4/16/04

Bob Lowry, 334/844-9999

TOP 650 MUSICIANS AT AU FOR ALL-STATE BAND FESTIVAL

AUBURN -- The top 650 high school and junior high band students in the state of Alabama will converge on Auburn University the weekend of April 22-24 for the 2004 All-State Band Festival.

Sponsored by the Alabama Bandmasters Association and hosted by AU's Department of Music and the AU Bands, the festival will attract students from more than 350 high school, junior high and middle school bands throughout the state.

Participants were selected for the festival through competitive auditions at eight district sites. Upon arrival in Auburn, the young musicians will audition again for placement in the Junior High Band and the three High School Bands, designated as "Red," "White," and "Blue."

Conductor of the All-State Red Band will be composer Stephen Melillo. The All-State White Band will be conducted by Rick Good, associate director of bands at AU.

Conductor of the All-Sate Blue Band will be David Holsinger, composer and conductor of the Wind Ensemble at Lee University. And the All-State Junior High Band will be conducted by Minnesota composer Bruce Pearson.

The four bands will rehearse under the three conductors on Thursday evening, Friday and Saturday morning, and will present a free concert on Saturday at 1 p.m. in Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum. "We are delighted to be hosting the All-State Band Festival again this year," says Johnnie Vinson, director of bands at AU. "The festival affords us a wonderful opportunity to get to know these talented students and their directors and to show them what Auburn has to offer in our music and band programs."

A highlight of the festival will be a special "Host Night" concert for the participants by the AU Symphonic Band on Friday, April 23, at 8 p.m. at the Opelika Performing Arts Center. The concert is free and open to the public.

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CONTACT: Vinson, 334/844-4166.