University Symphonic Band



Stetson University Symphonic Band

The Stetson University Symphonic Band is comprised of about 90 – 110 undergraduate music and non-music majors enrolled in the School of Music. Not unlike the university, the Symphonic Band has a long and distinguished history. In addition to tour and conference performances the band performs a regular concert series on the Stetson campus using the best wind literature from the renaissance to the present day. In addition to presenting the standard band repertoire, including the best of transcribed works, the ensemble is committed to the best in new compositions. Recent premiere performances include Samuel Adler's Concerto for Guitar and Wind Ensemble, David Maslanka's Desert Roads: Four Songs for Clarinet and Wind Ensemble, and the world premiere of Sydney Hodkinson's Monumentum pro umbris. Other contemporary works include Peter Graham's Harrison's Dream, Christopher Marshall's L'homme arme, David Maslanka's Symphony No. 4 and Sydney Hodkinson's Symphony No. 9 … epiphanies … for Symphony Orchestra without Strings. The Symphony Band has premiered a number of transcriptions by Joseph Kreines including Walk to the Paradise Garden by Frederick Delius, Six Movements of the Romeo and Juliet Ballet Suite by Sergi Prokofiev and Finale to Symphony No. 2 by Jean Sibelius.

Members of the Stetson faculty are regularly featured as soloists with the Symphonic Band as well as musician from the professional world including John Bruce Yeh, Clarinet – Chicago Symphony, Marie Speziale – Cincinnati Symphony and the Cleveland Due – Cleveland Orchestra.

Since 1991 the Symphonic Band has performed at the following conferences:

1991 – Florida Bandmasters Association – Tampa

1991 – Florida Music Educators Association – Tampa

1993 – MENC Southern Division Conference – Savannah, GA

1995 – Kentucky Music Educators Association – Louisville, KY

1996 – College Band Directors National Association/National Band Association

Southern Division Conference – Biloxi, MS

1996 – Music Educators National Conference – Kansas City, MO

1998 – American Bandmasters Association National Conference – Biloxi, MS

2000 – Music Educators National Conference – Washington, D. C.

2002 – College Band Directors Association/National Band Association

Southern Division Conference – Atlanta, GA

2003 – Florida Music Educators Association Conference, Tampa

2006 – College Band Directors Association/National Band Association

Southern Division Conference – Nashville, TN

In 1990 the Florida Bandmasters Association instituted the FBA Hall of Fame. Since that initial year the School of Music has hosted the Hall of Fame activities with the Symphonic Band serving as the featured ensemble. This brings the total number of state, regional and national convention appearances since 1991 to 28.

The strong support and involvement given the band by the woodwind, brass, and percussion faculty creates an atmosphere of mutual respect which insures the success of the Symphonic Band.