Presenting a dynamic second concert of the season, MSU’s Wind Symphony will perform Aaron Jay Kernis’s “a Voice, a Messenger” with guest soloist Michael Sachs, principal trumpet of the Cleveland Orchestra. In addition to the concerto, three other pieces will be performed. The concert is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Oct. 23 in Wharton Center’s Cobb Great Hall.
Kernis, a Pulitzer-Prize winning composer, is one of today’s most frequently performed composers with works premiered by the New York Philharmonic, Baltimore Symphony, and San Francisco Symphony. “A Voice, a Messenger,” co-commissioned by the New York Philharmonic and Big Ten Band Directors Association, was inspired by a Jewish holiday service and was premiered in 2010.
“I knew I wanted to perform Kernis’s piece but it hasn’t had many performances because of the level of difficulty,” said Wind Symphony Conductor Kevin L. Sedatole, director of MSU Bands. After meeting Sachs and hearing him play, he explains, he knew Sachs was the person for the task since he is one of the few trumpeters who have mastered this complex work.
Sachs, who has been with the Cleveland Orchestra since 1988, is recognized as a leading soloist, recitalist, chamber musician and has also performed as a guest soloist with many other renowned orchestras and chamber groups.
“Our students will have the opportunity to experience this outstanding musician in action,” says Sedatole. “I am sure they will be inspired and gain much from his visit.”
In addition to the trumpet concerto, the repertoire includes Funeral Music for Queen Mary by Steven Stucky, Adagio for Wind Orchestra by Joaquín Rodrigo and Southern Harmony by Donald Grantham.
“The concert audience will hear a variety of musical styles ranging from actual funeral music to a barn dance at the end,” said Sedatole. “There are a lot of different colors and timbres that come out of the ensemble through the different compositions.”
The Wind Symphony is comprised of the most outstanding wind and percussion musicians at the College of Music who are selected by audition.
Admission is free for students with ID and anyone under the age of 18. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors (age 60 and older), and can be purchased online, at the College of Music box office, by calling (517) 353-5340, or in person at 333 W. Circle Drive, East Lansing or at the door at Wharton Center.