Three Westminster College student conductors will take to the podium during the Westminster College Wind Ensemble’s fall concert, “Liberty,” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, in the Will W. Orr Auditorium on Westminster’s campus.    
 
The ensemble will perform selections from Ralph William Schuman, Frank Ticheli, Clare Grundman, Danielle Fisher and Darius Milhaud to celebrate the different meanings of freedom. 

Student conductors Benjamin Burke, Karissa Petruso and Jacob Weber will lead the ensemble alongside Dr. Aaron Himes, Westminster’s director of bands and coordinator of music education. The three students were winners of the School of Music’s Young Conductors Competition held earlier this year. Winners were chosen by a committee of qualified judges. Each student was afforded the opportunity to rehearse and perform a piece with the Wind Ensemble.  

"The concert is entitled ‘Liberty' because each piece explores an aspect of freedom in one way or another,” said Himes. “Liberty is a concept often bandied about but rarely considered multi-dimensionally. The selections at this concert afford the ensemble and audience the chance to explore historical external and internal notions of freedom and how that has been expressed through music. 

Burke will conduct "Concord" by Clare Grundman.  A senior from Pittsburgh, Burke is pursuing a double major in music education and trombone performance. He has performed with the Wind Ensemble, Titan Marching Band, Symphony Orchestra, Jazz Ensemble, brass quintets and the theater department.  

Burke recently won Westminster's Concerto and Aria competition and performed the Rimsky-Korsakov trombone concerto with the orchestra. In addition to trombone, Burke is an active vocalist and currently serves as president of the Big Blue Pep Band and public relations chair and historian of Mu Phi Epsilon, a professional music fraternity. He also was one of 10 students selected for Westminster's Summer Research Fellowship program this past summer.  

Weber will conduct “Loch Lomond” by Frank Ticheli. A senior from Monaca, Pa., Weber is pursuing a double major in music education and music composition. He plays alto saxophone and performs with the Wind Ensemble, Titan Marching Band, Symphonic Band, Jazz Band, Orchestra and Ceòl na Teud, Westminster’s Scottish fiddling group. 

Weber also has performed with the Greenville Symphony Orchestra, Hopewell Community Big Band and Kent State Trumbull Theater. He currently serves as band director for the Freedom Area School District’s football marching band. 

"I loved the process of learning about ‘Loch Lomond’ and the story behind it. Music is such a unique and beautiful medium to convey a journey. Being given the opportunity to tell a story through music with this amazing group has been an experience that I am extremely grateful for," said Weber. 
 
Petruso of Conneaut Lake, Pa., will conduct “The Art of Precious Scars” by Danielle Fisher. A senior music education major, Petruso is the lead trumpet player with the Jazz Band and president of Mu Phi Epsilon. She recently represented Westminster’s chapter at the organization’s international convention. She also serves as assistant band director at Conneaut Area Senior High School and is a youth group leader at her church. 

"I love the story behind my piece. ‘The Art of Precious Scars’ is based on Kintsugi, which is the art of repairing broken pottery with gold or other precious metals. The selection contains pieces of the hymn, ‘It Is Well With My Soul.’ All the parts combine to make a beautiful composition to play. I love how the music really emulates these characteristics and how the ensemble meets the challenge," said Petruso.  

The concert is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact Himes at himesad@westminster.edu. 

Above from left, Benjamin Burke, Jacob Weber and Karissa Petruso. 

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By Kristen Aleprete  
Kristen Aleprete is a staff writer in Westminster College’s Office of Marketing and Communication.  
  

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