Purdue News

April 3, 1998 Purdue Bands present 8 concerts this month WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- From classical to jazz, concert bands to drum lines, Purdue University Bands will feature all its spring ensembles in eight concerts April 15-26. All are free and open to the public. At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 15, a variety of percussion ensembles will present a concert at the Morton Community Center, 222 N. Chauncey, West Lafayette. Featuring the Latin Band, the Percussion Ensemble, the Marimba Rag Band and the Winter Drum Line, the concert will incorporate music of a wide variety of styles, including salsa and Latin jazz, classical percussion, marching band style warm-ups and ragtime music. All of the groups are directed by Jeff Crowell, a visiting instructor. At 8 p.m. Friday, April 17, the American Music Review and Variety Band return to the stage at the Long Center, 111 N. Sixth St., Lafayette. The performance will feature show tunes, American pop music, and music from television and the movies. The Spring Auxiliary Units -- including the Goldusters, Flag Corps, Twirling Line and Solo Twirlers -- will perform with the Variety Band during selected numbers. The American Music Review is directed by Associate Professor William Kisinger. The Variety Band is directed by Purdue's Marching Band director, David Leppla, with assistance by Heather Lasher. At 2:30 p.m. Sunday, April 19, the Symphonic Band will present its final concert of the semester, performing at Loeb Playhouse in Stewart Center. Under the direction of Assistant Professor Jay S. Gephart, the Symphonic Band is one of the top ensembles in the department, presenting a challenging repertoire of classical works. Michael Plake, applied music instructor at Purdue, will be a guest soloist at the concert, performing the first movement of Gregson's "Tuba Concerto." Leppla will serve as guest conductor, leading the ensemble in the performance of "Tam O'Shanter," a descriptive musical work based upon the tales of Irish folklore. From Tuesday, April 21, to Friday, April 24, Purdue University Bands will present the annual Twilight Concert Series outdoors at Purdue's Slayter Center of Performing Arts. Each of the concerts begins at 7 p.m., except Friday's "Jazz on the Hill," which begins at 6 p.m. The Tuesday and Wednesday concerts will feature the Varsity and Collegiate bands under the direction of Kisinger. On Thursday, April 23, the University Concert Band, directed by Leppla, will present its annual "1812" Concert -- a crowd-pleaser ending with Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture" and a fireworks display. The series concludes at 6 p.m. Friday, April 24, with the "Jazz on the Hill" Concert, featuring all three of Purdue's jazz bands. This year's concert will be an early celebration of "Cinco de Mayo," which marks Mexican Independence Day. Los Blancos, a Lafayette-area group specializing in Latin jazz styles, will perform as guest artists. At 2:30 p.m. Sunday, April 26, the Purdue Symphony Orchestra will present its annual "Concerto Competition" Concert at Loeb Playhouse. The competition is designed to offer talented Purdue instrumentalists the opportunity to perform with the Purdue Symphony Orchestra in a formal concert setting. Winners of the 1998 Concerto Competition are Raj Kalapatapu, a junior from Logansport, Ind., and Kyle Fyr, a junior majoring in accounting from Mishawaka, Ind . Classical pianist Kalapatapu will perform "Concerto No. 1 in E-flat" by Liszt, and Fyr, principal cellist in the Purdue Symphony Orchestra, will perform "Kol Nedrei" by Bruch. CONTACT: Jennifer Tucker, director of public relations for Purdue Bands, (765) 496-2697; e-mail: tuckerj@omni.cc.purdue.edu Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu To the Purdue News and Photos Page