The Keystone Wind Ensemble will be presenting a concert entitled "A New York State of Mind", featuring wind works of New York City composers.
“The performance could not be bettered...this is a terrific release that deserves a wide audience.”American Record Guide
A highlight of the concert will be the world premiere of Michael Torke's Wild Grass for solo harp and ten winds. The soloist will be Sara Cutler, principal harpist with the American Symphony Orchestra and the New York City Ballet Orchestra. In addition, Joseph Turrin's Chronicles for solo trumpet and wind ensemble will be performed. The soloist will be Thomas Hooten, recently appointed principal trumpet of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
Included in the performance will be works by Richard Danielpour, Vincent Persichetti, Peter Mennin, Norman Dello Joio, David Diamond and William Schuman.
The Keystone Wind Ensemble is concert band comprised of approximately 50 woodwind, brass, and percussion players, under the direction of Dr. Jack Stamp. The group is sponsored by Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and all members have a direct affiliation with the university as alumni, students, faculty, or administrators. The ensemble, created in 1992, was formed for the express purpose of recording new and more traditional works from the concert band repertoire for national release on compact disc. Reviews of these recording have been uniformly enthusiastic. Fanfare Magazine wrote that “the sound is excellent... this recording has the virtue of sounding like an excellent concert recording without the disadvantages of a real concert. The group plays with precise intonation and ensemble, able to tackle tricky rhythms and keep dense textures clear. The recording is, in terms of production/performance values, probably a must for every U.S. band director.”
Through its annual CD releases, which are all recorded on the IUP campus, the ensemble has attracted a national following. What makes this group distinctive, apart from the high performance level, is that this ensemble is truly one of a kind. No other university in the United States can boast of an ensemble such as this – and especially one that reaches the highest professional standards.
