The Gustavus and Vasa Wind Orchestras are pleased to welcome interim conductor James Patrick Miller for a concert in Christ Chapel, Sunday, March 15, beginning at 1:30 p.m. This performance is free and open to the public.
Conductor James Patrick Miller, originally from Winona, Minnesota, is visiting instructor at Gustavus and is conducting the wind orchestras while Douglas Nimmo is on sabbatical. Miller is a graduate of St. Olaf College and is currently completing his doctorate in conducting at the University of Minnesota. He has just been named Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Wind Studies at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and will assume that position this summer.
For this program, Miller and the Vasa Wind Orchestra will open with Linden Lea by Ralph Vaughan Williams and the three movements of Heart Songs by David Maslanka. The Vasa’s final work is Johan de Meij’s Aquarium.
Following a short pause, the Gustavus Wind Orchestra will open their half of the program with Timothy Mahr’s Fantasia in G and Komm, Susser Tod by J.S. Bach. The ensemble continues with Al Fresco by Karel Husa and concludes with Charles Ives’ The Alcotts.
Conductor Miller then brings the Vasa Wind Orchestra back to the stage to perform two works with the Gustavus Wind Orchestra. The combined ensemble will open with Pavel Tschesnokoff’s Salvation is Created. The finale to the concert will include Christ Chapel Organist David Fienen and both wind orchestras in a performance of Richard Strauss’ Konigsmarsch.
Sunday’s performance by the wind orchestras under the direction of James Patrick Miller in Christ Chapel is free and open to the public. The concert begins at 1:30 p.m.