The Wind Symphony has gone to infinity and beyond.
The ensemble will perform its third concert of the season at Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium on Thursday. The concert, however, is more than a mere performance — it also marks the premiere of the Wind Symphony’s first commercial CD.
Mothership, recorded by the ensemble in February, will be available for sale after the performance. A raffle will also take place after the concert with an autographed copy of the album as a grand prize.
“It will be available through Amazon, Mark Records (which recorded the CD), ClassicsOnline.com, and also from my office,” said Andrew Trachsel, director of bands and conductor of the Wind Symphony.
The CD costs $15 when purchased after the performance from Trachsel’s office; the online price is unclear as of now.
Mason Bates, a well-known composer and DJ, wrote and composed the Mothership piece.
“The title track is a really new and exciting arrangement,” said David Crider, a second-year graduate student studying percussion performance and two-year Wind Symphony member. “It’s a piece of music that you won’t hear anywhere else.”
Combining a multitude of sounds from woodwinds, brass and percussion, the Wind Symphony no longer performs a standard sound.
“It’s like a Sonic drink,” Trachsel said. “There are a lot of different sound combinations, much like the different flavor combinations.”
More significant than a Sonic drink, however, the Wind Symphony is the most elite band of all of Ohio University’s concert bands. Playing an innovative and challenging repertoire, the Wind Symphony’s reputation precedes itself.
“It’s definitely the best ensemble I’ve played in,” said Andrew Boylan, a graduate student studying trumpet performance and first-time Wind Symphony member. “The other ones I played in undergrad are just not at the same level.”
Requiring an audition for each semester, the Wind Symphony’s level of expectation is nothing new to Christina Wince, a fifth-year senior studying music performance and music education.
“I’ve been a member of the Wind Symphony since the fall of 2008,” she said. “While music majors are required to be in an ensemble every semester, I really enjoy Trachsel’s high level of professionalism and the passion he brings to rehearsals.”
mg986611@ohiou.edu
