Press Releases

(WINSTON-SALEM, NC)— The Piedmont Wind Symphony (PWS) welcomes gifted conductor and wind composer Alfred Reed as guest conductor at its Winter Concert on March 18^th at 7:30 PM in Brendle Recital Hall at Wake Forest University. Reed brings an impressive resume to the stage. He has composed more than 250 published works in his career, has performed as guest conductor in 49 states and 20 countries, and has been awarded more than 70 commissions to date.

While the most frequently performed contemporary foreign composer in Japan today, Reed also plays in Europe, Australia, South America and Canada. In addition, his published works have been on the required performance lists for concert bands for over a decade in Japan for the past 25 years in the United States.

Many of Reed’s own compositions and arrangements will be played in the March Concert. Among these will be Ballade, which will feature an alto saxophone solo by PWS’ Dr. L. David Legette, and a wind overture, The Hounds of Spring. Also included will be Reed’s Russian Christmas Music, parts one and two of Armenian Dances and his adaptation and arrangement of Strauss’ Radetzky March.

PWS is also delighted to feature Molly Hazelwood from Ledford High School in a performance with PWS of Morceau Symphonique by Guilmant. Molly won first place in auditions for the Piedmont Wind Symphony Concerto Competition, which is sponsored by Allegacy Federal Credit Union. In addition, PWS welcomes the return from last season of select members of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth All-County. Students from the Middle School Honors Band will play Grainger’s Irish Tune and Shepherd’s Hey with PWS and those from the High School Honors Band will join in playing Holst’s First Suite in E-Flat.

Tickets for the concert are $10 each for adults and $5 each for students. For information and ticket purchase, call the Piedmont Wind Symphony at 336/722-9953.

The mission of the Piedmont Wind Symphony is to be nationally recognized for excellence in the performance of symphonic wind music for the entertainment and education of the broadest audience possible while giving an opportunity to musicians of all ages to perform traditional and contemporary music. More information is available at www.piedmontwindsymphony.com.

(WINSTON-SALEM, NC)—The Piedmont Wind Symphony (PWS) is pleased to announce three young women as winners of its first Concerto Competition. The first place prize of $500 goes to Molly Hazelwood from Ledford High School for her performance of Guilmant’s Morceau Symphonique on the euphonium. Ms. Hazelwood will solo in a performance of this piece when she appears with PWS at the March 18^th Winter Concert at 7:30 PM in Brendle Recital Hall at Wake Forest University.

Leah Shaw from Mt. Tabor High School has won the second place prize of $250 with her performance of Mozart’s Concerto in Bb K. 191 on the bassoon. Caitlin Nicholas, also from Mt. Tabor, has taken third place and a $100 prize for performing Concerto by Haydn and Goeyen on the trumpet.

Ms. Hazelwood, a senior in high school with a 4.0 grade point average, has been studying the euphonium for 5½  years, most recently with private teacher Dr. Dennis Askew. When asked about her plans for college, she replied, “I plan to attend a four-year school to obtain a degree in music education and then pursue a master’s degree or higher in music performance.” The recipient of a Superior Rating in Solo and Ensemble for 5 years, she has played first chair in All-District Band and first or second chair in both All-County and All-State Bands. The audition judges commended her for her “superb talent and all-around excellence.” Her parents are Chuck and Suzanne Hazelwood of High Point.

Ms. Shaw is a high-school junior and has been studying the bassoon for four years with Jonathan Julian. Ms. Nicholas, also a junior, has been studying trumpet with Karl Kassner for 4 years.

“We congratulate these three fine young musicians and look forward to watching their progress in the future,” praised Robert Simon, PWS artistic director.

These winners were selected from students who auditioned January 12^th in the categories of brass and woodwind. Auditioning students had been chosen from a larger pool of applicants from Forsyth, Davidson, Guilford, and Stokes counties. Those eligible for the competition included all public school students, ages 14-19, in the above counties plus Davie, Yadkin, and Surry counties. The judges were Fred Bergstone, Robert Listokin, Phillip Dunigan, and Mark Popkin, all current or former faculty members from the North Carolina School of the Arts.

The purpose of the PWS Concerto Competition is to encourage young wind students in their music studies and to recognize the most outstanding among them. Part of PWS’ mission is to focus on music education and the opportunity for musicians of all ages to perform.

Allegacy Federal Credit Union has generously donated $7,500 to PWS to sponsor the Concerto Competition, pledging their support through 2004. Allegacy President Ike Keener explains, “We are committed to area youth. They are our future. By supporting the Concerto Competition we feel we are supporting the educational process. This endeavor is also beneficial to the community and to the families of our own members.”

Tickets for the March 18th concert are $10 each for adults and $5 each for students. For information and ticket purchase, call the Piedmont Wind Symphony at 336/722-9953.

The mission of the Piedmont Wind Symphony is to be nationally recognized for excellence in the performance of symphonic wind music for the entertainment and education of the broadest audience possible while giving an opportunity to musicians of all ages to perform traditional and contemporary music. More information is available at www.piedmontwindsymphony.com.  

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Concert-goers will be delighted as PWS plays a varied program, including William Schuman’s New England Triptych; overtures to the operas La Forza del Destino by Verdi and Die Meistersinger by Wagner; Halvorsen’s Entry March of the Boyars; Milhaud’s Suite Française; and Bennett’s Symphonic Songs for Band.

Tickets for this special concert will be $15 for adults and $7 for students, with $5 and $2, respectively, being donated to the United Way of Forsyth County. For further information about the benefit performance, call Karl Maher at 336/659-6800. To purchase season or single tickets, call PWS at 336/722-9953.

PWS returns to Brendle greatly energized by the sold-out concert held there in May with world-renowned trumpeter Arturo Sandoval. The Winston-Salem Journal reviewer Ken Keuffel gave PWS’ performance with this master musician a glowing review, calling it "superb."

World-renowned musicians Alfred Reed and Maynard Ferguson will be the featured guests with the PWS as the season unfolds. The Winter Concert will showcase compositions and arrangements by Reed, a conductor and noted wind composer, who will guest conduct at the March 18, 2002 Concert.

Jazz legend and big band leader Maynard Ferguson will be featured in the Season Finale Concert on May 18, 2002. Ferguson has agreed to come to Winston-Salem a day early to give master classes for area music students. A sell-out crowd is anticipated for this show so all are encouraged to purchase season tickets to ensure a seat.

Season tickets are available for $40 for adults and $30 for students (an 11% savings over individual tickets). The Ferguson concert tickets are $25 each; tickets for the March concert are $10. For information and ticket purchase, call the Piedmont Wind Symphony at 336/722-9953.

The mission of the Piedmont Wind Symphony is to be nationally recognized for excellence in the performance of symphonic wind music for the entertainment and education of the broadest audience possible while giving an opportunity to musicians of all ages to perform traditional and contemporary music. More information is available at www.piedmontwindsymphony.com.