Metropolitan Wind Symphony to Present Spring Band Concert:

“Honoring 50 Years!”

Featuring the world premiere performance of Julie Giroux's Sixth Symphony.

Lexington, MA -- Honoring 50 Years since its founding, MetWinds Conductor Laureate Lew Buckley returns to conduct the world premiere performance of Julie Giroux’s Symphony No. 6. This in-person band concert is on Sunday, May 1, 2022 at 3:00 pm, at the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum, 33 Marrett Road, Lexington, MA. Guest Conductor Rick Wyman will lead the first half of the program. Featured are Short Ride in a Fast Machine by John Adams/trans. Odom, Bach’s Fugue a la Gigue arranged by Gustav Holst, Lux Arumque by Eric Whitacre, Variations on America by Charles Ives, The Thunderer by John Philip Sousa, As Midnight on a Moonless Night by Michael Markowski, and Symphony No. 6 by Julie Giroux. There will be a pre-concert lecture inside the performance hall at 2:30pm.

Lew Buckley was the Director of the U.S. Coast Guard Band for over 29 years, and the Music Director of the Metropolitan Wind Symphony for over 10 years. He continues to compose, arrange, and publish prolifically, bringing to his work the knowledge of 40 years on the podium.

Rick Wyman recently retired as the Assistant Director of the U.S. Coast Guard Band. He is currently the Administrative Director, Outreach Coordinator at Musical Masterworks and a clinician and guest conductor of school and honor festival ensembles.

Julie Giroux is an extremely well rounded and renowned composer, writing works for symphony orchestra, chamber ensembles, wind ensembles, soloists, brass and woodwind quintets, and many other serious and commercial formats.

All individuals ages 12 and older attending the concert must be vaccinated and must also wear a mask while inside the venue. Please bring your vaccination card (or a photocopy), a photo ID, and a mask to the concert. Credentials will be checked at the museum entrance. Children who are not eligible for the vaccine may attend the performance as long as they are wearing a mask. Please social distance from other groups once you are inside the hall. After the performance, please exit the building. If you are a friend of a performer, please plan to meet them outside of the building so there is no congregating in the lobby.

Tickets are $18 for adults, $14 for seniors, $6 for students, and are free for children under 5. They are available at the door. Tickets can also be purchased online at the following link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/metwinds-spring-2022-concert-celebrating-50-years-tickets-302193477827

Visit the MetWinds web page at http://www.metwinds.org or call the MetWinds Concert Line at (978) 419-1697 for more information. Email mws@mws-boston.org with any questions.

Founded by Jerry Gardner in 1971, the Metropolitan Wind Symphony, a concert band, is currently celebrating its 51st 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.