Cal Poly Winter Band Concert March 14 Brings 'Russia With Love'

SAN LUIS OBISPO – Cal Poly’s University Wind Orchestra and Wind Ensemble will present "From Russia With Love" at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 14, in Harman Hall in the Performing Arts Center's Christopher Cohan Center.

The Winter Band Concert will feature fiery and passionate musical masterpieces by some of Russia's greatest composers. The performance will begin with Peter Tchaikovsky's "Dance of the Jesters" and continue with Dmitri Shostakovich's "Festive Overture" and "Folk Dances." Other works will include Sergei Prokovieff's Opus 99, Vasily Kalinnikov's Finale from Symphony No. 1, (with antiphonal brass), excerpts from Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's "Scheherazade," and Tchaikovsky's "Capriccio Italian."

The concert will conclude with a performance of Dutch composer Johan de Meij's new work titled "Extreme Make-Over." This work for the modern wind band takes the second movement of Tchaikovsky's String Quartet No. 1 and transforms it into a work that goes well beyond normal playing technique for wind and percussion players, according to William Johnson, Cal Poly director of bands.

Johnson and Christopher Woodruff, associate director of bands, will conduct the Wind Orchestra and Wind Ensemble.

The concert is sponsored by Cal Poly’s Music Department, College of Liberal Arts, and Instructionally Related Activities program. Tickets are $8 to $19 and can be purchased at the Performing Arts Ticket Office 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. To order by phone, call SLO-ARTS (756-2787). Discounts are given to patrons who buy tickets to four or more Music Department events for 2008-2009.

For more information, call the Music Department at 756-2406 or go online to http://www.windorchestra.calpoly.edu/.

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