Dr. David Waybright will conduct his final UF Wind Symphony concert on Sunday, April 13, after 38 years of directing.
The event will start at 2 p.m. with a pre-concert lecture with composers of premier works, followed by the 3 p.m. UF Wind Symphony and UF Alumni Wind Symphony concert and a post-concert reception.
The concert will take place at the Phillips Center for Performing Arts at
No tickets are required for the concert, but an RSVP is requested for the post-concert reception by clicking here.
The Wind Symphony will perform the following three new pieces at the concert:
Modern Legacy,by contemporary visionary Gala Flagello, takes the audience through three movements inspired by the sounds and styles of landmark works for winds, namely, the Gran Partita by Mozart, Dvořák’s Serenade for Winds in D minor, and Stravinsky’s Concerto for Piano and Winds.
Dreams of Dalí, by Grammy-award-winning composer, Michael Daugherty provides listeners with an aural gallery of the life and works of renowned Spanish painter and filmmaker, Salvador Dalí. The piece gives a musical interpretation of some of his most significant works, such as Persistence of Memory (1931), Spellbound (1945), and The Hallucinogenic Toreador (1968-70).
In Triton’s Trumpet, composer Paul Richards shares a narrative about Triton, a son of Poseidon, as he emerges from the depths of the seas to commit godly acts. This single movement piece consists of four distinct parts and is representative of Dr. David Waybright himself as a trumpet player, former scuba instructor, and currently avid scuba diver.
To further celebrate the achievements of the Wind Symphony under the leadership of Waybright, there will also be the debut performance of the UF Alumni Wind Symphony.
This ensemble will present a varied program featuring Elsa’s Procession to the Cathedral by Richard Wagner, an expansive and slow-building piece with rich harmonies; Men of Florida by Henry Fillmore, a musical staple for the University of Florida and the Gainesville community; Aurora Awakes by acclaimed composer John Mackey, offering a musical depiction of the Roman goddess of dawn, and Unidad en Ritmo by Michele Fernandez; an exciting piece that focuses on cultural unity and blends Afro-Cuban and jazz inspired styles with the modern wind symphony.