The Modern Wind Symphony Concert: The Brooklyn Wind Symphony's Tribute to John Barnes Chance Saturday, March 24 at 2:00 PM

BROOKLYN, N.Y., Feb. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Brooklyn Wind Symphony, Williamsburg's upstart concert band founded in 2008 by Artist Director Jeff W. Ball, presents a concert honoring the prominent wind band composer John Barnes Chance (1932-1972) in what would have been his 80th birthday year. The ensemble takes the stage at Grand Street Campus on Saturday March 24 at 2:00 PM.

The suggested donation for entry into the concert is $10 for adults, and is free for children and students. The Modern Wind Symphony Concert is the Brooklyn Wind Symphony's homage to composers who create works that explore the full artistic spectrum of the wind band medium. Traditionally, most symphonies and concertos are written for string orchestra, but each year the BKWS chooses one symphony and one concerto written specifically for brass, percussion and winds instruments as a unique twist on the typical classical music concert.

This year's program is an all John Barnes Chance program which includes: Incantation and Dance (1960) the composer's first published work, Introduction and Capriccio (1966) for piano and 24 winds (featuring a member of the ensemble), Blue Lake Overture (1971) commissioned as part of the Ford Foundation Young Composers Project during Chance's residency with Greensboro County Public Schools in North Carolina, Symphony No. 2 (1972), and Elegy (1972) written only months before the composer's surprising and untimely death.

"John Barnes Chance left an indelible mark on wind repertoire and the concert band world," says Brooklyn Wind Symphony Artist Director Jeff W. Ball. "He passed away at the age of 39, only a decade into his professional career, yet he created a number of magnificent concert works that ensembles perform worldwide as modern classics today."

ABOUT BROOKLYN WIND SYMPHONY

The Brooklyn Wind Symphony was founded with 30 members as the Grand Street Community Band in 2008. Since then, the ensemble has grown to more than 85 members who have become repeat performers at Columbia University's Festival of Winds, Town Square Inc. Summer Starz community concert series, Make Music New York, and most recently at Lincoln Center as part of Distinguished Concert International New York's "Winds from the South" Program in 2011.

While the ensemble has a sizable amount of music educators or those with music degrees, the majority of the ensemble is made up of adults from a wide range of professions who share a life-long love of music.

The BKWS supports local music making by mentoring local student musicians and performing regularly at Grand Street Campus band concerts. The BKWS also involves itself with larger scale projects by supporting a commission from Grammy nominated composer Edward Green from Manhattan College of Music and is currently spearheading its own commission from world-renowned composer David Maslanka, who also has NYC roots as a former faculty member at New York University and Kingsborough College.

ABOUT JEFF W. BALL (Artistic Director)

Jeff W. Ball received his Bachelor's Degree in Music Education and Jazz Studies from Ithaca College in 2003 and his Master's in Music Education from the same institution in 2008. Ball has participated in conducting symposiums around the nation led by Dr. Stephen Peterson, Director of Bands at Ithaca College; Dr. Mallory Thompson, Director of Bands at Northwestern University; Dr. Craig Kirchoff, Director of Bands at the University of Minnesota; Dr. Alan McMurray, Director of Bands at the University of Colorado; and Jerry Junkin, Director of Bands at the University of Texas and Conductor of the Dallas Wind Symphony.

After moving to Brooklyn in July 2004, Jeff became Director of Bands for the Grand Street Campus High Schools in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. He also currently serves as Director of the NYC All-City Marching Band and was recently appointed as Director of the Brooklyn College Conservatory Wind Ensemble.

SOURCE Brooklyn Wind Symphony