Washington, DC -- On the heels of a successful Young People’s Concert, Assistant Director 1st Lt. Ryan J. Nowlin once again returns to his music education roots as the guest clinician and composer for the University of New Hampshire’s (UNH) Wind Band Invitational on May 4, 2016. Dr. Andrew Boysen, the UNH conducting professor and director of the Wind Symphony initiated this non-competitive event where seven high school bands will receive a 45-minute clinic from Boysen and a 40-minute clinic from Nowlin. “All the bands will be performing my music,” Nowlin explained. “Dr. Boysen builds the invitational around composers, so the visiting high school bands will each be playing something of mine.” The idea is that working with an actual composer on his own music will strengthen the experience for the students.
The bands will also have the opportunity to observe clinics with other visiting bands, which, according to Boysen, is “an opportunity that is rare these days, especially in a non-competitive and supportive environment.” In addition, the UNH Wind Symphony will perform a concert, to include selections by Nowlin, for all participating ensembles. “Ensembles are not expected to have music prepared at a festival level and performances will not be adjudicated,” Boysen said. “It is our hope that the students will benefit from the clinics at any stage of their preparation for performance.”
Later that evening at 8 p.m., Nowlin will guest conduct the UNH Wind Symphony at the Johnson Theater at the Paul Creative Arts Center in Durham, N.H. The program will include Vincent Persichetti’s Symphony No. 6; J.S. Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, arranged by guest conductor Nowlin; the world première of Symphony No. 1 by graduate student Paul Cravens; and Deadline by Nowlin. The concert is free and open to the public. Tickets are not required. For more information about the performance, please click here. [To download or listen to the Marine Band’s recording of Nowlin’s arrangement of Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor, click here.
The next day, Thursday, May 5, Nowlin will be part of a master class with the music graduate students, participate in discussions with the wind literature class, and meet with the graduate conducting students. That evening at 8 p.m., he will return to the podium for a performance with two more UNH ensembles at the Johnson Theater at the Paul Creative Arts Center in Durham, N.H. The Concert Band portion of the program will include the music of Bruce Fraser, Frank Ticheli, Brian Balmages, and guest composer Nowlin’s march, Oh, Henry!. The Symphonic Band will perform the music of Ian Nelson, Mark Camphouse, and will include Nowlin’s As We Forgive. The concert is free and open to the public. Tickets are not required. For more information, please click here.