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Symphonic Winds in concert March 15


Last updated March 4, 2019

By Tina Underwood

Furman Symphonic Winds will present a concert Friday, March 15, at 8 p.m. in McAlister Auditorium on the Furman University campus.

Presented by the Furman Department of Music, the event is open to the public. Admission is $5 at the door.

The concert, “New York, New York,” will be performed in conjunction with the South Carolina Band Directors Association All State Band Clinic, which will be held on the Furman campus March 15-17.

Under the direction of Furman Director of Bands Les Hicken, the program includes works by John Mackey, David Maslanka, a Consortium World Premiere by Aaron Perrine, and music by Leonard Bernstein and John Philip Sousa.

Furman Director of Athletic Bands Jay Bocook conducts one of his recent compositions, “Down in the River,” while Furman Director of Jazz Studies Matt Olson is guest soloist for Maslanka’s “Concerto for Saxophone and Wind Ensemble.”

For more information about the event, contact the Furman Band Office at 864-294-3069, and FurmanMusic@furman.edu.

About Les Hicken
Charles E. Daniel Professor of Music Leslie W. Hicken joined the Furman music faculty in 1993. He directs the wind ensemble, symphonic band and chamber wind ensembles, and serves as assistant director to the marching band. In 2010, he led the wind ensemble to the American Bandmasters Association National Convention in Charleston, South Carolina. This month, Furman Symphonic Winds will perform as a showcase ensemble at New York City’s historic Carnegie Hall for the New York Wind Band Festival. Hicken, who retires from Furman this year, will also lead the Carolina Youth Symphony at Carnegie Hall in April.

A member of the South Carolina Band Directors Association Hall of Fame, Hicken is president of the South Carolina Band Directors Association, and member of the American Bandmasters Association. Prior to joining the faculty, Hicken was the director of bands at Youngstown State University (Ohio) and director of the Youngstown Symphony Youth Orchestra. He also performed as a clarinetist in the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra. Earlier in his career, Hicken taught in Durham, North Carolina, and performed as a clarinetist in the U.S. Military Academy. Hicken holds a bachelor’s degree from the Eastman School of Music, and advanced degrees from Columbia University and Indiana University.

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