"Under Western Skies" by Virginia Tech Wind Ensemble and Symphony Band:

Date: October 02, 2016
Time: 3:00 - 4:30 PM
Venue: Moss Arts Center at Virginia Tech
Cost: General Public: $10.00 Students: $7.00

Description: The Virginia Tech School of Performing Arts presents "Under Western Skies" from Virginia Tech's Wind Ensemble and Symphony Band on Sunday, October 2, 2016 at the Moss Arts Center.

Named after Kevin McKee's "Under Western Skies" for two trumpets and band, this program features faculty member Jason Crafton and alumnus Peyden Shelton. Other selections, all evoking western flavor and desert landscapes, include John Phillip Sousa's "El Capitan" and H. Owen Reed's "La Fiesta Mexicana."

Tonight’s program is a celebration of the West: a musical convergence. Environmental consciousness abounds in David Maslanka’s fanfare "Mother Earth" while Ryan George celebrates Sequoia National Park and “powerful tranquility” in "Redwood." Mexican composer Arturo Márquez takes his inspiration from the Cuban conga in "Conga del fuego nuevo," while H. Owen Reed takes his from the folk music of Mexico in "La fiesta mexicana." Kevin McKee’s eponymous "Under Western Skies" recalls the music of Ennio Morricone, an Italian film composer whose scores include "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly."

In the same way that Sharlot M. Hall’s poem celebrates the diversity of the western landscape, this afternoon we celebrate its diverse art and culture while dreaming of our own limitless potential.

Tickets can be purchased by calling 540-231-5300 or online. To purchase tickets online, visit: https://artscenter.vt.edu/Online/article/allperformancesonsale.

For more information, visit: http://www.performingarts.vt.edu/ or https://www.facebook.com/VTperformingarts.