UW-Green Bay Provost Michael Alexander announced as conductor for Copland piece, Weidner Philharmonic Concert
Pre-Concert Dinner added to evening line-up. Tickets on sale, now!
Green Bay, Wis. — Michael Alexander, the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay’s new provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, will conduct the first piece of music to be played by the Weidner Philharmonic at its inaugural concert, Sept. 28, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. The piece is Aaron Copland’s inspiring “Fanfare for the Common Man.”
A pre-concert dinner has been added to the evening’s events. The dinner will be held in the Weidner Center’s Fort Howard Hall at 6 p.m. More information, including dinner and dessert choices, can be found when purchasing the tickets online at www.weidnercenter.com. Tickets for the dinner and the performance are sold separately.
Provost Alexander is also a featured guest in the new episode of the “Bird in the Wings” podcast hosted by Weidner Center Executive and Artistic Director Kelli Strickland. Strickland sits down with Alexander to discuss his journey to becoming the provost along with his experience in conducting and his love for music. Listen to the podcast.
Alexander comes to UW-Green Bay having served as director of the School of Music at the University of Northern Colorado. He has also served as the interim director of the School of Music at Kennesaw State University in Georgia. The Grand Island, NY native lived in Wisconsin from 1995 to 2004. He earned his master’s degree at UW-Milwaukee and his doctorate at UW-Madison.
Buoyed by the strong community response to the orchestral concert that opened its 25th anniversary season in 2018, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay music faculty and UW-Green Bay’s Weidner Center for the Performing Arts, announced in May the establishment of the Weidner Center Philharmonic Orchestra. According to UW-Green Bay Music Program Chair and Associate Prof. Randy Meder, the Weidner Philharmonic will showcase the talents of UW-Green Bay music faculty, as well as other accomplished orchestral musicians who live and work in the region, in the outstanding acoustical environment of Cofrin Family Hall.
The Weidner Philharmonic inaugural concert, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2019 will consist of the following selections:
The New World Symphony for a New Symphony
Copland: Fanfare for the Common Man (Alexander)
Barber: Overture to The School for Scandal (Yampolsky)
Rachmaninoff: Vocalise featuring Courtney Sherman (Meder)
Márquez: Danzón No. 2 (Collins)
Dvorák: Symphony No. 9 in E minor, “From the New World” (Yampolsky)
Featured Guest Artist:
Victor Yampolsky, Conductor
Featured Artists:
Michael Alexander, Conductor
Kevin Collins, Conductor
Randy Meder, Conductor
Courtney Sherman, Soprano
Tickets for The New World Symphony for a New Symphony with the Weidner Philharmonic at UW-Green Bay are available by calling Ticket Star at 800-895-0071, online at www.WeidnerCenter.com and in person at all Ticket Star locations.
About the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay is a comprehensive public institution offering undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs to nearly 8,000 students with campus locations in Green Bay, Marinette, Manitowoc and Sheboygan. Established in 1965 on the border of Green Bay, the University and its campuses are centers of cultural enrichment, innovation and learning. The Green Bay campus is home to one of the Midwest’s most prolific performing arts centers, a nationally recognized 4,000-seat student recreation center, D-I athletics, an award-winning nine-hole golf course and a five-mile recreational trail and arboretum, which is free and open to the public. This four-campus University transforms lives and communities through student-focused teaching and research, innovative learning opportunities, powerful connections and a problem-solving approach to education. UW-Green Bay’s main campus is centrally located, close to both the Door County resort area and the dynamic economies of Northeast Wisconsin, the Fox Valley region and the I-43 corridor. UW-Green Bay offers in-demand programs in science, engineering and technology; business; health, education and social welfare; and arts, humanities and social sciences. For more information, visit www.uwgb.edu.
About the Weidner Center for the Performing Arts
UW-Green Bay’s Weidner Center for the Performing Arts is known for its elegant design and the acoustic excellence of its 2,000-seat main hall, Cofrin Family Hall. It also houses two smaller performance spaces, the Fort Howard recital hall and the Jean Weidner Theatre, along with a dance studio and Grand Foyer. The Weidner Center has a distinct benefit in being part of a leading institution of higher learning. The Weidner Center is home for UW-Green Bay Music and Theatre and Dance programs, community events and productions, and performances by visiting artists and touring companies. Beyond the large-scale touring productions that grace the stage, the Weidner Center also focuses on scholastic development, programming and an impactful education series — Stage Doors. For more information on the Weidner Center, visit www.WeidnerCenter.com, call 920-465-2726 or 800-895-0071, or follow ‘Weidner Center for the Performing Arts’ on Facebook, Twitter (@WeidnerCenter) and Instagram (@weidnercenter).
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