By: Andrew Anderson
TU Wind Ensemble
The University of Tulsa Wind Ensemble hosted the 3rd annual Oklahoma Bandmasters’ Association (OBA) Concert Band Festival on April 8 and 9, in conjunction with Music for All and OBA. 22 high school and junior high school bands performed on the stage of Gussman Concert Hall, and then were led in clinics by esteemed wind conductors from Arizona State University, Arkansas Tech University, the University of Kansas, the University of Central Arkansas and the University of Miami. Over 1,300 prospective students were able to enjoy the event, which included a demonstration performance by the Wind Ensemble on both days. The festival, facilities and student help were all well received by participating band directors and students, as well as the OBA staff and clinicians. TU will join a three-year rotation for hosting the festival with Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma.
The TU Wind Ensemble, directed by Andrew Anderson, presented Music of the Unheard on Feb. 28, which included works by composers of underrepresented populations. The repertoire included:
- Fanfare for the Common Man, by Aaron Copland
- Danzon No. 2, by Arturo Marquez
- …my consciousness, by Daniel Montoya Jr.
- 36 Blocks, by Heather Ellis Koehn
- A Mother of a Revolution!, by Omar Thomas
The work by Ellis Koehn is particularly relevant, as it refers to the amount of Black-owned property razed during the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921. The work earned a Judges’ Citation from the American Prize in Composition (Band Division) as a work with particular historical significance. The Wind Ensemble was preceded on the program by the Bixby High School Wind Ensemble, directed by Jeremy Parker.
The Wind Ensemble also presented a concert on April 18 title Dear John. The repertoire included the following:
- Flourish for Glorious John, by Ralph Vaughan Williams
- Entry March of the Boyars, by Johan Halvorsen
- Begrabnesgesang (Burial Song), Op. 13, by Johannes Brahms
- Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor, by Johann Sebastian Bach
The Brahms Burial Song was performed with the TU Cappella Chamber Singers, directed by Kim Childs; and the Wind Ensemble portion of the concert was preceded by performances by the TU Percussion Ensembles, directed by Cole Williams. Both concerts were received enthusiastically by patrons and audience members.
TU Bands
The TU Bands will host the TU Summer Band Camp for high school students in June, after taking a COVID-19 related hiatus in 2021. Andrew Anderson will be joined on the camp faculty by Jeremy Parker, artistic director of the Tulsa Starlight Band and Bixby High School director of bands; Chris Koehn, Coweta High School director of bands; Rod Mackey, Collinsville High School director of bands; and Ryan Gartner, Jenks High School assistant director of bands.
Percussion will be coordinated by Cole Williams, TU instructor of percussion. The camp will Monday through Friday mornings for two weeks and presents three concerts: one on each Friday evening of the camp in the Gussman Concert Hall in the Lorton Performance Center, and one performance in conjunction with the Tulsa Starlight Band at Guthrie Green in downtown Tulsa.