Wind Ensemble Presents the Young Conductors Concert

The Westminster College Wind Ensemble will present their first concert of the year Friday, Oct. 26, at 7:30 p.m. in Orr Auditorium. The concert is free and open to the public.

A highlight of the event is the premiere of the winners of the Young Conductors Competition, held earlier in the semester. The Young Conductors Concert concept was initiated by Dr. R. Tad Greig, assistant professor of music and director of the Wind Ensemble, four years ago. This year's winners are Jacob Moon, a senior music education major with a concentration in euphonium from Zelienople; Jon Nickel, a junior music education major with a concentration in trumpet from McKees Rocks; and James Scanga, a junior music education major with a concentration in trumpet from Sharpsville.

"The concept behind this concert is more about the educational benefit than anything else," Greig said. "As we prepare our students for careers in the education field, it is important that we offer them opportunities for practical application for skills development. Our education students are actively learning about the various theories involved in becoming successful teachers, and they also receive wonderful performance opportunities in the myriad ensembles at Westminster. To further the Westminster music experience, we want them to have the opportunity to apply and develop the concepts they are exposed to during their four years with us."

The young conductors were chosen based upon an audition for which they prepared a musical score and had a 10-minute period to teach a section of the audition piece. The judging panel included Greig and judges from outside the campus. Once selected, each of the conductors was assigned a specific piece of music to teach to the ensemble. All selections were chosen by Greig and are representative of established and respected band literature. The conductors then had time each week to rehearse the Wind Ensemble, necessitating preparation, goal setting, and evaluation.

"It is wonderful to watch each student grow from the first rehearsal to the concert," Greig said. "Additionally, the musicians in the Wind Ensemble are a barometer of the preparation of each conductor. They are the conductors' peers and, while supportive, they make sure that each conductor is fully prepared each time they stand on the podium."

Another highlight of the concert is the premiere of a section of a larger composition by Moon, who is completing his College Honors project. The project is a large-scale composition for Wind Ensemble based upon Edgar Allen Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher." As each section is completed, the Wind Ensemble will perform it for evaluation by Moon's Honors panel. The "Requiem" movement will be premiered at the concert, with Greig conducting.

A final treat is the performance of "Pirates!" composed by area music educator Travis Weller, who approached Greig about recording the piece for a composition contest.

"I was extremely honored to be asked to do this recording for Travis. The students had a great deal of fun with his composition," Greig said. As a result, Greig asked Weller to conduct his work with the Wind Ensemble at the concert. "It is important that we provide opportunities to our colleagues in the musical community. I am proud to share our instrumentalists with Mr. Weller for this performance."

Contact Greig at (724) 946-7279 or e-mail greigrt@westminster.edu for additional information. 

Westminster's Wind Ensemble