One of the missions of the Mesilla Valley Concert Band is “is to give young conductors and experienced conductors an opportunity to conduct a group at this level – which is almost unheard of,” says founding conductor and director William Clark, “and they really take that opportunity seriously.” Another is to introduce audiences to some of the “really delightful” new music being written for concert bands. Both missions will be at the fore in the band’s Mother’s Day concert this Sunday. Clark came to talk about the concert with Intermezzo host Leora Zeitlin.
The guest conductors – Pete Podruchny, Johnny Lang, Rod Pior, and Michael Mapp – are all NMSU graduates now teaching and leading bands in regional schools or at NMSU, and therefore studied under Clark and other NMSU faculty. They will conduct works by Scott Boerma, Robert Jager, Arturo Marquez and Cecile Chaminade, whose Concertino for Flute and Orchestra will feature flute professor Lisa Van Winkle as a soloist. Jim Young, a 20-year veteran of the band’s percussion section, will also conduct a work by Dmitry Shostakovich.
The concert takes place on Sunday, May 12 at 3 p.m. at the Atkinson Recital Hall, and you can learn a lot more about the music and the conductors by listening here:
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