MetWinds Band Concert: "Emblems"

MetWinds to Present Winter Band Concert: “Emblems”

Join the MetWinds for our Winter Band Concert on Sunday, March 3, 2024 at 3:00 PM, at the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum, 33 Marrett Road, Lexington, MA. MetWinds Music Director Richard Wyman will also present a free pre-concert lecture at 2:30 PM inside the concert hall.

MetWinds principal bassoonist Jason Caron is featured soloist for Stephen Gryc’s delightfully modern composition Guignol, a satirical concerto that epitomizes the witty banter and frenetic action of a puppet show, with the soloist playing the part of the comic hero. Other emblematic music includes For the President’s Own composed by John Williams to honor the Marine Band’s 215th Anniversary, and Steve Danyew’s bluesy Magnolia Star inspired by the American railroad. MetWinds Assistant Conductor Meghan MacFadden leads a recently composed Little Mexican Suite that evokes the natural beauty of Mexican landscapes. The concert’s title work, Emblems, is a major composition from the band repertory by the “Dean of American Music” Aaron Copland. The afternoon concludes with the concert’s only piece not written specifically for Band, an authentic transcription of Rimsky-Korsakov’s beloved orchestral suite based on Spanish folk melodies, Capriccio Espagnol.

Richard E. Wyman, MetWinds Music Director is the former Assistant Director of the United States Coast Guard Band, where he served as conductor, Education Director, and producer. He is currently the Executive Director of the Community Music School in Centerbrook, CT and Choir Director at Noank (CT) Baptist Church.

Meghan MacFadden, MetWinds Assistant Conductor is a musician and educator based in Amherst, Massachusetts. She is also currently Director of the Wind Ensemble at Smith College, Assistant Conductor of The Valley Winds, and Staff Accompanist at the University of Massachusetts – Amherst. In addition to her conducting role at MetWinds, Meghan plays piccolo in the ensemble.

Jason Caron, Bassoon Soloist has been a member of the Metropolitan Wind Symphony since 2008. He is an accomplished music educator and performer. He holds multiple degrees from The Hartt School at the University of Hartford where he studied both bassoon and conducting. He currently teaches in Hudson, MA.

Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors, $5 for students, and are free for children under 5. They are available at the door. Tickets can also be purchased online: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/metwinds-winter-2024-concert-emblems-tickets-720526753917?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

MetWinds also participates in the Card to Culture program, a collaboration between the Mass Cultural Council and the Department of Transitional Assistance, the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Nutrition Program, and the Massachusetts Health Connector, by broadening accessibility to cultural programming.

Massachusetts EBT and WIC cardholders can show their EBT or WIC card at MetWinds indoor Lexington concerts to pay only $2 per adult or $1 per child (age 6+). Children under age 6 are free. There is no admission limit per cardholder. We cannot process EBT or WIC transactions; cash or other payment must be provided for admission.

Founded by Jerry Gardner in 1971, the Metropolitan Wind Symphony, a concert band, is currently celebrating its 53rd anniversary. The MetWinds comprises over 70 talented woodwind, brass, and percussion instrumentalists who audition for membership and seating. It makes a significant contribution to the cultural life of the Greater Boston community by providing its audiences with high quality concerts and its members with opportunities for musical growth.

This and other concerts by the MetWinds are funded in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.