THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF MUSIC
Presents THE UNIVERSITY WIND
ENSEMBLE
Patrick Dunnigan, Director
Andy Dubbert, Graduate Associate Conductor
Drew Hardy-Moore, Graduate Associate Conductor
with special guests
David Okerlund, Narrator
Noah Solomon, Trumpet
David Westbury, Announcer
The University Singers
Kevin Fenton, Director
The FSU Rope Drum Ensemble
Austin Pelella, Coordinator
Tuesday, April 14, 2026
Seven-thirty in the Evening
Ruby Diamond Concert Hall
Livestream: wfsu.org/fsumusic
Star Spangled Banner (1814)
PROGRAM
American Salute (1942)
Drew Hardy-Moore, graduate associate conductor
Chester Overture (1956)
Armed Services Medley (2025)
“Band of Brothers” from the HBO series Band of Brothers (2001)
The Entertainer (1902)
“Somewhere” from West Side Story (1957)
Drew Hardy-Moore, graduate associate conductor
Stars & Stripes Forever (1896)
Francis Scott Key (1779–1843) arr. John Williams
Morton Gould (1913–1996)
William Schuman (1910–1992)
arr. Bob Thurston (b. 1959)
Michael Kamen (1948–2003) arr. Patrick Dunnigan
Scott Joplin (1868–1917) arr. Patrick Dunnigan
Leonard Bernstein (1918–1990) arr. Patrick Dunnigan
John Philip Sousa (1854–1932)
INTERMISSION
Please refrain from talking, entering, or exiting while performers are playing. Food and drink are prohibited in all concert halls. Please turn off cell phones and all other electronic devices. Please refrain from putting feet on seats and seat backs. Children who become disruptive should be taken out of the performance hall so they do not disturb the musicians and other audience members.
Variations on America (1891)
Lincoln Portrait (1942)
Andy Dubbert, graduate associate conductor
Charles Ives (1874–1954)
arr. William Schuman tr. William E. Rhodes
Aaron Copland (1900–1990) arr. Walter Beeler
David Okerlund, narrator
“With Malice Toward None” from Lincoln (2012)
Noah Solomon, trumpet
John Williams (b. 1932) arr. Paul Lavender
Song of Democracy (1957)
America, the Beautiful (1920)
Howard Hanson (1896–1981) with The University Singers
Samuel A. Ward (1847–1903)
text Katharine Lee Bates arr. Carmen Dragon with The University Singers
Patrick Dunnigan is Director of Bands and Professor of Music at the Florida State University College of Music. A member of the FSU faculty since 1991, Dunnigan is the principal conductor and music director of the University Wind Orchestra. His other teaching duties include undergraduate conducting courses and instrumental music methods. As Director of Bands, he oversees all aspects of the FSU band program which includes five concert bands, a chamber music program, graduate teaching program, and athletic pep bands.
A nationally recognized guest conductor, adjudicator, and clinician, Dunnigan has published numerous articles on conducting, instrumental music methodology, and research in leading journals including The Instrumentalist, Music Educators Journal, Bulletin for the Council for Research in Music Education, and the Journal of Band Research. His textbook, Marching Band Techniques, is published by The Instrumentalist Company and has become a leading college textbook of marching band methodology. His transcriptions and arrangements for concert band are performed regularly by major university, community, and professional wind bands, including the Dallas Wind Symphony. He has presented clinic sessions for the Midwest Clinic, the Music Educators National Conference, the Florida Bandmasters Association, the College Band Directors National Association, the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, and many others.
Dunnigan received the Doctor of Philosophy in Music Education degree from the University of Texas at Austin, the Master of Music in Conducting degree from Northwestern University, and the Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Kentucky. He is an active member of the College Band Directors National Association, Music Educators National Conference, Florida Music Educators Association, National Band Association, Florida Bandmasters Association, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Music Fraternity. He is also an honorary member of the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association, Kappa Kappa Psi, and Tau Beta Sigma, and received the Friend of the Arts award from Sigma Alpha Iota.
Dunnigan received the prestigious FSU Teaching Award in both 2003 and 2012. In 2006, he was elected to membership in the prestigious American Bandmasters Association. He served as National President of the College Band Directors National Association from 2015 to 2017.
Kevin Fenton, Professor of Choral Conducting and Ensembles and Director of the FSU University Singers and Men’s Glee (Collegians), has conducted the Virginia Tech Meistersingers (1998), the University Singers (2002, 2003, 2006, 2007 and 2013), and the Festival Singers of Florida (2012 and 2018) in performances at regional and national conventions of ACDA and NAfME. He has served as a Fulbright Specialist to SubSaharan Africa, teaching choral conducting and conducting pedagogy at Kenya’s Conservatory of Music. In the fall of 2019, Fenton taught conducting at the Universitas Pelita Harapan in Jakarta, Indonesia. As co-founder of AVoice4Peace, Fenton has held AVoice4Peace events in Kenya, Indonesia, Ireland, China, and for the Florida and Southern Region ACDA conventions. Fenton has conducted choirs in 35 states, including twenty-nine all-state choirs. Internationally, Fenton was a featured conductor for the International Choral Festival and Conference in Xi’an (2017) and Beijing (2007), South Africa’s National Youth Choir (2016), and the Dublin International Choral Festival (2016). A champion of new music, Fenton has conducted over thirty premiere performances.
Fenton has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in choral literature and choral conducting at Florida State University since 2000, and his textbook, Foundations of Choral Conducting, is being used in beginning conducting classes throughout the country. He is a recipient of the Florida State University Teaching Award for Excellence, the Gamma Mu Chapter of Delta Omicron Music Professor of the Year Award, and the Wayne Hugoboom Distinguished Florida Service Award. Fenton is Artistic Director of the Festival Singers of Florida, who are celebrating their 12th season.
ABOUT THE FEATURED GUESTS
Bass-baritone David Okerlund has performed over 100 operas, recitals, symphonic works, and oratorios in the past 30 years throughout North America, Europe and Asia. He has received several honors for his singing, including winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Regional auditions, the National Opera Association Competition runner-up, semifinalist for the Richard Tucker Competition, and semi-finalist in the International Belvedere Competition in Vienna, Austria.
Okerlund established himself in critically acclaimed performances in leading roles at The San Francisco Opera, The National Theater of Tokyo, The Hyogo Performing Arts Center (Osaka), Vancouver Opera, L’ Opera National du Rhein (France), Teatro Carlo Felice (Italy), Opera de Lyon (France), Pittsburgh Opera, Connecticut Opera Theater, Arizona Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, and Opera Carolina.
Okerlund’s students have held positions at the following professional young artist training programs in Europe and North America including: Wiener Staatsoper Opernstudio, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Staatsoper Stuttgart, Santa Fe Opera, Kentucky Opera, Nashville Opera, Minnesota Opera, Sarasota Opera, Palm Beach Opera, Atlanta Opera Glynn Studio, Opera Colorado, Arizona Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Detroit Opera, Central City Opera, Opera Theater of St. Loius, Chautauqua Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, the Los Angeles Opera Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program, the Washington National Opera Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program, the San Francisco Opera Merola and Adler Fellowship programs, the Lyric Opera of Chicago Ryan Center Artists, and the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program.
Recently, Okerlund’s students sang as main stage artists nationally and internationally at the Houston Grand Opera, the San Francisco Opera, Minnesota Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, Washington National Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Opera Theater of St. Loius, San Diego Opera, Detroit Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Opera Omaha, Sarasota Opera, Dallas Opera, Minnesota Opera, Palm Beach Opera, Atlanta Opera, Arizona Opera, Opera Colorado, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Teatro Santiago Chile, Den Norske Opera and Ballet, Opera de Saint-Etiene, Teatro Maggio Fiorentino, Staatstheater Darmstadt, Staatstheater Meiningen, Hamburg Staatsoper, Staatsoper Stuttgart, Wiener Staatsoper, and the Metropolitan Opera.
David’s discography includes the 2006 world premiere recording of La Muerte de Colòn by Leonardo Balada (Naxos) and the 2001 world premiere San Francisco Opera production and recording of Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking (Erato).
In addition to his responsibilities as Professor of Voice and Director of the Graduate Voice Research and Pedagogy Program at the College of Music, Okerlund regularly gives masterclasses, workshops, professional consultations, and lessons at major young artist programs throughout the United States. In 2019 Okerlund was named the Principal Guest Voice Teacher for the Atlanta Opera Glynn Studio Artists.
Noah Solomon received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado, where he studied under the guidance of Dr. Ryan Gardner, and is currently in the final semester of his master’s degree in brass performance at Florida State University, studying with Dr. Chris Moore.
During his undergraduate studies, Solomon was a finalist in the CU-Boulder concerto competition, a two-time semi-finalist in the National Trumpet Competition solo division, a finalist in the military band and large ensemble divisions, and associate principal of the Boulder Symphony Orchestra. Solomon was also a finalist at the International Trumpet Guild wind band division in 2023, receiving second place. He has performed in masterclasses for major trumpet players such as Caleb
Hudson, Ashley Hall, Wiff Rudd, Tom Hooten, Mike Sachs, David Bilger, and Marie Speziale.
Since arriving at FSU, Solomon has taken first place in the International Trumpet Guild solo competition, first place in the National Trumpet Competition military excerpt division, been a semi-finalist for the Roger Voisin Memorial Trumpet Competition, and plays regularly with the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra and other ensembles along the panhandle.
NOTES ON THE PROGRAM
Gould: American Salute
Morton Gould (1913–1996) was a composer, conductor, pianist, and arranger whose music reflects a distinctive blend of American popular and classical styles. A child prodigy, he published his first composition at age six and went on to build a wide-ranging career in radio, orchestral conducting, and composition, working with major ensembles in the United States and abroad. Gould received numerous honors, including the Pulitzer Prize, a Grammy Award, and the Kennedy Center Honor, recognizing his significant contributions to American music. American Salute, written in 1942, was composed at the request of a government radio producer during the early days of World War II, and is constructed entirely on the Civil War-era tune “When Johnny Comes Marching Home.” The work demonstrates Gould’s command of thematic development, transforming a single melody into a varied and energetic musical tribute to the war effort.
Schuman: Chester Overture
Chester Overture is based on a hymn tune by William Billings, first published in 1778 and widely sung throughout the American colonies during the Revolutionary War. Often considered a musical emblem of the Revolution, Chester expressed the colonists’ desire for freedom and was heard around campfires and on the march. William Schuman (1910–1992) originally incorporated the tune as the third movement of his New England Triptych (1956) before expanding it into a standalone work for wind band. Opening with a chorale statement, the piece develops the tune through bold, fragmented, rhythmic transformations, culminating in a powerful and celebratory conclusion.
Kamen: Band of Brothers
The main theme from Band of Brothers, also known as “Requiem for a Soldier” in its choral setting, was composed by Michael Kamen, a prominent film composer whose work spans both orchestral and popular traditions. Originally written for the HBO miniseries, the music reflects the story’s focus on sacrifice, camaraderie, and remembrance through its solemn, hymn-like character and gradual, expressive build. Tonight’s performance serves as a musical tribute to those who have served.
Joplin: The Entertainer
Scott Joplin (1868–1917) was a pianist, composer. and educator best known for his collection of forty pieces for ragtime piano. He grew up in Texarkana, Texas, and by the late 1880s was working as a traveling musician. He also lived for a while in Chicago, and later St Louis. By 1895 he was publishing his own music, and in 1899 published Maple Leaf Rag, his most popular composition. Other popular titles include The Easy Winners, The Cascades, and The Chrysanthemum. Joplin composed The Entertainer in 1902 with the subtitle “a ragtime two step.” The ragtime era effectively ended with Joplin’s death in 1917. Following his death, Joplin’s music fell into relative obscurity until a series of recordings by Joshua Rifkin in the 1970s brought renewed interest and acclaim to this iconic American composer. Patrick Dunnigan’s arrangement performed tonight is one of only a handful of Joplin settings available for full wind ensemble, and is a nod to the chamber music versions of Joplin’s music, Standard High-Class Rags, published in 1921.
Bernstein: Somewhere
Leonard Bernstein (1918–1990) was one of the most influential musical figures of the twentieth century, known for his work as both a composer and conductor. West Side Story (1957) is widely regarded as one of the defining works of American musical theater, and features music by Leonard Bernstein with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The tune, Somewhere (There’s a Place for Us), appears in Act II, reflecting Tony and Maria’s longing for a place beyond conflict, where their love might exist in peace. Its lyrical simplicity and longing melody have made it one of the most enduring selections from the score, frequently performed in both theatrical and concert settings. This arrangement by Patrick Dunnigan highlights the work’s lyrical character in a wind ensemble setting, and serves as a tribute to Bernstein’s legacy.
Sousa: Stars & Stripes Forever
The Stars and Stripes Forever (1896) is John Philip Sousa’s (1854–1932) most celebrated march and has become a lasting symbol of American patriotism. Sousa described the work as emerging from a moment of homesickness while returning to the United States from Europe, when its melodies came to him fully formed. First performed in 1897, the march gradually rose to prominence and is now widely regarded as one of the most popular marches ever written. Its famous final strain features three simultaneous themes— representing the North, South, and West—culminating in the iconic piccolo obbligato and a brilliant, triumphant conclusion. It was designated as the official march of the United States of America by Congress in 1987.
Ives: Variations on America
Composed at 17 years old, Charles Ives (1874–1954) originally scored Variations on America (1891) for organ. As a young composer, Ives’ was a pioneer in ‘modern’ techniques such as bitonality—incorporating two key signatures at the same time. Based on the tune My Country ‘Tis of Thee, the five variations include several character shifts including a waltz variation, and another including castanets. Even today it is considered a highly challenging piece and, as such, is rarely performed in the original organ version. In 1964, 73 years after its composition, William Schuman transcribed the work for orchestra, and in 1968 William Rhodes transcribed the Schuman version for wind band. These versions are frequently performed and Variations on America is widely considered a staple of the orchestral and wind band literature.
Copland: Lincoln Portrait
Aaron Copland (1900–1990) was an American composer who is anecdotally referred to as “the Dean of American composers.” Composed in 1942, and commissioned by André Kostelanetz for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Lincoln Portrait represents Copland’s view of Abraham Lincoln as a symbolic representation of the American spirit. The text was compiled from Lincoln’s writings and speeches, including his second inaugural address and the Gettysburg Address. The composition includes three sections. Copland indicated that the opening section was intended to portray a mysterious sense of fatality and Lincoln’s gentleness and simplicity of spirit. The middle section portrayed the background of the time he lived, and the last section incorporated the words of Abraham Lincoln himself.
Williams: With Malice Toward None
Over the last six decades, John Williams’s music has shaped the sound of film and concert music. His scores for Star Wars, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park, and Schindler’s List have become central to American musical culture. His work as a conductor, including his tenure with the Boston Pops Orchestra, has further expanded the reach of orchestral music. With Malice Toward None was composed for the 2012 motion picture Lincoln produced by Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy. It has quickly becoming a favorite among trumpet soloists around the world. In the film, With Malice Toward None accompanies a scene where Abraham Lincoln delivers his second inaugural address, highlighted by his statement “with malice toward none; with charity toward all.” Williams’ music encourages reflection regarding the significance of that address which highlights Lincoln’s moral character.
Hanson: Song of Democracy
Howard Hanson (1896–1981) was an American composer and educator who served as the director of the Eastman School of Music for forty years. During his tenure at Eastman, he composed Song of Democracy (1957) to commemorate the hundredth anniversary of the National Education Association, and the fiftieth anniversary of the Music Educator’s National Conference (now National Association for Music Education). The text is extracted from two poems by Walt Whitman: “An Old Man’s Thought of School” (1874) and “Thou Mother with Thy Equal Brood” (1872). According to Whitman, the United States is the ‘ship of democracy’ serving as both guardians of history and inspiration for nations around the world. The combination of Hanson’s musical expression and Whitman’s text symbolizes American pride and optimism.
Ward: America, the Beautiful
In 1893, during her climb to the summit of Pikes Peak in Colorado, Katharine Lee Bates was inspired by the vast landscape stretching before her, later describing it as a “sea-like expanse of fertile country…under those ample skies.” From this experience came the poem “America, the Beautiful,” capturing both the physical grandeur of the country and a broader vision of its ideals. The text was later paired with Samuel A. Ward’s hymn tune “Materna,” and the song quickly became one of the most enduring expressions of American identity. Carmen Dragon’s setting is reflective and celebratory, echoing Bates’s personal sense of wonder, and capturing the larger vision of the nation that inspired the original poem.
University Wind Ensemble Personnel
Patrick Dunnigan, Director
Andy Dubbert and Drew Hardy-Moore, Graduate Associate Conductors
Piccolo
Ian Guerrero Mundaray
Flute
Matthieu North*
Alex Kotsonis
Sophie Palm
Hazel Reid
Oboe
Loanne Masson*
Peter Arbogast (+EH)
Lee Howell
Lorin Zamer
Bassoon
Benjamin Kiely*
Diego Crisostomo
Alex Rameau
Contrabassoon
Hunter Fisher
E-flat Clarinet
Althea Medenilla
B-flat Clarinet
Dawson Huynh*
Eric Olmsted*
Nicholas Mackley
Joseph Eckhart
Daniel Burrow
Ava Raposo
Althea Medenilla
Rachel Malawey
Abby Varnadoe
Bass Clarinet
Caron Braggs
Saxophone
Lincoln McMullen*
Jennifer Fuentes
Steven Waterston
Caleb Wolf
Trumpet
Max McLaughlin*
Nathan Reid*
Grason Peterson
Alisyn Jones
Tyler Bennett
Katherine Brinkman
Horn
David Pinero*
Andrew Keller
Davis Craddock
Thiago Filho
Clare Ottesen
Trombone
Mateo Buitrago
Calvin Fein
Benjamin Hill
Jacob Zussy, bass
Euphonium
Brendan Dominique*
Kris Stottlemire
Tuba
Teddy Marvel*
Xavier Gauthier
Sophia Farfante
String Bass
Gavin Smith
Piano
Cristian Dirkhising
Harp
Amber Harris
Percussion
Ian Guarraia
Will McCoy
Austin Pelella
Matthew Korloch
Nick Bahr
Jessica Weinberg
*Principal/Co-Principal
University Singers Personnel
Kevin Fenton, Director
Colby White and Harold Wright, Graduate Associate Conductors
Soprano 1
Amy Arredondo
Julia Chaves*
Caitlin Gerding
Isabelle Jocelyn
Sophie Nagy
Kendall Ruyle
Emily Woo
Soprano 2
Allyson Andaluz*
Taylor Livingston*
Sophonise Pierre
Kendall Ruyle
Daira Suster Sanchez
Rebecca Smith*
Mogale Stewart
Alto 1
Kiley Berkery*
Cassidy Clark
Reese Cooper
Aritza Reyes Drullard
Alyssa Jimenez
Lindsay Reese
Veronica Saavedra-Howell
Alto 2
Victoria Coey
Mia Cruz
Jacqueline Jenkins
Lynette Hernandez-Mancera
Izzy Martinez
Aritza Reyes Drullard
Gabriella Sierra
Tenor 1
Tobias Deggans
Matthew Kilfeather-Bonello
Zachary Magner
Christian Reggi
Jackson Roberts
Colby White
Tenor 2
Tyler Brown
William Coey
Caden Early
Antwan Shamaar Latimore
Connor Mickey*
Gabriel Nair
Harold Wright
Baritone
Victor Angel
Nathan Cohen
Jacob Da Costa
Jack Marshal
Benjamin Reid
Jeremiah Tracey*
Bass
Douglas Chaplow
Grayson Dannelly
Ferris Kritzer
Clement Lee-Sursin
Bryce Macon
Christian Noel
Dylan Rhodes
* Officers
Yaniv Dinur, Conductor
Michelle Cann, Piano WAGNER
Prelude and Leibestod from Tristan und Isolde LISZT
Piano Concerto no. 1 STRAUSS
Death and Transfiguration SCRIABIN
Le Poeme de l’extase
SATURDAY MAY 2
