Nov. 16, 2015 — The Allegheny College Wind Symphony will present its 2015 Fall Concert on Sunday, November 22 at 3:15 p.m. in the college’s Shafer Auditorium. Admission is free of charge. The Saxophone and Flute Ensembles will provide pre-concert music in the Campus Center lobby.
The Wind Symphony is under the direction of Lowell Hepler, professor of music and chair of the Department of Music. The featured trumpet soloists for the concert are Allegheny College juniors William Hawkins, Jacob Patterson and Kevin Simpson.
The Wind Symphony is an 80-member symphonic band, with membership open by audition to all Allegheny College students. Wind Symphony students have been honored at the state level through acceptance to the Pennsylvania Intercollegiate Band and at the national level through acceptance to the National Small College Intercollegiate Band and the National Wind Ensemble at Carnegie Hall.
Sunday’s program includes the premiere performance of “Crimson, Blue and White,” a march written by Ronald Stitt, assistant director of bands at Allegheny. The march is based on the fight song for Ft. LeBoeuf High School, where Stitt taught for many years before his retirement.
Works by two additional western Pennsylvania composers are on the program: Jack Stamp’s “Junket” and Sam Hazo’s “Arabesque.”
The symphony will also play “Fanfare: A Vision and a Dream,” by Ryan Nowlin; “Fantasia in G Major,” a work for organ transcribed for symphonic band by R.F. Goldman; “Bugler’s Holiday,” for three trumpet soloists with band; “Second Suite in F for Military Band,” by Gustav Holst; Frank Ticheli’s “An American Elegy,” written for the Columbine High School Wind Ensemble in memory of those who lost their lives there on April 20, 1999; “Molly on the Shore,” by Percy Grainger; and “Crosley March,” by Henry Fillmore.
Will Hawkins is a mathematics major and music minor at Allegheny. From Steelton, Pennsylvania, he is a student of Jennifer Dearden. In addition to the Wind Symphony, Hawkins has been a member of the Wind Ensemble, Civic Symphony, Jazz Band, Trumpet Ensemble and Brass Quintet.
A chemistry major with minors in biology and political science, Jacob Patterson is from Wexford, Pennsylvania. He is also a member of the Wind Ensemble, Civic Symphony and Trumpet Ensemble. He is the treasurer of Amnesty International, the vice-president of the college’s chemistry club and a Chemistry Ambassador for the American Chemical Society.
A native of Meadville and a biochemistry major and music minor, Kevin Simpson is a student of Jennifer Dearden. He is also a member of the Wind Ensemble, Civic Symphony, Jazz Combo, Jazz Band and Trumpet Ensemble, as well as the French Creek Brass Quintet and Diamond in the Rough. He was a member of the 2015 National Small College Intercollegiate Band and of the 2014 and 2015 Pennsylvania Intercollegiate Bands.
Lowell Hepler is director of bands at Allegheny College. He has served as a guest conductor for honor bands ranging from County through All-State levels, and as an adjudicator for PMEA Music Assessments.
Hepler recently retired from his position as Principal Tuba with the Erie Philharmonic Orchestra. He remains the Principal Tuba for the Lake Erie Ballet Company.
He has served as President of the Pennsylvania Collegiate Bandmasters Association and the Pennsylvania Chapter of Phi Beta Mu, Honorary Bandmasters Fraternity. He has also served as the Pennsylvania state chair of the College Band Directors National Association.
Hepler was the 2010 recipient of the Nu Chapter, Phi Beta Mu Bandmaster of the Year Award and the 2013 Julian Ross Award for Excellence in Teaching.