February 11, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Michele Abba
Cal Poly Music Department
805-756-2406; music@calpoly.edu

Cal Poly Winter Band Concert: "Blue Shades and Wild Nights, the
Extraordinary Music of Frank Ticheli" on March 13

SAN LUIS OBISPO - Composer and conductor Frank Ticheli will be the guest artist for Cal Poly's Winter Band Concert at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 13 in Harman Hall in the Performing Arts Center’s Christopher Cohan Center.

The annual concert will feature the university's 65-member Wind Ensemble and 60-member Wind Orchestra in an evening of original works written by one of the nation's most played composers of wind music.

An innovative young composer, Ticheli will conduct several of his works. As an added feature, he will also explain the inspiration and intricacies behind those compositions.

‘The piece ‘Vesuvius’ is likely to be an audience favorite,’ said William Johnson, Cal Poly director of bands. The musical description of the eruption that destroyed the city of Pompeii is an example of Ticheli’s ability to create drama in his composition.

Another popular work is “Blue Shades.” Using blues chords, big band licks and lots of syncopation, Ticheli fuses jazz and classical into a spine-tingling concert closer.

Other works include “Sanctuary,” ‘Nitro,’ ‘An American Elegy’ written after the Columbine High School tragedy, ‘Sun Dance,’ ‘Wild Nights’ and ‘Postcard.’

Tickets are $8 to $19 and are on sale 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 (805-756-2787). Discounts are given to patrons who buy tickets to four or more Music Department events.

Cal Poly's Wind Ensemble will serve as the "Showcase Ensemble" for the Los Angeles International Music Festival to be held in the Walt Disney Concert Hall on June 22. This event is one in a series of fundraisers helping send the student band to this performance. For more information, go to windorchestra.calpoly.edu.

The Winter Band Concert is sponsored by Cal Poly’s Music Department, College of Liberal Arts, and Instructionally Related Activities program.

For more information, call the Music Department at 805-756-2406.

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