Contact: Sasha Steinberg

STARKVILLE, Miss.— Mississippi State’s Wind Ensemble and symphonic, concert and community bands are presenting concerts during the month of April.

Free to all, the Wind Ensemble’s upcoming concert takes place Thursday [April 6] in Bettersworth Auditorium at the university’s historic Lee Hall.

The 7:30 p.m. program will feature works by Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-75), Gustav Holst (1874-1934) and John Philip Sousa (1854-1932), as well as the Mississippi premiere of Joel Puckett’s “My Eyes are Filled with Shadows,” commissioned by the Southeastern Conference’s band directors.

Elva Kaye Lance, MSU director of bands and instructor of music, will conduct the Wind Ensemble’s evening performance.

The premier performing group of the university’s band program, the Wind Ensemble has performed in Italy, England, Ireland, Austria and Germany as part of its international performance tours.

Additionally, MSU’s symphonic, concert and community bands will perform at 3 p.m. Sunday [April 9] at Lee Hall.

Along with works by Sousa, the free concert in Bettersworth Auditorium will feature pieces by Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904), Henry Fillmore (1881-1956) and Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750).

Conductors for the afternoon performance include Craig Aarhus and Cliff Taylor. Both are associate directors of bands, as well as associate professors in the university’s nationally accredited Department of Music.

In addition to Wind Ensemble and marching, symphonic, concert and community bands, students may participate in jazz band and basketball pep band. MSU Band Auxiliary units include color guard and feature twirlers. For more, visit www.msuband.msstate.edu/ensembles.

Tax-deductible donations for MSU Bands are being accepted via the MSU Foundation. To contribute, contact Lynn Durr at 662-325-8918 or ldurr@advservices.msstate.edu.

For additional information about the MSU College of Education’s nationally accredited Department of Music, call 662-325-2713, visit www.music.msstate.edu or email Aarhus at CAarhus@colled.msstate.edu.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.