Wild Wind Symphony!
Shawn Smith, conductor
7:30 PM | APRIL 11, 2025 | CONCERT HALL | MUSIC BUILDING
1. Maestro Mouse
2. Woodbird Welcome
3. Bouncing Kangaroo
4. Clumsy Kittens
5. The Ray
6. Happy Hippo
7. Frogs in a Bog
8. Anxious Ostrich
9. The Armadillo Shell
10. Dancing Boar
11. Impatient Ponies
12. Wondrous Whale
13. Cheetah Chase
14. Eager Elephant
15. Rat Attack
16. Busy Beetles
17. Spiders on a Web
18. Brilliant Bat
19. Swan in the Mist
20. Cricket Lullaby
21. Maestro Mouse Reprise
PROGRAM
Wild Symphony
DAN BROWN b. 1964
Arr. Karl Blench
ABOUT THE MUSIC
Dear Readers, Long before I wrote stories . . . I wrote music. My parents were both musicians and teachers, and I grew up practicing classical piano, singing in choirs, and attending LOTS of concerts. Music was a secret sanctuary for me as a child. It calmed me when I felt frustrated, was a trusted friend when I felt lonely, helped me express my joy when I was happy, and, best of all, sparked my creativity and imagination. Even now, I play piano every day— usually after I finish a long day of writing. Music is a kind of storytelling, and the twenty-one orchestral movements in Wild Symphony—combined with their accompanying poems and illustrations—all work together (like a code, of sorts!) to tell a story . . . and reveal a funny or interesting side of an animal’s personality. If you listen carefully, you might be able to find each animal hiding in the music. Even better, every animal in this book will share with you a simple moral . . . a fun collection of “secrets to life” that will help you on your way. I hope you have as much fun experiencing Wild Symphony as I had creating it.
Sincerely,
Dan
Dan Brown, #1 New York Times best-selling author of publishing phenomenon
The Da Vinci Code, has unleashed his latest surprise: Wild Symphony, the new illustrated children’s book and orchestral music recording by the writer himself. From the joyous rhythms of “Bouncing Kangaroo” to the mysterious melodies of “Wondrous Whale” to the hair-raising harmonies of “Brilliant Bat,” the nearly two dozen movements of Wild Symphony correspond to an animal featured in the picture book. Wild Symphony reveals the author as a lifelong musician and composer who counts himself among those inspired at a young age by Peter and the Wolf, The Carnival of the Animals, and The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra. Featuring music produced by Bob Lord and PARMA Recordings and performed by the Zagreb Festival Orchestra, the orchestral recording is Brown’s first official music release since his writing career began. “
My intent with Wild Symphony is to provide a fun, fresh opportunity for families, parents, children, and people of all ages to reconnect with the magical experience of classical music,” says Brown. Wild Symphony is a very wild symphony indeed, and offers a refreshingly real experience for children of all ages.
Piccolo
Hailey Dalton
Flute
Kalina Rencher*
Daniel Woodfield
Camille Hunsaker
Abi Rasmussen
Mickayla Hunter^
Oboe
Rachel Johnson*
Camdyn Bentley
English Horn
Caroline Seamons
Bassoon
Zach Smith *
Brayden Holdaway
E-flat Clarinet
Seth Rugg
Clarinet
Reuben Allan*
Matthew Johnson
Dallin Jorgensen
Carly Conner
Jared Allison
Hyrum Buck
Bass Clarinet
Amber Christiansen
Conducted by Shawn Smith
Contrabass Clarinet
Melissa Coulter
Alto Saxophone
Jonathan Crane*
Nathan McCarthy
Tenor Saxophone
Jonathan Asay
Baritone Saxophone
Ethan Petersen
Trumpet
Alec Clark*^
Tommy Eskelsen
Caden Randolph
Casey Harris
Lola Heninger
Carter Glass
Horn
Aleah Dupree*
Nathan Fenwick
Eric Coons
Kirstyn Miller
Trombone
Daniel White*
Kevin West
Ezra Baldemar
Peter Merrill (Bass)
Euphonium
Madeline Chadburn*^
Luke Lehmuller
Tuba
Emma Hogge*
Hayden Thompson
Percussion
Thomas Biggs*
Ben Smith
Matthew Larson
Zac Larsen
Clay Williams
Ben Willis
String Bass
Neal Baird
Piano
Joyanne Bills
Harp
Jessie Peterson
*Principal
^Graduate Student
ABOUT THE BYU WIND SYMPHONY
BYU Wind Symphony
The finest woodwind, brass and percussion players at Brigham Young University perform with the Wind Symphony, under the direction of Shawn Smith. The BYU Wind Symphony maintains an active performance schedule with programming that ranges from wind band classics to some of the newest wind repertoire. Participation in commissioning consortiums and hosting composers and guest conductors on campus offers ensemble members wonderful musical experiences.
In addition to on-campus concerts, the ensemble has been honored with performances at the Music Educators National Conference and Convention; the College Band Directors Association, National and Division Conventions; and the American Bandmasters Association National Conference. The BYU Wind Symphony was recently honored with an invitation to perform at the 2024 International Conference of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, held in South Korea.
As BYU’s premier wind band, the Wind Symphony has been presented in many of the United States, and in over twenty countries – including China, Japan, South Korea, Mongolia, Australia, New Zealand, and numerous European countries.
If you enjoyed tonight’s event, please help us continue to provide excellent musical opportunities for our students and the public by donating to the
BYU BAND ENDOWMENT
