Paul Creston: Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Band
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.
HODGSON CONCERT HALL
Tuesday, February 24, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.
Hodgson Concert Hall
UGA Performing Arts Center
Cobb Wind Symphony
Alfred Watkins, Conductor
Robert J. Cowles, Assistant Conductor
University of Georgia Wind Ensemble
Nicholas Enrico Williams, Conductor
Yun Qu Tan, Alto Saxophone
Caroline Wright Pfisterer, Guest Conductor
Gilbert P. Villagrana, Guest Conductor
PROGRAM
Cobb Wind Symphony
Fandango
Symphony No. 3
I. Pesante e molto sostenuto
Urban Light
Robert J Cowles UGA MME ’68, conductor
INTERMISSION
Frank Perkins
Alfred Reed
James L. David
Billy Joel in Concert
Billy Joel, arr. Paul Murtha
Bennet’s Triumphal March
John H. Ribble
PROGRAM
University of Georgia Wind Ensemble
Fanfare for Winds and Percussion Chandler Wilson
Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Band
I. Energetic
II. Meditative
III. Rhythmic
Prelude, Op. 34, No. 14
Paul Creston
Yun Qu Tan, Alto Saxophone
Dmitri Shostakovich, arr. Reynolds
Overture from Dancer in the Dark Bjork, arr. Waldebrink
Caroline Wright Pfisterer, Guest Conductor
Jarabe Sinfónico No. 1
Jose Hernandez, arr. Villagrana
Gilbert P. Villagrana, Guest Conductor
World Premiere
PROGRAM NOTES
Fanfare for Winds and Percussion (2016/2020) (2’)
Chandler Wilson (b. 1984)
I was asked and honored to compose an opening fanfare for a clinic presentation at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in 2016, given by the Florida State University Seminole Trombone Quartet. The title of the work was simply Fanfare and was written to show off the virtuosity of the players. After some time, I thought it would be a cool idea to re-orchestrate the work for a full concert ensemble as a concert fanfare. There has been additional flare added involving all the winds and percussion in the ensemble.
-Program Note by the Composer
Chandler Wilson is an American composer, conductor and educator. Wilson is a native of Miami, FL, and attended Florida A&M University where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in music education. During his time at FAMU, he was selected as the student arranger and conductor for the marching and symphonic bands and was selected as one of the first student staff members for the “Marching 100”. Wilson earned a Master of Arts degree in wind band conducting from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania where he studied with Jack Stamp. He received his Ph.D. in music education with an emphasis in wind band conducting from Florida State University. He has studied conducting under the batons of Prof. Richard Clary, Jack Stamp, Julian White, Shelby Chipman, Roby George, Maestro Raffaele Ponti, and Mr. Neil Jenkins.
PROGRAM NOTES
Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Band (1941/1966) (19’)
Paul Creston (1906-1985)
The three-movement Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Band is considered one of Creston’s major works, as it demands polished technique and exacting control of both the soloist and ensemble. Originally written for orchestra, the Concerto was first performed by the New York Philharmonic in 1944, featuring Vincent Abato as soloist. The first movement, Energetic, is in sonata form and opens with an ensemble tutti section of the first theme, followed by solo saxophone flourishes. The soloist first presents the lyrical second theme alone, followed by the oboes and clarinets. The richly lyrical second movement, Meditative, begins with the principal theme presented by the flute, then the bassoon. The third movement, Rhythmic, is in rondo form, including an energetic and vigorous A theme, a flowing, melodic B theme, and an impassioned and martial C theme. The piece concludes with a frenetic solo cadenza, followed by an exuberant and punctuated finale.
Paul Creston was an American composer. Born Giuseppe Guttovergi to Italian immigrants, Creston studied piano but was self-taught in violin and composition because of the meager income of his family. To support himself he played organ, holding a position at St. Malachy’s Church in New York from 1934 to 1967. He also taught at Central Washington State College and New York College of Music. Creston won two Guggenheim Fellowships, in 1938 and 1939, the New York Music Critics’ Circle Award, and the Music Award of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He wrote two theoretical books, Principles of Rhythm and Rational Metric Notation. His students include Charles Roland Berry, Rusty Dedrick, and John Corigliano.
Prelude, Op. 34, No. 14 (1933/1988) (2’)
Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975)
Prelude, Opus 34, No. 14 is one of the longest of Shostakovich’s twenty four Preludes. More importantly, it is the most dramatic, the most tragic, and the most public. With its timpani rolls, its rising fanfare-like figure, and its insistent drum beats, it seems to be striving for a symphonic stature, and it is no wonder that the conductor Leopold Stokowski rushed to orchestrate the piece. However, in its original form, the relentless despair and deep sorrow is much more real: one feels the music straining against the limitations of the keyboard, and this becomes an integral part of the expression and the meaning of the music. This is one of the very great preludes from the Op. 34 set and a piece worthy to stand beside the last act of Shostakovich’s contemporaneous opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk.
-Program Note from California State University
Dmitri Shostakovich was a Russian composer who lived under the Soviet regime. Shostakovich had a complex and difficult relationship with the Soviet government, suffering two official denunciations of his music, in 1936 and 1948, and the periodic banning of his work. Shostakovich’s response to official criticism and, more importantly, the question of whether he used music as a kind of abstract dissidence is a matter of dispute. Shostakovich prided himself on his orchestration, which is clear, economical, and well-projected. His most popular works are his fifteen symphonies and fifteen string quartets. His works for piano include two piano sonatas, an early set of preludes, and a later set of twenty-four preludes and fugues, and other works include two operas, six concertos, and a substantial quantity of film music.
Overture from Dancer in the Dark (2000) (3’)
Bjork Guðmundsdóttir (b. 1965)
Winner of Cannes Film Festival’s Palm d’Or in 2000, Dancer in the Dark is a genre-defying cinematic creation, incorporating elements of melodrama, documentary, musical, and experimental film, shot in the manner of cinema vérité. The audience is made to feel as though they are a participant, rather than an observer, in the tumultuous and descending trajectory of the main character, Selma. The Overture from Dancer in the Dark begins by rising from the stasis of the opening pedal. As the music develops, layers of the brass chorale establish a haunting, shimmering, melancholic mood upon which a main theme emerges. This motif, indicative of Selma, is restated and elaborated, each time becoming simultaneously more urgent and inexorably entwined in the darkening complexity of the work’s underlying harmonic web. As quickly as the work crests, it dissolves back to a more stable form of the stasis from which it grew.
Björk Guðmundsdóttir is an Icelandic experimental singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and actress. At six, Björk enrolled at Reykjavík school Barnamúsíkskóli, where she studied classical piano and flute. Her self-titled début, Björk, was recorded and released in Iceland in 1977. During her teens, after the diffusion of punk rock music in Iceland, she formed the all-girl punk band Spit and Snot. After a period between 1986 and 1992 with the group The Sugarcubes, Björk moved to London to pursue a solo career, producing most notably the albums Debut and Post. In 1999, Björk was asked to write and produce the musical score for the film Dancer in the Dark, for which she also played the lead role. The film received the Palme d’Or at Cannes, and she received the Best Actress Award for her role.
Jarabe Sinfónico No. 1 (2023/2026) (6’)
Jose Hernandez (b. 1958) arr. Gilbert P. Villagrana
Originally written for symphony orchestra and premiered by the Seattle Symphony Orchestra in 2023, Jarabe Sinfónico No. 1 blends symphonic traditions with the expressive spirit and rhythmic energy of the Mariachi genre. The piece opens with lush, expansive lyrical textures and soaring melodic lines before transitioning into a Folklórico-inspired dance section that brings rhythmic energy and contrast to the musical narrative. The melody, first introduced by the clarinets, travels fluidly throughout the ensemble, undergoing a harmonic and textural transformation in a process similar to that of motivic variation. This continual exchange of material gives the piece the character of a “solo for orchestra,” and in this setting, a “solo for wind ensemble,” in which shifting timbres and instrumental colors help shape the musical narrative.
Throughout the work, the music explores a wide emotional spectrum, including love, mystery, wit, joy, and reflection, expressive qualities deeply rooted in Mexican folklórico dance traditions. In its final moments, the piece offers vivid sonic color and a playful nod to the Jarabe Tapatío, otherwise known as, El baile del sombrero mexicano (the Mexican Hat Dance), bringing the work to an energetic and celebratory close.
-Program Note by Gilbert P. Villagrana
José Hernández is an internationally recognized master of mariachi music and a leading musician, composer, and educator in the field. A fifth-generation mariachi, he has dedicated his career to honoring tradition while expanding the artistic possibilities of the genre. He is the founder of Mariachi Sol de México, one of the world’s most influential mariachi ensembles, and Reyna de
Los Angeles, the first all-female professional mariachi ensemble in the United States. Hernández has composed and arranged music for fifteen Sol de México albums and performs as a singer and multi-instrumentalist on trumpet, violin, guitarrón, and vihuela. His work has taken him to major venues worldwide and into collaborations with artists such as Selena, Vicente Fernández, Luis Miguel, Bryan Adams, and The Beach Boys. He has received four GRAMMY nominations for his contributions to music. Deeply committed to education, Hernández supports young musicians through initiatives such as the Mariachi Nationals and Summer Institute and the Mariachi Heritage Society, remaining a passionate ambassador for mariachi and its cultural legacy.
UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA WIND ENSEMBLE
Flute
Kimberly Bateman
Jadyn Hairston
Heesoo Jeong
Madeline Shell
Oboe
Nora Avery
Anisa Herbert
Xander Herman
Ashlyn Long
Michelle Moeller
Clarinet
Tim Fitzgerald
Jonathan Mack
Yash Mahadkar
Claudia Reve Romero
Ruiwen Su
Luis Umbelino
Pano Vlachos
Benjamin Yun
Bassoon
Cindy Cheng
Tarryn Goldner
Daniel Johnson
Saxophone
Aidan Eclavea
John Casey
Matheson
Bridget Sheridan
Yun Qu Tan
Jon Erik Tripp
Horn
London Brooks
Baylee Cook
Joseph Johnson
Connor Parr
Makenzie Shields
Anleah Walker
Trumpet
Luke Barrett
Cameran Butryn
Adriano Estraiotto
Tim Jackson
Trisitan Pope
Will Tomaszewski
Trombone
Sean Helms
Juwan Murphy
Thomas Pajares
Matthew Quach
Bass Trombone
Trip Drennan
Jonah Madaris
Euphonium
Jared Barry
Andrew Haynes
Tuba
Hunter Kane
Jack Neja
String Bass
Michael Farrick
Percussion
Thomas Huff
Hsiao Huang
David MacPherson
Rachel Martin
Jack Sweeney
Dane Warren
*Members of the University of Georgia Wind Ensemble are listed alphabetically to acknowledge each performer’s unique contribution to our shared artistic endeavors.
Nicholas Enrico Williams, conductor
Piccolo
Lenise Bostic
Jennifer Willis
Flute
Amanda Beard
Nicole Burroughs
Isabella Cabrel-Watson
Jennifer Duerkoop +
Stephen Fields *
Kathy Good
James Goodwin
Kristine Green
Megan Pruitt
Tisa Schuurman
Karen Scullion
Jennifer Willis
Oboe
Judy Ghormley
Lynn King
Barbera Secrist * +
Evan Weaver
Bassoon
Glenn Good
Jonathan Headen
Jim Jackson * +
Hannah Marimon
Sidney Maurice
Clarinet
Ross Amend
Vanessa Bontempi
Susan Brough
Mikala Brown
Stephanie Bryant
Christine Calderon
Robert Gray
Kristin Hawkins
Kristen Howell
Dale Jacoby
Laura Jacoby Hale
Katie Larkin
David Miles
Brian Nichols
Darby Norton
Michelle Rickard * +
Kevin Tant
Jessica Thomas
Roland Ventura
Kristina Whitley
COBB
Alfred Watkins, Conductor
Robert J. Cowles, Assistant Conductor
Bass Clarinet
Carlton Alford
Heidi Erwood * +
Renae Hale
Contra Bass Clarinet
Brandon Proffitt
Alto Saxophone
Ray Hawkins
John Jeffres +
Fred Norton
Heather Peck
Missy Willingham
Tenor Saxophone
Christi Brogde
Bob Cowles *
Robert Grogan
Baritone Saxophone
Aimee Boothe
Trumpet
Blayne Bass
Cory Bostic
Jerry Brooks
Lee Decker
Ben DuBose
Michael Felgate
Sarah Jo Fernandez
Gary Gribble *
Tyler Jesko
Paul Marimon
Michael Oubre
Katie Rolls-Palmer
Jason Rones
James Seda +
Brett Sutherland
Brandon Waugh
Ed Yco
Horn
Andrew Duggins
Tobias Guzmán
Alex Hansell *
Megan Hansell
David Lamm
Ashleigh Rider
Kaia Santo
Lawton Willingham +
Trombone
Joel Clevenger
Andrew Cole * +
Today Milford
Bill Morrison
Patrick O’Brien
Eric Stamm
Brian Westphal
Ann Wilson
Bass Trombone
Max Firminhac
Carlos Franco
Matt Segars +
Euphonium
Bobby Brozowski
Andrew Geocaris * +
Anthony Moore
Ashley Sample
Tuba
Steven Bontempi * +
Kevin Brown
Mark Burroughs
Kyle Knab
Valarie Stoney
Matt Verbiscer
String Bass
Mike Blakeney
Ashley Nicholson +
Percussion
Mike Back
Jason Beard
David Carbone
Patrick Hardin
Jeff Hope
Chris Rickard
Lauren Segars * +
Bill Wilder
Piano
Gail Jackson
+=Principal player
* = section leader
Alfred L. Watkins is Co-Founder, Musical Director, and Conductor of the Cobb Wind Symphony, an all-adult community band in Marietta, Georgia, founded in 1999. In 2013, he concluded a distinguished 37-year career as a high school band director, including 31 years as Director of Bands at Lassiter High School in Marietta.
Mr. Watkins is a 1976 graduate of Florida A & M University and pursued additional study in music education and conducting at Georgia State University. Ensembles under his direction have performed five times at the Midwest Band Clinic, six times as featured bands at the Music for All National Festival, six times at the Georgia Music Educators Association conference, and six times at the College Band Directors/NBA Biennial Convention. The Lassiter Trojan Marching Band performed in four Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parades and three Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parades. Under his leadership, the band became two-time Bands of America Grand National Champions, won nine of fourteen Bands of America Regional Championships, and earned victories in 151 of 160 marching competitions entered.
Concert ensembles under Mr. Watkins’ direction have appeared at 32 invitational concert band events. His bands earned the John Philip Sousa Foundation’s Sudler Flag of Honor (1988) for outstanding concert bands, the Sudler Shield (1998) for outstanding marching band, and the Sudler Silver Scroll (2009) for outstanding community band. He is among a small group of directors to hold three Sudler Awards simultaneously.
Mr. Watkins is a member of the American Bandmasters Association and has been inducted into the Florida A & M University Gallery of Distinguished Alumni, the Georgia Chapter of Phi Beta Mu Hall of Fame, the Conn Selmer Institute Hall of Fame, and the Bands of America Hall of Fame. He received the Edwin Franko Goldman Award from ASBDA and the Midwest Clinic Medal of Honor. He has served as Guest Conductor of the World Youth Wind Symphony at Interlochen Arts Camp and as guest conductor of The United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own” on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol.
He is a recipient of Kappa Kappa Psi’s Distinguished Service to Music Medal and was named Phi Beta Mu International Bandmaster of the Year (2022). He also received the 2022 Outstanding Conductor Award from the Association of Community Bands and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Music Education degree from VanderCook College of Music. His honors include 25 Certificates of Excellence from the National Band Association, the Sudler Order of Merit from the John Philip Sousa Foundation, and the Band World Magazine Legion of Honor Award.
Mr. Watkins is Co-Founder of the Minority Band Director National Association, Inc., and currently serves as an educational clinician for Conn-Selmer Corporation. He serves on the advisory boards of the Midwest Clinic and the Association of Concert Bands and is a former board member of the
National Band Association and Drum Corps International. The $1.5 million Alfred L. Watkins Band Building at Lassiter High School bears his name.
Robert J. Cowles served as Director of Bands at Walton High School in Cobb County from the school’s opening in 1975 until his retirement in 1999. Prior to Walton, he taught at Griffin Middle School in Smyrna, Georgia, and Grady High School in Atlanta. Bands under his direction received consistent superior ratings at state performance evaluations for over 20 years. At the time of his retirement, the Walton Band Program included a marching band, four concert bands, and two jazz ensembles. Under his leadership, Walton bands performed as guests of Valdosta State University, the University of Georgia, and Florida State University. The marching band also performed in Thanksgiving parades in Philadelphia and New York City (Macy’s).
Mr. Cowles earned his Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Georgia in 1968 and later received both his Master of Music degree (1972) and Educational Specialist degree (1988) from UGA. A dedicated supporter of music education, he served in numerous professional leadership roles, including GMEA District Instrumental Chair, District Jazz Chair, All-State Organizing Chair, State Marching Band Chair, and member of the State Music Selection Committee. He also served as Vice President of GAJE and Secretary/Treasurer of Phi Beta Mu.
His professional affiliations include MENC, IAJE, NBA, Phi Mu Alpha, Phi Beta Mu, Phi Kappa Phi, Kappa Delta Pi, Who’s Who in American Education, and Who’s Who Among American Teachers. He has served as clinician and adjudicator in Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Massachusetts.
Mr. Cowles was named to the John Philip Sousa Foundation’s Legion of Honor as one of America’s ten best band directors in 1998. That same year, he was named Georgia Music Educators Association Outstanding Educator and later received GMEA’s Outstanding Career Award in 2003.
Nicholas Enrico Williams is a Professor of Music and serves as the Director of Bands at the University of Georgia, where he coordinates one of the country’s largest and most comprehensive university band programs, conducts the University of Georgia Wind Ensemble, and oversees the graduate wind band conducting area. Prior to his time in Athens, he was the Director of Wind Bands at the University of Melbourne Conservatorium of Music (Melbourne, Australia). Before venturing to Australia, Williams flourished for sixteen years as the Assistant Director of Wind Studies, the Conductor of the Wind Ensemble, Brass Band, and Concert Band, as well as the Director of Athletic Bands at the University of North Texas. For a decade, he was the Conductor of the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra Wind Symphony and continues to be a frequent guest conductor of the Dallas Winds (formerly Dallas Wind Symphony), one of America’s few professional civic wind bands. Professor Williams earned the Bachelor of Music (music education), MM (performance-
conducting), and DMA (conducting) degrees from the University of North Texas.
Professor Williams has been a guest conductor with the Opole (Poland) Philharmonic Orchestra; the United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own”; United States Navy Band; United States Army Field Band; United States Air Force Band; Royal Australian Defence Force Bands; World Youth Wind Symphony at the Interlochen Arts Camp; Dallas Winds; Lone Star Wind Orchestra; at the annual Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, Illinois; the College Band Directors National Association national and regional conferences; the Texas Bandmasters Association Convention; and the Texas Music Educators Association Annual Clinic/Convention in San Antonio, Texas.
Yun Qu Tan is a musician currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts at the University of Georgia while serving as the saxophone studio teaching assistant. She holds a M.M. in saxophone performance from Northwestern University and a B.Mus. from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore.
Thriving on collaboration, Yun Qu was a member of the award winning Cadeaux Quartet which clinched 1st prize at the North American Saxophone Alliance Quartet Competition in 2024. She is also a founding member of Singapore-based New Meta Quartet. Most recently, they were invited to premiere their program of newly commissioned works by Singaporean composers at the prestigious 20th World Saxophone Congress.
Yun Qu also holds a faculty position at the Asian Pacific Saxophone Academy – a vibrant international summer camp held in Bangkok, Thailand, that has hosted students and faculty from over twenty countries to date. She was also invited to teach at the Singapore International Saxophone Summit held this past January.
With an interest in ethnomusicology, Yun Qu recently presented her paper, Decolonizing the Classical Saxophone Field: Operating Within ‘Otherness’ as a Singaporean Saxophonist, at the Society of Ethnomusicology conference 2025. She has also presented in conferences such as the Association of Asian Studies conference 2023 and at the Taiwan Musicology Forum 2023.
In June 2025, Yun Qu was named a Yamaha Performing Artist.
Caroline Wright Pfisterer is a dedicated musician and educator currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts in Wind Conducting at the University of Georgia, where she studied with Nicholas Enrico Williams. She has excelled in various leadership roles, including Assistant Director of Festival Band and Doctoral Conducting Associate.
Caroline now serves as Lecturer and Assistant Director of Bands at Clemson University, where she works with the Tiger Band and Concert Band. Her conducting experience spans a wide range of ensembles, from the University of Georgia Wind Ensemble to the University of Alabama’s Million Dollar Band, and she has taught courses such as Introduction to Conducting and Instrumental Techniques.
An accomplished conductor, Caroline has performed internationally and received numerous accolades, including the Osborne Fellowship and the Mike Moss Conducting Grant. With a passion for nurturing young musicians, she combines her extensive teaching experience with a commitment to excellence, fostering creativity and collaboration in her students.
Caroline lives with her husband, Zack, and their beloved dog, Mr. Beaufort, they are also expecting a little boy in April.
Gilbert P. Villagrana, a conductor, trumpeter, and educator from El Paso, TX, currently serves as Limited-Term Assistant Professor of Trumpet and Conductor of the British Brass Band at the University of Georgia. He is also pursuing his Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting at UGA, where he previously served as a Doctoral Conducting Associate with the UGA Bands. He earned his Master of Music in Trumpet Performance under Philip A. Smith at UGA and his Bachelor of Music in Music Education from the University of North Texas.
Prior to his graduate studies, Villagrana served in the United States Marine Corps with the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing Band at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, NC, performing as a trumpet instrumentalist, principal trumpet, brass quintet leader, and assistant enlisted conductor. He is also the first-call substitute trumpet with the Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra and has performed with ensembles including the Quantico Marine Corps Band and the UGA Symphony Orchestra, in addition to being a multi-year finalist in the National Trumpet Competition. Since 2017, he has been a brass technician with the Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps, contributing to multiple Jim Ott Brass Caption Awards while mentoring hundreds of performers. His primary teachers include Philip A. Smith, Christopher Martin, Allen Vizzutti, Jason Bergman, and John Holt.
UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA BANDS GRADUATE STAFF
Jordan M. Fansler, Doctoral Conducting Associate
R. Scott Mullen, Doctoral Conducting Associate
Derik J. Wright, Doctoral Conducting Associate
Joseph Johnson, Graduate Assistant
Michelle Moeller, Graduate Assistant
HUGH HODGSON SCHOOL OF MUSIC FACULTY
Daniel Bara, Interim Director
Brandon Craswell, Associate Director, Director of Undergraduate Studies
Emily Gertsch, Associate Director, Director of Graduate Studies
Amy Pollard, Associate Director, Director of Performance Activities
percussion percussion voice voice voice voice voice voice organ piano piano piano piano piano piano piano
piano
violin violin guitar
harp
violin cello
Suziki
double bass
viola
BANDS
Mia Athanas
Brett Bawcum
Jack A. Eaddy, Jr.
*Nicholas Enrico Williams
CHORAL
Daniel Bara
Colin Mann
Daniel Shafer
COMMUNITY MUSIC SCHOOL
SUMMER CAMPS
Stephen Fischer
COMPOSITION & THEORY
Tyler Beckett
Adrian Childs
Emily Gertsch
Daniel Karcher
*Emily Koh
Peter Lane
Dickie Lee
Jared Tubbs
Trinity Vélez-Justo
JAZZ STUDIES
David D’Angelo
Gregory Satterthwaite
James Weidman
MUSIC EDUCATION
*Rebecca Atkins
Alison Farley
Tyler Goehring
Roy Legette
Kristen Lynch
Michael Robinson
Johanna Royo
Brian Wesolowski
Susan McClure, Administrative Assistant to the Director
Director of Public Relations
Development Associate Music Library Manager
Undergraduate Academic Advisor
Piano Technician
Senior Piano Technician
Marcus Morris
Kathleen Powell
Rocky Raffle
James Sewell
Jared Tubbs
Marshall Williams
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*Ellyn Evans
Sally Ann Nichols
Jenny Stull
MUSICOLOGY & ETHNOMUSICOLOGY
Karen Bergmann
Naomi Graber
*David Haas
Jared Holton
Jean Kidula
Rumya Putcha
Joanna Smolko
OPERA
Daniel Ellis
Andrew Voelker
ORCHESTRA
Mark Cedel
RECORDING & STREAMING
Eric Dluzniewski
Paul Griffith
*Area Chair
Assistant Director of Athletic Bands
Graduate Program Administrator
Administrative Associate in Bands
Production & Events Manager
Sectioning Officer
Director of Admissions
HUGH HODGSON SCHOOL OF MUSIC STAFF
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5:30 p.m.
Ramsey Concert Hall
FREE CONCERT
WED 2/25
7:30 p.m.
Hodgson Concert Hall
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Edge Concert Hall
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Edge Concert Hall
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ImaginePossibilities the
GUEST ARTIST RECITAL: LEONELA ALEJANDRO, guitar
Winner of the Rose Augustine Grand Prize in the 2024 Guitar Foundation of America International Concert Artist Competition, Leonela Alejandro is a classical guitarist from Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.
UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
WIND SYMPHONY & SYMPHONIC BAND
WIND SYMPHONY
As one of the University of Georgia’s large wind bands, the Wind Symphony has performed extensively throughout the Southeast, including concerts at regional conferences of the College Band Directors National Association. Wind Symphony is conducted by Jack Eaddy, Jr.
SYMPHONIC BAND
University of Georgia Symphonic Band is one of the Hugh Hodgson School of Music’s large wind bands. The Symphonic Band focuses on the classic band repertoire as well as exciting new music, and has recorded for C. Alan Publications. Symphonic Band is conducted by Michael C. Robinson.
BRAZILIAN EXCHANGE STUDENT RECITAL
Edge Conert Hall is located on the third floor of the Hugh Hodgosn School of Music. 250 River Rd. Athens, GA
GUEST ARTIST/FACULTY RECITAL: JESÚS CASTRO-BALBI, cello; JAMES KIM, cello; EMELY PHELPS, piano
This performance will feature two UGA faculty artists, James Kim, cello and Emely Phelps, piano, alongside guest artist Jesús Castro-Balbi, cello.
Cellist Jesús Castro-Balbi has developed a distinguished record of artistic and educational leadership nationally and internationally. He has performed extensively across the Americas, Europe, and Asia, including at Carnegie Hall, Mexico City’s Sala Nezahualcóyotl, Seoul Arts Center, Shanghai’s Oriental Arts Center, and at Tokyo’s Suntory Hall, and is featured in 11 albums.
