KENNESAW, Ga. | Sep 6, 2016

On September 12, 2016, the KSU Wind Ensemble will present its first performance of the 2016-17 concert season featuring the Georgia premieres of two recently composed works: The High Songs by Carter Pann and Michael Markowski’s Embers.

Taking advantage of installed video and audio technology in the School of Music’s Brooker Rehearsal Hall, Wind Ensemble hosted special Skype sessions with each composer over the past two weeks. In each session, the ensemble performed the composers’ work and received valuable feedback directly from the composers for how to best perform the various intricacies of their works.

Last week, Wind Ensemble rehearsed with composer Carter Pann. Pann was recently named a finalist for the 2016 Pulitzer Prize in music, one of the most prestigious awards in the classical music world. Wind Ensemble’s performance of Pann’s 2015 composition The High Songs will feature KSU Artist-in-Residence in Cello Charae Krueger as soloist playing amplified cello. KSU Wind Ensemble was a commissioning partner for this piece along with 10 other universities led by the University of Central Oklahoma.

The next Georgia premiere on the September 12 program is Michael Markowski’s 2015 work Embers. Having visited KSU as part of the 2013 Kennesaw State Festival of New Music, Michael Markowski is no stranger to KSU Wind Ensemble’s and joined their rehearsal via Skype the previous week to rehearse his 2015 composition with the students.

Upcoming Wind Ensemble concerts during the 2016-17 concert season will feature additional premieres and special performances including the Georgia premiere of Steven Bryant’s Broad Earth (October 17 performance), the world premiere of a new work titled ROCKS from composer Geoffrey Gordon and commissioned by a KSU-led consortium (November 14 performance), the Georgia premiere of Millennial Inception by Andrew Boss (March 9 performance), and the Georgia premiere of There are no words by visiting guest composer James Stephenson (March 9 performance).