. Soloist for the Rossini “Fantasia” will be bassoonist Julie Hepler of the Allegheny music faculty. Hepler teaches applied clarinet, saxophone, oboe and bassoon, as well as introductory and advanced music history courses. She performs frequently with the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra.
The Wind Symphony will also perform “Elsa’s Procession to the Cathedral” by Wagner, “Puszta” by Van der Roost and “Rolling Thunder March” by Fillmore.
Professor of music and director of bands at Allegheny College, Hepler is a frequent guest conductor for music festivals ranging from county through All-State levels. He is principal tuba with the Erie Philharmonic Orchestra, the Lake Erie Ballet Company. He is also a frequent adjudicator for Pennsylvania Music Educators Association solo and ensemble festivals.
He is also a member of Undercurrents, a tuba/euphonium quartet comprised of college and university faculty in western Pennsylvania, and the Allegheny Brass Quintet. Hepler is the president of the Pennsylvania Collegiate Bandmasters Association and past-president of the Pennsylvania Chapter of Phi Beta Mu, Honorary Bandmasters Fraternity. He has also served as the Pennsylvania chair for the College Band Directors National Association.
For more information, contact the music department at (814) 332-4338.