The nationally acclaimed Texas A&M Wind Symphony will perform for the first time ever in New Jersey, joining the Ridgewood Concert Band in a concert at West Side Presbyterian Church in Ridgewood on Thursday, February 21, 2008 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are available at the door.

West Side Presbyterian Church is located at 6 South Monroe Street, at the corner of West Ridgewood Avenue, in Ridgewood, NJ. Directions are available on the band’s website.

Tickets for adults are $20, seniors $15, and students $7. Children 13 and younger are free with a paying adult. For more information call (201) 493-9030 or visit the Ridgewood Concert Band’s Website, www.ridgewoodband.org.

The Texas A&M Wind Symphony, under the direction of Dr. Timothy Rhea, has gained a national reputation for its fine performances. Dr. Rhea is widely respected as a conductor and a composer, with several published works to his credit. The band performs regularly across Texas as well as other locations around the United States. Additionally, they have performed in Austria, England, Germany, Ireland and the Czech Republic.

On Friday, February 22 they will give a concert at Carnegie Hall in New York.

Pianist Kathryn Woodard will appear as soloist, performing George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.” Other program highlights include “Candide Overture” by Bernstein, “Overture from Der Freischütz” by von Weber, “Wolf Rounds” by Rouse, and “Danish Bouquet, A Grainger Collection” by Hearshen.

Ms. Woodard has appeared as soloist and chamber musician at venues throughout the U.S. and in Europe and Asia. Specializing in new music, Woodard has performed several premieres including works by Moiya Callahan, Paul Hogan, Paula Matthusen, Huang Ruo, and Aziza Sadikova. Woodard has traveled to Central Asia with grants from the U.S. Department of State in order to perform American music and research music from the region.

The Ridgewood Concert Band, founded in 1983, is under the direction of Dr. C. Christian Wilhjelm, and enjoys an international reputation as one of the finest civilian concert bands in the U.S.

The Ridgewood Concert Band has also attracted world class soloists from the New York Philharmonic Orchestra including Joseph Alessi (trombone), Phillip Smith (trumpet), Joseph Robinson (oboe), and Christopher Lamb (percussion). Musicians from the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra such as Michael Parloff (flute), Scott Brubaker (horn), and Elaine Duvas (oboe) have also performed with RCB. From the world of television and radio guest performers have included Charles Osgood, Gene Shalit, and Bill Whitney. This season’s soloists have included Blair Bollinger (bass trombone) from the Philadelphia Orchestra and Jason Ham (euphonium) and Lois Hicks-Wozniak (saxophone) from the United States Military Academy Band at West Point. Later this season, Alan Baer (tuba) from the New York Philharmonic will perform with the RCB.

Composers such as Patrick Burns, John Mackey, Johan de Meij, and Michael Valenti have chosen the RCB to premier and record their music. World-renowned composers Karel Husa and de Meij have conducted the RCB in performances of their works.

RCB has made a commitment to educating future musicians by welcoming highly qualified high school and college musicians to its ranks. Since 1991, community outreach activities have included working with North Jersey Area Bands to hold clinics for high school musicians and participating in joint concerts with several high school and university ensembles. In 2006, the band developed a scholarship program that reaches out to the large network of high schools in the region, inviting musicians who plan to continue in music careers to compete for scholarship funds. In addition to cash awards, winning contestants are featured soloists with the band. The competition is one of the highlights of the season.

Composers
George Gershwin, Christopher Rouse, Carl Maria von Weber, Ira Hearshen