PULLMAN, Wash. – “Drive,” music written in honor of the appointment of Kirk Schulz as the 11th president of Washington State University, will premiere in a free, public concert of the Symphonic Band and Symphonic Wind Ensemble at 8 p.m. Thursday, April 13, in Bryan Hall.
“I hoped to capture something of the optimism all of us share with the appointment of Dr. Schulz as WSU’s new president,” said composer Greg Yasinitsky, Regents professor and director of the WSU School of Music.
The piece was made possible by donations from WSU Regent Mike Worthy and the College of Arts and Sciences via Dean Daryll DeWald. The donations will fund a scholarship for Kirill Polyanskiy, an undergraduate music composition student.
The concert will open with the Symphonic Band performing “To the Wind” by Aaron Perrine, “Dramatic Essay” by Clifton Williams and “Roll Takes a Walk” by David Maslanka. The band is conducted by Troy Bennefield, director of athletic bands at WSU. Soloist for the Williams work will be David Turnbull, WSU professor, who tours internationally as a solo cornetist with the award-winning Fountain City Brass Band.
The Symphonic Wind Ensemble, conducted by Danh Pham, director of bands and orchestras, will present “Petite Symphonie” by Charles Gounod, “Candide Suite” by Leonard Bernstein and “Colonial Song” by Percy Grainger. Pham established the first Wind and Percussion Institute in Vietnam and guest conducts throughout Asia and the U.S.