July 30th

July 30th – “International Night,” Dr. Robert Grechesky, Guest Conductor Director of Bands, Butler University (retired)

Polka Medley...........................................................arr. Steve Rhodes

Rondo Russo…………Saverio Mercadante /arr. Steve Rhodes

                                Trudy Whitford, Flute

Second Suite for Military Band……................……..Gustav Holst

American Legion March……………………….…. Charles Parker

PROGRAM

Softly as I Leave You....................................De Vita / arr. Martinsen

Movie Marches of John Williams.......................arr. Steve Rhodes

Australian Up Country Tune.....................................Percy Grainger

Dance of the Jesters .................................Tchaikovsky/arr.Cramer

Men of Harlech……………Welsh Traditional / arr. Charlie Rose

                Kokomo Men of Note Barbershop Chorus

Chester Overture.....................................................William Schuman

Professor Robert Grechesky returns to Indiana from his new home of Atlanta, GA to conduct the final concert of the 2014 KPB season.  He holds a B. A. degree from Rutgers University and M. M. and Ph. D. degrees in Music Education and Conducting from the University of Wisconsin. Before coming to Butler in 1973 as the Director of the Marching Band and Concert Band, a position he held for sixteen years, Dr. Grechesky was Director of Instrumental Music and Director of Bands at Middletown High School in New Jersey, and was Assistant to the Director of the Marching Band at the University of Wisconsin. He holds memberships in many professional organizations including the College Band Directors National Association (of which he is North Central Division Secretary/Treasurer and Indiana State Chairman), the Music Educators National Conference, the Indiana Music Educators Association (of which he was an Executive Board member and Editor of the Indiana Musicator), the International Society for the Promotion and Investigation of Wind Music (of which he is a member of the International Executive Board), the National Band Association, the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, the Indiana Bandmasters Association, the International Percy Grainger Society, the Tubists Universal Brotherhood Association, Kappa Kappa Psi, and Pi Kappa Lambda.

Dr. Grechesky is very active as a guest conductor, clinician, adjudicator, and euphonium soloist throughout the Midwest. He has performed with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and is a member of the Indianapolis Brass Choir, the Indianapolis Symphonic Band, the White River Brass Quintet, the Indianapolis Chamber Brass and the Indianapolis Concert Band. He has guest conducted Honor Bands both in the U.S. and abroad, including the Connecticut All State Band, the Wisconsin All State Band, the Western Jamaica International Music Festival and the Wind Orchestra of the Royal Northern College of Music in England. In July of 2000 he conducted the Butler University Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble on their first tour of Europe, visiting Vienna,Prague, and Budapest, culminating in a concert for the prestigious Mid Europe International Conference for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles in Schladming, Austria.

Dr. Grechesky is also the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Indianapolis Symphonic Winds. He served as the Band liaison between PAX-I and Walt Disney Productions, and as Co-Director of the Fanfare Trumpets for the Opening Ceremonies of the Pan Am Games, was the Director of the massed bands for the opening of Union Station, served as Music Director of "My Indiana Holiday Wishes," presented for several years at Market Square Arena, and coordinates special events for the Commission for Downtown, including the 1991 NCAA Final Four Basketball Championships, the 1991 World Gymnastics Championships, and the 1992 Olympic Swimming Trials. He recently served as Music Director for the opening ceremonies of the 1991 World Gymnastic Championships at Market Square Arena, and as music director of the opening ceremonies of the 2001 World Police and Fire Games at the RCA Dome.

Dr. Grechesky has also actively been engaged in research on the band and its history and literature as well as the art of conducting. He has given presentations and papers on band literature and conducting at conferences on the state, regional, national, and international levels, including the National Convention of the College Band Directors National Association and both the Eighth International Congress of the International Society for the Investigation of Wind Music at Oberschützen, Austria, and the Ninth Congress at Toblach, Italy. He recently presented a paper at the 14th Congress of the IGEB in Bad Waltersdorf, Austria as well as the 5th International Conference of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles in Manchester, England, and the 8th Conference in Schladming, Austria. Dr. Grechesky has published many articles, books, and musical editions. He is the co-author and principal editor of a reference text entitled Wind Ensemble Literature; he is co-author of a text for high school band directors titled Best Music for High School Bands.