Mason Gross School of the Arts Mid-Atlantic Band Festival

First-time event to host high school wind ensembles

New Brunswick, NJ -- The Department of Music at Mason Gross School of the Arts will host the first Mid-Atlantic Honors Wind Band Festival Thursday, February 26 and Friday, February 27, 2009.

Announcements of the event were sent to over 400 band directors from Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware, inviting ensembles to submit recordings and statements of accomplishments of their groups. Chosen ensembles will participate in clinics with the wind faculty of the music department and also perform during two concerts.

“We are delighted to host this event at Mason Gross," said George B. Stauffer, dean of the school. “It is vital for Rutgers programs to connect with the community, and this is the perfect way for musicians to interact." The program was conceived to acknowledge the cooperation and excellence of students, administrators, and parent involvement and the commitment to the arts in public education.

The chosen schools are Bridgewater-Raritan High School Wind Ensemble directed by Gary Myer and Larry Markiewicz, Randolph High School Wind Ensemble directed by David Aulenbach, Verona High School Concert Band directed by Erik Lynch, Hillsborough High School Wind Ensemble directed by Jules Haran, J.P. Stevens High School Wind Ensemble directed by Andrew DeNicola, and South Brunswick High School Wind Ensemble directed by Mark Kraft.

The first three ensembles will perform during the Rutgers Symphony Band concert under the direction of Darryl Bott on Thursday, February 26, 2009 at 8 pm at Nicholas Music Center, and the final three will perform during the Rutgers Wind Ensemble concert under the direction of William Berz on Friday, February 27, 2009 at 8 pm, also at Nicholas Music Center. Both concerts are free and no tickets are required.

Nicholas Music Center is in the Mason Gross Performing Arts Center, 85 George Street (between Route 18 and Ryders Lane), on the Douglass Campus of Rutgers New Brunswick.

For more information on any Mason Gross event, visit www.masongross.rutgers.edu or call the Mason Gross Performing Arts Center ticket office at 732-932-7511 (TTY: 732-932-3873).

About Rutgers Symphony Band
The Rutgers Symphony Band performs both standard and contemporary literature from the wind band repertoire. Emphasis is placed upon the development of both technical and musical skills. The group comprises both music and non-music majors and it presents at least one concert each semester. It was founded in 2000 due to the increased enrollment of music students. The group is the former Concert Band, which is now composed of members of the larger Rutgers University community.

About Rutgers Wind Ensemble
The Rutgers Wind Ensemble, founded during the mid 1900s, has established itself as one of the leading wind bands in the United States. The ensemble presents concerts at the highest artistic level, performing both masterworks of the wind repertoire and new works, including pieces composed expressly for the group. The ensemble proudly performed with many guest conductors, including Harry Begian, Kenneth G. Bloomquist, Eugene Migliaro Corporon, James Croft, James Curnow, Dennis Fisher, David Holsinger, John Pastin, Stephen Pratt, and William H. Silvester.

The ensemble has performed at many professional conferences and has recorded a number of compact discs. Several recordings have earned Grammy Entry Listings and the group has more listing entries than any other wind band. Their recording of Dance Rhythms received three Grammy Entry Listings.

About Mason Gross School of the Arts
Founded in 1976, Mason Gross School of the Arts is the arts conservatory of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and is home to the departments of dance, music, theater arts, and visual arts. Its faculty and alumni rosters include arts professionals recognized nationally and internationally. The school's enrollment of 642 undergraduates across four departments and 292 graduate students across three departments, combined with a faculty of 155, assures students the opportunity to work closely with accomplished artists within their fields.

About Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
A comprehensive research institution with more than 50,000 students on three main campuses in New Brunswick, Newark and Camden, Rutgers comprises one of the major state university systems in the nation. Chartered in 1766 in New Brunswick as Queens College, Rutgers is the eighth oldest institution of higher learning in the nation.