The Elmhurst University Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band will host their first live concert in 19 months on Sunday, Oct. 17. In addition, the University and its music department will welcome and feature their new professor of trumpet, Christopher O’Hara at the concert.
O’Hara is an internationally renowned trumpet soloist, chamber musician and educator. His playing is described as “virtuosic and impressive in every way” (Chicago Music Examiner), and “a treat beyond measure” (Arlington Advocate); and the International Trumpet Guild Journal hails him as a “true master of [the] instrument.”
Already in his young career, O’Hara has performed more than 3,000 featured artist events covering 48 states and 12 countries across North America, Europe, Great Britain and Asia. His performance schedule has taken him to notable venues such as Italian Brass Week, Ravinia Music Festival, Tanglewood Music Festival, Bethlehem Musikfest, Festival de Camara de Musica in Aguascalientes Mexico, Nagoya Conservatory of Music, Newport Music Festival and Millennium Hall in Japan.
The Elmhurst University Bands and Music Department are excited to welcome O’Hara in his first performance with the Wind Ensemble—on Alexander Arutunian’s Concerto for Trumpet.
The Symphonic Band portion of the concert will feature the exciting dance music of Robert Sheldon’s Choreography and Eugen d’Albert’s Overture to the Improvisator. Dusk by Steven Bryant is a descriptive work of the beauty at sunset, and is followed by Emperata Overture by Claude T. Smith, and one of Henry Fillmore’s most famous marches, The Crosley March.
The Wind Ensemble will open the concert with Clutch, a three-minute musical depiction of a wild ride in a Formula I race car. Celebrating the 120th birthday of Aaron Copland and the 250th birthday of Ludwig van Beethoven, the Wind Ensemble will perform Copland’s Down a Country Lane and Beethoven’s Turkish March from The Ruins of Athens. David Gillingham’s With Heart and Voice is a wonderful setting of an old Spanish hymn now found in most hymnals as Come, Christians, Join to Sing. Following O’Hara’s performance of the Arutunian Concerto for Trumpet will be the majestic and triumphant sounds of ancient Roman Legions returning to Rome in Ottorino Respighi’s The Pines of the Appian Way.
The Elmhurst University Bands Fall Concert begins at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 17, in Hammerschmidt Memorial Chapel. Admission is free. For more information regarding future performances, a map of the campus or more information, visit the Department of Music website.