Ensemble premieres ‘Drive’ in honor of WSU president

PULLMAN, Wash. — The Washington State University Symphonic Wind Ensemble premiered “Drive” at a campus concert April 13, music written to honor the appointment of Kirk Schulz as WSU’s 11th president.

Greg Yasinitsky, Regents professor and director of the WSU School of Music, composed “Drive” to capture the optimism of the university community about the beginning of Schulz’s presidency.

“I’m very honored to have a composition written to celebrate the university’s “Drive to 25,” Schulz said. The Drive to 25 is an institution-wide initiative to guide WSU to recognized status as one of the nation’s top 25 public research universities by 2030.

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“Drive” 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.

Danh Pham, WSU director of bands and orchestras, conducted the premiere performance of “Drive.”