University of Memphis Wind Ensemble Invited to Perform at CBDNA Conference in February 2010

For release: September 10, 2009
For press information, contact Carol Morse (901) 678-2279

The University of Memphis Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Kraig Alan Williams, director of bands and area coordinator for wind studies, has been invited to perform at the College Band Directors National Association/National Band Association (CBDNA/NBA) Southern Division Conference scheduled for February 2010 in Oxford, Mississippi. The U of M ensemble’s application was screened by a panel of distinguished conductors and chosen from more than 20 entries of outstanding applicants.

“It is a great accomplishment and honor that our Wind Ensemble was selected from a large pool of very talented and exceptional ensembles in the division,” Williams says. The concert will feature David Spencer, associate professor of trumpet, in a world premier performance of Akbank Bunka, Concerto for Solo Trumpet and Wind Orchestra by renowned composer Christian Lindberg. Other featured works will include David Maslanka’s Traveler and Steven Bryant’s newest electro-acoustic work Ecstatic Waters.

With the goal of being one of the finest flexible-instrumentation ensembles of its kind, the University of Memphis Wind Ensemble is the flagship group in the band division. The Ensemble consists of 50 of the most exceptional graduate and undergraduate wind and percussion students of the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music and is dedicated to delivering artistic performances that are both eloquent and meticulously prepared. An emphasis is placed on the innovative programming process, an approach that exemplifies the uniqueness of the Memphis area by highlighting its rich diversity.

The vision of the University of Memphis Wind Ensemble is to achieve the highest degree of professionalism, and to bring its audiences the finest artistic repertoire regardless of period or style. 
 


The College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) is devoted to the teaching, performance, study and cultivation of music, with particular focus on the wind band medium. The organization was established in 1938 and is committed to serve as a dynamic hub connecting individuals to communities, ideas and resources. The members of the Association pledge to seek individual and collective growth as musicians, as teachers, as conductors, and as administrators.