Festival of the Winds Set for Feb. 10-12
Release Date: February 04, 2022
PUEBLO —The Colorado State University Pueblo Department of Music will host the 14th annual Festival of the Winds Thursday Feb. 10 through Saturday Feb. 12.
The Festival of the Winds features high school honor bands conducted by notable local, national and international guest clinicians to conduct each of the honor bands. This year, the festival will welcome Florida A&M University Director of Bands, Shelby R. Chipman, Director of Bands for the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Karen Fannin, Director of Bands for the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Sean P. Murray and Assistant Director of Athletic Bands at the University of Oklahoma, Brian T. Wolfe.
This year Festival of the Winds invited 360 high school students representing more than 45 high schools from across the state. Participating high school band directors have the ability to recommend up to 15 deserving students to participate in this event each year.
After they arrive on campus on Feb 10, students will audition for placement within one of four honor bands. While the two Symphonic Bands are open to all participants, those students who place highest in the audition process receive a placement in one of the two Wind Orchestras.
Each year, the festival also welcomes guest composers. This year, the CSU Pueblo Wind Ensemble invited two Composers-In-Residence to write two new compositions for the wind band, including Mark J. Connor from Creve Coeur, Mo. and Steve Danyew from Rochester, N.Y.
“Steve Danyew’s piece will be a work that seeks to capture the spirit of an exciting train ride, while Mark Connor’s piece will be in memorium of his nephew, Alec Lebel, who lost his battle with addiction and passed away at his home in Pueblo West, Colorado on February 18, 2020,” said Alan Mills, Director of the Festival of Winds. “The University Wind Ensemble is particularly honored to premier both of these new works for band at our concert on February 12th,” said Mills.
One of the highlights of the Festival of the Winds will be a series of concerts that will take place on each day of the festival. On Feb. 10, the Colorado Springs Christian School Wind Ensemble will perform at 4:00 p.m., and the United States Air Force Academy Falconaires Jazz Ensemble will perform at 7:30 p.m.
Friday’s concerts will feature the participating Band Director’ Band, who will perform at 10:15 a.m. and the Pikes Peak Brass Band will perform at 8:00 p.m. On Saturday, Feb. 12, the festival’s final day of concerts will see performances by the Key Band and University Wind Ensemble performance at 10:45 a.m. The Honor Bands Finalé concert will take place at 4:00 p.m., which features the participating high school students.
In addition to the concerts, the Festival also includes a WolfPack Solo Contest for high school students, with finalists performing at various times during the Festival. Attending high school students also have the opportunity to participate in masterclasses with the esteemed CSU Pueblo applied instrument music, faculty members.
The concerts are free and open to the public, with the exception of the Honors Band Finalé concert on Saturday that will cost $10 for general admission. Five years old and younger are free. All of the concerts will take place at CSU Pueblo’s Hoag Recital Hall, with the exception of the Honor Bands Finalé concert, which will take place at Pueblo’s Memorial Hall.
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