The Andrews University Wind Symphony will perform its final concert of the school year, titled “Americana Soundscape,” on Sunday, April 19, at 4 p.m. The concert will “feature the music of American scenes and composers primarily from the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s,” according to the Howard Performing Arts Center’s website, complete with pieces by George Gershwin, Henry Mancini, Aaron Copland, Cole Porter and Florence Price.
The theme, “Americana Soundscape,” came from Director Denisse Santos’s idea to have a patriotic concert in celebration of 2026 being the year of the 250th anniversary of the United States. Expanding beyond the classic patriotic tunes such as “Star Spangled Banner” and “America the Beautiful,” she decided to take a deeper dive into influential American composers, creating a program that is “fun, nostalgic and exciting,” according to Santos.
The Wind Symphony will open the concert with the piece “Strike Up the Band,” by George Gershwin, conducted by graduate student conductor Francis Aguilar Jr. This piece, composed in 1927 for a musical by the same name, is written as a march. Aguilar Jr. stated that when he first heard the piece, he was “drawn to its fun and carefree character…Overall, it was fun to learn and play it. We hope everyone will have a great time listening to it.”
After two pieces highlighting Disney soundtracks and the blues, the group will perform “Moon River,” by Henry Mancini. Guest violinist Mailyn Iribar will take the stage with the band as they recreate this piece from the movie “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.”
“Moon River” was composed by Mancini for actress Audrey Hepburn to sing in the movie, according to the BBC; though it took him a month and a half to write the first three notes, he managed to compose the rest of this beautiful melody in just 30 minutes. Despite Mancini himself not believing that this was his best work, the song became widely popular after the release of the movie. The audience members at the Wind Symphony’s concert are sure to find themselves humming along to this reflective tune!
Next, the ensemble will play the third movement of Florence Price’s Symphony No. 1, titled “Juba Dance.” Santos gave a description of the history of this work, explaining that Price was the first African American woman to have one of her works performed by a major professional orchestra, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. “At a time when women composers, and particularly African Americans, were not given an opportunity to have their work published or performed, [Price] broke those barriers,” she said.
Isabella Chamberlain (freshman, English), who plays flute in the Wind Symphony, says that “Juba Dance” is her favorite piece because of the “ragtime feel to it.” She explained, “A lot of the pieces for this concert have jazz and blues elements…but there’s something about the soft syncopation in the Juba Dance that I prefer aesthetically.”
Last fall, percussionist Alexis Dulan (senior, psychology) mentioned to Santos that she would like to have the opportunity to conduct the Wind Symphony on a piece before wrapping up her time at AU. Santos, who was supportive of the idea, chose the piece “American Patrol” for Dulan to conduct on this program, an upbeat march by F. W. Meacham. Though Santos has been doing the work of conducting during rehearsals, Dulan will take the baton for this piece at the concert. She stated, “I’m very grateful that Dr. Santos is letting me do this despite me not being a music or conducting major. I’m very excited for the concert and slightly nervous for the piece I’m conducting!”
Following a brief intermission, graduate student conductor Lymuel Ligsay will lead the group in performing “Hoedown” from the ballet “Rodeo,” by Aaron Copland. Clarinetist David Ochoa (freshman, engineering and math) says that this is his favorite piece of the program.
“I love [“Hoedown”] because it's challenging and intense…While the song has a lot of repetition and similar patterns, I think that it is a good thing because it forces us as an ensemble to be intentional with each note and to be accurate,” he said.
The Andrews Brass, a small ensemble of brass players who are also part of the Wind Symphony, will perform “Puttin’ on the Ritz” by Irving Berlin. This piece, composed in 1929, is described by the Library of Congress as a “snappy, upbeat number, with a propulsive stutter-step beat.” The title, another way of saying “dressing up and going out on the town,” refers to the luxury Ritz Hotels, which had been popular in Europe and made their debut in the U.S. as the Ritz-Carlton Hotels in 1927.
The final piece of the evening is “Tin Pan Alley,” arranged by Warren Baker. Santos explained that the melody is based on the music of New York City in the early 1900s. “...There was so much music being played at the time, particularly on pianos, that it could be heard in the streets like a cacophony, thus deriving the name, ‘tin pan alley,’” Santos said.
Preparing for their final concert of the school year serves as a time of reflection as well as looking forward, especially for the students from the ensemble who will be graduating this year—percussionists Alexis Dulan and Aiko Ayala.
Reflecting on her time in the Wind Symphony, Dulan explained that when she joined in her freshman year, she was hesitant, as Byron Graves had recently stepped down from his position as director. However, she added, “I’m grateful that I took the leap. Dr. Santos is not only a great leader but also cares about developing relationships with each and every one of us. I was sad to let go of music coming out of high school, but Wind Symphony allowed me to find that community again.”
Santos also took a moment to reflect. “I am so proud of our musicians and how they have grown this year…They perform so well together, we have fun in rehearsals, and generally, the ensemble is a place where people feel like they belong. I'm looking forward to seeing many of the same musicians back next year, adding more members, and becoming a better ensemble together,” she said.
Tickets can be purchased at the box office or on the HPAC’s website. You don’t want to miss it!
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.