The SUNY Fredonia Wind Ensemble opens its 2026-27 season with “A Musical Odessey” on Sept. 26 in King Concert Hall.
The Fredonia Wind Ensemble opens its 2026-27 season in September with a diverse program inspired by a trio of works.
The ensemble, conducted by Gary W. Hill, presents “A Musical Odyssey” on Saturday, Sept. 26, at 8 p.m. in Rockefeller Arts Center’s King Concert Hall at SUNY Fredonia. Hill is serving as Interim Director of Bands, following the recent retirement of Dr. Paula Holcomb.
The program includes Chinese-American composer Chen Yi’s brilliant “Energetically” from her work “Dragon Rhymes,” African-American composer Henry Dorn’s “Never Forgetting,” which is inspired by the words of Maya Angelou, and John Mackey’s epic symphony, “Wine-Dark Sea,” which is described as a “musical portrait” of Odysseus’ journey home following the Trojan War.
“Our goal is to take our listeners on a musical journey, one that evokes for each of them personal memories, feelings, and meaning,” Hill said. “We hope you can join us for this hour-long, dynamic program of great music.”
The Wind Ensemble is the premiere wind band in the Fredonia School of Music. It is comprised of approximately 50 performers, selected through highly competitive auditions.
The concert is free and open to the public.
