Thanks so much to Guli Manfredi of WTAMU and Isannah Gonzales of Chamber Music Amarillo for stopping by High Plains Morning today to chat about the 3rd classical concert for CMA’s 22nd season: The Heroic Journey of Life! This Saturday night, they’ll celebrate “The Glorious Sound of Brass” with the WTAMU Faculty Brass Quintet at 7:30pm at the Fibonacci Space (3306 SW 6th Ave., Amarillo). A pre-concert lecture presented by High Plains Public Radio and the performing artists will take place at 7p before the show. It’s one night only, so get your tickets now.
Plus, Family Night is back this Friday from 7 – 8p at CMA’s Fibonacci Space (3306 SW 6th Ave., Amarillo). Bring the little ones and enjoy a sneak preview of the concert on Saturday. This event is free and open to the public, so spread the word!
Click the link below for our full interview.
Tickets for the concert are $40 (adults) $10 (student) and can be purchased at www.cmama.org or by calling 806-236.3545. Tickets can be purchased in advance or at the door, the night of the concert. Thanks to a charitable donation, Chamber Music Amarillo does have a limited number of free student tickets. For more information, contact Isannah Gonzales at (806) 570-9972 or by email.
MORE ABOUT THE EVENT:
The concert will feature the WTAMU Faculty Brass Quintet:
Bill Takacs, Trumpet
Russ Teweleit, Trumpet
Guglielmo Manfredi, Horn
John Shanks, Trombone
Jeremy Lewis, Tuba
The repertoire includes:
Renaissance Dances Five Dances from “The Danserye” - Tylman Susato
Contrapunctus IX- J.S. Bach
Quintet - Michael Kamen
My Spirit Be Joyful - J.S. Bach
Iron Horse - Kevin McKee
Canzona Bergamasca - Samuel Scheidt
Fire Dance - Anthony DiLorenzo
Canzon Per Sonare #2 - Giovanni Gabrieli
Canzon Per Sonare #4 - Giovanni Gabrieli
Sonata from Die Bankelsangerlieder - Anonymous
The Saints’ Hallelujah - arr. Luther Henderson
Guest Artist Bios:
Originally from Philadelphia, William Takacs joined the faculty of West Texas A&M University in the spring of 2002. Prior to his appointment at WTAMU, he was instructor of trumpet at the University of West Georgia. He has also served as Artist- in Residence as a member of the Skyline Brass at Iowa State University, Drake University, Grinnell College, and has taught at Florida State University and Bowling Green State University. William Takacs is currently the principal trumpet of the Amarillo Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Music Amarillo, and performs regularly with the Amarillo Opera. He also performs with the West Texas A&M University Faculty Brass Quintet. Other performance credits of Dr. Takacs include guest appearances with the Toledo (OH), Pensacola, and Tallahassee Symphony Orchestras, as well as the New Mexico Philharmonic. He also served as guest principal trumpet for the New Sigmund Romberg Orchestra's fall 1999 performance tour of Taiwan and with the Orquesta Sinfonica de Trujillo (Peru) during the summer of 1999. He has also given performances and/or masterclasses at many institutions including Western Michigan University, University of Wisconsin-River Falls, Valdosta State University, Stetson University, University of Central Florida, and the Conservatorio Regional de Musica de Trujillo (Peru) and has performed across the United States, Europe, South America, Asia, and Australia. He has won numerous performance competitions, including the 1999 National Trumpet Competition at George Mason University in Washington D.C., and was one of five semifinalists selected worldwide to participate in the 2000 Ellsworth Smith International Trumpet Competition held in Bad Sackingen, Germany, sponsored by the International Trumpet Guild. He also served as an intern at the Philadelphia Orchestra music library for four years while earning his Bachelor's degree. He is an advocate for new trumpet and brass literature, serving as a new music reviewer for the International Trumpet Guild Journal. In May of 2006, Dr. Takacs performed the Edward Gregson Trumpet Concerto with the Amarillo Symphony Orchestra. This performance was later broadcast on NPR throughout the Texas Panhandle. In February of 2007, Dr. Takacs was a featured soloist with the West Texas A&M University Symphonic Band, performing Arban’s Variations on “The Carnival of Venice” at eight high schools in Midland, Odessa, Big Spring, Plainview, and Lubbock. In October 2010 he appeared once again with the Amarillo Symphony as a soloist with his wife, Amarillo Symphony Oboist/English Hornist Karen Takacs, on Aaron Copland’s Quiet City. He has also performed with renowned groups the Temptations and Mannheim Steamroller. William Takacs received the Bachelor of Music degree from West Chester University of Pennsylvania, the Master of Music degree from Bowling Green State University, and the Doctor of Music degree from Florida State University. He is a Performing Artist/Clinician for Bach trumpets. In his spare time, Dr. Takacs enjoys reading, exercising, traveling, and spending time with his wife Karen and sons Liam and Marshall.
Dr. Russ Teweleit joined the WTAMU faculty in 1999. Before coming to the University, Dr. Teweleit served as the associate director of bands (1991-1996) and then director of bands (1996-1999) at Canyon High School. During his tenure with the Canyon band program, Dr. Teweleit's bands consistently received superior ratings at contests and festivals. His bands also earned opportunities to compete in the Texas State Marching Contest and 4A Honor Band competition. Dr. Teweleit serves as the coordinator of music education and associate director of bands. His duties at WTAMU include directing the Buffalo Marching Band, conducting the Concert Band and directing the jazz ensembles. He also observes student teachers and teaches jazz improvisation. Dr. Teweleit serves as the faculty adviser for both Tau Beta Sigma and Kappa Kappa Psi. Dr. Teweleit is active as a clinician for marching band, concert band, jazz band, and instrumental pedagogy. His research (Teweleit cont) interests include the use of music technology in the classroom and historical research in music education. Dr. Teweleit and his wife Tina have two children: Lindsay and Matthew. His hobbies include mountain biking, hacky sack, riding the air-chair water ski and performing as a freelance trumpet artist.
Dr. Guli Manfredi joined the West Texas A&M School of Music in 2009. Originally from Genova Italy, he received a B.M. in Horn Performance from West Texas A&M University in 2004, an M.M. in Horn Performance from the University of Miami in 2006 and a D.M.A. in Horn Performance and Conducting from the University of Miami in 2011. His primary teachers include Jerry Peel, Vladimiro Cainero, Adriano Orlandi, JD Shaw and Ron Lemon. Dr. Manfredi teaches applied horn lessons, instrumental conducting and conducts the horn and brass choirs. Dr. Manfredi is the principal horn with the Amarillo Symphony Orchestra and Amarillo Opera. Dr. Manfredi has performed at Carnegie Hall with the Frost Wind Ensemble, the Carlo Felice Opera in Genova Italy, New World Symphony, the Genova Sinfonietta, the Miami Pops and Pink Martini. Dr. Manfredi is a Wes Hatch Horns Artist. In his spare time Dr. Manfredi is an avid cyclist, tennis, Tae Kwon Do and is finishing up his private pilot’s license. He enjoys long hikes and tries to be as active as he can.
Dr. John G. Shanks joined the faculty of West Texas A&M University in 2014. His students have been successful in their areas of study, securing employment as band directors and obtaining placement in some of the country's top graduate programs. Shanks has appeared as a clinician or guest performer at the TMEA Convention, the American Trombone Workshop, the International Trombone Festival, and the Big XII Trombone Conference. Under his direction, the WTAMU Trombone Choir has also performed at the Big XII Trombone Conference, many concerts on campus and in the community, and especially at its yearly "Jingle Bones" concert at Palo Duro Retirement Home. As a soloist, he has appeared with the WTAMU Symphonic Band, the WTAMU Brass Choir, the W.D. Packard Band, the Akron Community Band, the University of Alabama Concert Band, and the University of Alabama Trombone Choir. He was named the winner of the 2012 Eastern Trombone Workshop National Solo Competition and a finalist in the same competition in 2011. Additionally, he was twice chosen as one of eight featured Participants at the Alessi Seminar out of a large international field. Dr. Shanks currently holds the position of Principal Trombone of the Amarillo Symphony, and in addition regularly performs with the San Antonio Symphony and Midland-Odessa Symphony and Chorale. Previously, he has held positions or performed with the Mississippi Symphony, Alabama Symphony, Mobile Symphony, Tuscaloosa Symphony, Youngstown Symphony, Bloomington Camerata, Columbus (IN) Symphony, Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Greenville Symphony, American Wind Symphony, Glenn Miller Orchestra, Norwegian Cruise Line, and the international tour of "Hairspray!". He has shared the stage with such legends as Joseph Alessi, Demondrae Thurman, Conrad Herwig, Robin Eubanks, Slide Hampton, and Chris Brubeck. John holds degrees in trombone performance from Youngstown State University, Indiana University, and the University of Alabama. His primary instructors include Jonathan Whitaker, Demondrae Thurman, Peter Ellefson, Michael Crist, John Olsson, and Joseph Alessi. He has received secondary instruction from Dee Stewart, Carl Lenthe, Mark Lawrence, Paul Welcomer, Toby Oft, Tim Higgins, Steve Lange, Denson Paul Pollard, and many other luminaries of the low brass world. Dr. Shanks is an S.E. Shires Performing Artist, a member of the International Trombone Association and Texas Music Educators Association, and a proud alumni member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity.
Dr. Jeremy Lewis is in his twelfth year of teaching some of his favorite people at West Texas A&M University. He has done many of the things you would expect from someone who teaches tuba and euphonium at the university level. Some of these things include international and regional competitions, lots of conferences, recitals, and a few presentations. Additionally, Jeremy has also been the principal tubist with the Amarillo Symphony since 2009. Jeremy is also eternally grateful for the time, effort, attention, and love that a few great men have devoted to his life and career. Those men include (but are not limited to) Richard Murrow, Daniel Perantoni, and Dr. Kevin Wass. In his free time Jeremy enjoys spending time with his family, coffee; reading; and lifting heavy stuff. If you would like to know more about him, you may visit Jeremy’s website, www.jeremylewistuba.com
