Wind Symphony

About the Program

Program notes by Mark Bilyeu except where noted.

David Biedenbender
Time Flies
Born 1984, Waukesha, WI
Premiered March 19, 2026, Michigan State University Wind Symphony, Kevin L. Sedatole, conductor, East Lansing, MI
9 minutes

Time Flies was written for and is dedicated to my friend and colleague Kevin Sedatole in celebration of 20 years as director of bands at Michigan State University. It was commissioned by a consortium of his current and former students. The title references the expression “time flies when you’re having fun,” which has its origins in the Latin phrase tempus fugit, literally “time flees,” from The Georgics, the first-century poem by the Latin poet Virgil. The original phrase is closer to “time is lost, which never will renew,” and I intend to evoke these dual meanings by bringing together musical threads that are ecstatic and fun with those that are nostalgic and heartfelt.

– David Biedenbender

J.S. Bach
Fantasia and Fugue in C Minor, BWV 537
Born March 31, 1685, Eisenach, Germany
Died July 28, 1750, Leipzig, Germany
8 minutes

Originally for the organ, and here transcribed by the maverick Donald Hunsberger, Bach’s Fantasia and Fugue in C Minor is unlike many of his other works of the same form. Here, Bach offers a rather asymmetrical two-part fantasia while entirely omitting a typical virtuosic cadenza. The fugue enters in a stately, still mournful procession as it builds towards a climax that only Bach could craft. As with so much of Bach’s music, little is known about the work’s origins. As a lifetime church musician, record keeping for posterity’s sake was never a priority for Bach. According to an 1845 account, the manuscript was found in the estate of Bach’s famous pupil, J. L. Krebs, dated January 10, 1751, indicating that it had been copied down a year after Bach’s death. 
 

Leonard Bernstein
Symphonic Dances from West Side Story
August 25, 1918, Lawrence, MA 
October 14, 1990, New York, NY 
Composed 1957 / 2008
February 13, 1961. Carnegie Hall, New York, NY, United States | New York Philharmonic / Lukas Foss, conductor Wind Band version: United States Marine Band, "The President's Own," with Col. Michael J. Colburn conducting, 2006,
23 minutes

When West Side Story hit Broadway in 1967, it was an immediate success, and a turning point in American theater. Leonard Bernstein, whose previous theater works On the Town, Wonderful Town, and Candide had also made splashes in different measure, had crafted a theatrical work which simultaneously looked back to operatic origins, and looked beyond the musical comedies that had ruled Broadway for so many years. In West Side Story, Bernstein showcased complicated vocal ensembles ala Mozart operatic finales and implemented letimotifs as Wagner had perfected, all while utilizing the jazz harmonies, and Latin rhythms of the New York streets. Even without the dialogue to drive the drama, Bernstein’s music depicts the tragic story of the Shakespearean star-crossed lovers. The Symphonic Dances are a through-composed sequence of dance numbers taken from the show, encompassing the Prologue, the iconic Dream Ballet choreographed by Jerome Robbins, a mambo (we dare you to not call it out with us!), a cha-cha, the Cool Fugue, and the climactic final battle between the Sharks and Jets. The suite ends with the lush sonorities of "Somewhere"; its unmistakable opening interval harkening back to Beethoven’s “Emperor” piano concerto, while also looking ahead to the hopeful future envisioned by Tony and Maria.
 

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About the Artists

Cody Ray

Cody Ray is currently pursuing a doctor of musical arts in wind conducting at The University of Texas at Austin where he studies with professor Jerry Junkin and serves as a graduate teaching assistant for University Bands. He received his bachelor of arts in music education from the University of Alabama at Birmingham under the mentorship of Dr. Sue Samuels, Dr. Gene Fambrough, Dr. Cara Morantz, and Dr. Sean Murray, and a master of music in wind conducting from Tte University of South Carolina (’24) studying under Dr. Cormac Cannon, Dr. Jay Jacobs, and Dr. Quintus Wrighten. Prior to his graduate studies, Cody served as the assistant director of bands at Cairo High School in Cairo, GA from 2020-2022. Before coming to Cairo, he also served as director of bands at Sipsey Valley High/Middle School from 2019-2020 and director of bands at Sulligent High School from 2018-2019. His professional affiliations include the National Association for Music Education, the College Band Directors National Association, and the National Band Association.

Douglas Henderson

Douglas Henderson serves as associate director of bands at The University of Texas at Austin, where his responsibilities include conducting the Wind Symphony, teaching advanced undergraduate and graduate conducting, and teaching band literature. Prior to joining the UT faculty, Dr. Henderson was an associate professor, associate director of bands, and director of athletic bands at Oklahoma State University. Dr. Henderson is active as a guest conductor, adjudicator, and clinician throughout the United States, and he has guest conducted in Austria and Japan. He is a frequent guest conductor of the World Youth Wind Orchestra Project (WYWOP), in Schladming, Austria. Dr. Henderson received his bachelor of music degree in music studies from The University of Texas at Austin, his master of music degree in wind conducting from Michigan State University, and his doctor of musical arts degree in wind conducting from The University of Texas at Austin. From 2003-2006, he was the associate director of bands at J.J. Pearce High School in Richardson, Texas.

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Wind Symphony

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Upcoming Events

JAZZ ORCHESTRAS 
Miles Ahead: Celebrating 100 Years of Miles Davis
Friday, October 9, 7:30 p.m.
Bates Recital Hall
 

WIND ENSEMBLE
with the Mariachi Paredes de Tejastitlán
Wednesday, October 21, 7:30 p.m.
Bates Recital Hall
 

WIND SYMPHONY
Free Admission
Wednesday, November 4, 7:30 p.m.
Bates Recital Hall
 

WIND ENSEMBLE
Sunday, November 8, 4:00 p.m.
Bates Recital Hall
 

SYMPHONY BAND
Free Admission
Sunday, November 15, 7:30 p.m.
Bates Recital Hall
 

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