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Symphonic Winds in concert April 13


Last updated April 4, 2018

By Tina Underwood

Furman Symphonic Winds will present a concert Friday, April 13 at 8 p.m. in McAlister Auditorium on the Furman University campus.

Part of the Sound Quality Concert Series presented by the Department of Music, the event is open to the public. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and $5 for students.

Conducted by Furman Music Professor Les Hicken, the concert features a Consortium World Premiere performance of a piece by St. Louis composer, David Werfelmann. His composition “On the Shoulders of Giants” is built around the scientific accomplishments of Copernicus, Galileo and Kepler. Each movement portrays the scientific revelations these men made to further our understanding of the universe.

Also conducting is Furman’s Director of Athletic Bands Jay Bocook who will guest conduct Sousa’s “Free Lance March.” In addition, compositions by Gioachino Rossini, J.S. Bach, Steven Bryant, and Don Freund will be part of the program.

For more information about the event, contact the Furman University Music Department’s Band Office at 864-294-3069, or email the department at FurmanMusic@furman.edu. Tickets may be purchased at the door or online at this link.

About Les Hicken
Charles E. Daniel Professor of Music Leslie W. Hicken joined the Furman music faculty in 1993. He directs the wind ensemble, symphonic band and chamber wind ensembles, and serves as assistant director to the marching band. In 2010, he led the wind ensemble to the American Bandmasters Association National Convention in Charleston, S.C. In 2019, Furman Symphonic Winds will perform as a showcase ensemble at New York City’s historic Carnegie Hall for the New York Wind Band Festival.

A member of the South Carolina Band Directors Association Hall of Fame, Hicken is president of the South Carolina Band Directors Association, and member of the American Bandmasters Association. Prior to joining the faculty, Hicken was the director of bands at Youngstown State University (Ohio) and director of the Youngstown Symphony Youth Orchestra. He also performed as a clarinetist in the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra. Earlier in his career, Hicken taught in Durham, N.C. and performed as a clarinetist in the U.S. Military Academy. Hicken holds a bachelor’s degree from the Eastman School of Music, and advanced degrees from Columbia University and Indiana University.

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