The Illinois State University College of Fine Arts and School of Music invite you to join the Wind Symphony as they honor the life and legacy of composer David Maslanka. The concert will take place Wednesday, November 29, at 8 p.m. in the Center for the Performing Arts’ Concert Hall. Tickets are $10 for general admission and $6 for students (with student ID) and seniors.
Through years of prolific collaboration with the Wind Symphony, Maslanka left an indelible impression on the students and faculty of Illinois State University. Maslanka passed away August 6, 2017.
The concert will open with comments from Roy Magnuson ’05, professor of composition at Illinois State University. Magnuson was a student during the time when Maslanka was an annual fixture on campus. He grew close to Maslanka through continued mentorship and positive influence.
Magnuson’s comments will be followed by a performance of Maslanka’s Traveler. Written to commemorate the retirement of his friend Ray Lichtenwalter, Maslanka wrote in the preface to the score, “In our hearts, our minds, our souls we travel from life to life to life in time and eternity.”
The second piece on the program will feature Kim Risinger, M.M. ’93, professor of flute, on Maslanka’s Song Book for Flute and Wind Ensemble. Like Magnuson, Risinger was a frequent collaborator with and close friend of Maslanka. Her recording of Song Book was released with the Illinois State University Wind Symphony in 2003. She later recorded an entire album of Maslanka’s flute music, some pieces written specifically for her.
The concert will conclude with Maslanka’s Give Us This Day of which the composer provided the following notes:
“Music makes the connection to reality, and by reality, I mean a true awakeness and awareness. Give Us This Day gives us this very moment of awakeness and awareness so that we can build a future in the face of a most dangerous and difficult time.”
The Wind Symphony is the University’s premier wind band and features the finest wind and percussion musicians on campus.
For a schedule of upcoming band concerts and events, visit the Bands homepage on the College of Fine Arts website and follow Illinois State University Bands on Facebook.
For tickets or additional information, contact the College of Fine Arts Box Office, located in the Illinois State University Center for the Performing Arts, open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, at (309) 438-2535, or purchase tickets online at Ticketmaster. Performance parking is available for free in the School Street Parking Deck in spots 250 and above, 400 West Beaufort Street, Normal.
