About

AUSTIN SYMPHONIC BAND PRESENTS

"DESTINATIONS"

OCTOBER 27 | 4 P.M. | LUIS "CHICO" PORTILLO PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

The Austin Symphonic Band, a cherished ensemble in the city's vibrant music scene, is set to kick off its concert season with an eclectic mix of pieces. From the stirring patriotism of "Homeward Bound" to the lively rhythms of "Los Bailes Calientes," the program promises a journey through diverse musical landscapes. The audience will be whisked away to the exotic scenes depicted in "Occident and Orient," stroll through the charming "Paris Sketches," and fall under the spell of the picturesque “Mannin Veen (Dear Isle of Man).” The evening will crescendo with the spirited "Galop” from Offenbach’s Geneviève de Brabant. This lineup showcases the band's versatility and the rich tapestry of community music.

Program:

Dr. Kyle Glaser, Music Director
Bill Haehnel, Assistant Director

Homeward Bound March — John Philip Sousa
Los Bailes Calientes — William Owens
Occident and Orient, Op. 25 — Camille Saint-Saëns, ed. Schissel
Paris Sketches — Martin Ellerby
Mannin Veen (“Dear Isle of Man”) — Haydn Wood
Galop from Geneviève de Brabant — Jacques Offenbach, arr. Bourgeois

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Event Details

• Date: Sunday, October 27, 2024
• Time: 4:00 P.M.
• Venue: Luis "Chico" Portillo Performing Arts Center, Connally High School
• Website: https://austinsymphonicband.org/events/2024/10/27

Ticket Information

• Cost: $0.00 - $12.00

Presenter Details

• Name: Austin Symphonic Band

The Austin Symphonic Band (ASB) was founded in 1981 by local brass and woodwind musicians. The band has had only four music directors: Frank Simon, Randol Bass, Richard Floyd and the current Music Director, Kyle Glaser, who has served since 2022. Bill Haehnel was appointed Assistant Music Director in 2003.

Named the Official Band of the City of Austin by the Austin City Council in June 1989, ASB has performed for City events such as the dedication of the Barbara Jordan passenger terminal at Austin Bergstrom International Airport and the Governor’s Welcome Home of the Troops from the Gulf War “Desert Storm” in 1991. ASB also works closely with local schools to provide mentoring, tutoring, performance opportunities, and free tickets to students.

In 1989 ASB was the first community band to perform the Grand Finale Concert at the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago; it has returned for two additional appearances. ASB was featured at the American Bandmasters Association Conventions in 1993 and 2006. In addition, ASB was offered an invitational performance at the Western International Band Clinic in 2004. The band received the John Philip Sousa Foundation’s Sudler Scroll for outstanding achievement as a community band in 1994.

Want to know more about ASB? Click here to view our historical archives!

ASB commissions new music and performs contemporary music, providing support for the national community of composers and arrangers of concert band music. Works commissioned by ASB have included Dancing on Water by Frank Ticheli (2015).

ASB also sponsors the annual Young Composers Contest, which picks a winner each fall based on the merit of previous compositions, and commissions a new work for the next concert season. Winners to date include Dr. Christopher Lowry, whose composition (Delusions of) Grandeur, Op. 51, premiered on April 14, 2024, and Ryan Fillinger (22), whose new work will receive its premiere in the 2024-25 concert season.

ASB has enjoyed a long history of collaborating with outstanding guest soloists and conductors, including Boston Brass, Rhythm & Brass, Jim Walker (flute soloist), Pat Sheridan (tuba soloist), Tito Carrillo (jazz trumpet soloist) Steve Williamson (Chicago Symphony Principal Clarinetist), Clint Foreman (Boston Symphony Second Flutist), Synaesthesia Saxophone Quartet, and Austin Symphony Conductor Peter Bay.

Venue Details