The American Prize, the final chapter

I’m proud to announce that the Westchester Symphonic Winds has earned its third recognition for The American Prize awards for 2018-2019. Yesterday, the winners were posted for the Ernst Bacon Award for the performance of an American work, and WSW won third place in the community ensemble category for our 2017 performance of Brooklyn Bridge by Michael Daugherty! You may remember that the piece featured clarinet soloist Steve Cohen (professor of clarinet, Northwestern University).
This gives WSW a final standing of Win-Place-Show: First Place in the ensemble competition, Second Place in the conductor competition, and Third Place in the competition for the performance of Brooklyn Bridge. I couldn’t be prouder of all of you! Read the post of this final award here. Note also that May’s guest conductor (and T-Rex aficionado), Joe HIggins, earned an Honorable Mention in both the university conductor and Ernst Bacon categories

Ads due October 21

This year’s program ad form can be found on the Resources page of this site, or just click here. Please give ad forms, ad copy, and payments (checks payable to WSW) to Tom Sweezey by Monday, October 21.

Exchange opportunity

Via Travis Cross (and the miracle of Facebook), I received this message from Matt Dehnel at Roseville Area High School in MInnesota:

“I’m bringing my Minnesota HS concert band to New York, and I’d love to set up an exchange performance. In my experience, exchange concerts are a fantastic performance opportunity for kids. It allows them to share music, but also connect with peers somewhere far from home. Any chance such a thing works with a local HS program I should reach out to?  We’re looking at  [Friday] April 3.”

If you are a high school band director and interested in this exchange, please let me know and I’ll put you in touch with Matt.

Clarinetist needed

Rob DelGaudio, who has played percussion with WSW, is producing a children’s musical, The Headless Horseman, in Briarcliff Manor in late October. He had hired a clarinetist for the orchestra, but the player bailed on him.

Rehearsal Monday

The rehearsal plan is posted. See you Monday.