The Kalamazoo Concert Band brings a free concert to Chenery Auditorium Saturday, Apr 18 at 7 p.m. Director Dr. Tom Evans tells Cara Lieurance the Paris-themed program is a musical escape timed perfectly to a stormy Michigan spring, saying, "It is April, but not in Paris, but we can take you there musically."
The approximately 80-member wind ensemble opens with the Fanfare to La Péri by Paul Dukas — a composer Evans notes is best known for The Sorcerer's Apprentice, famously featured in Disney's Fantasia. "If I only had one hit, I'd take Sorcerer's Apprentice," Evans says. The program then moves into Paris Sketches by Martin Ellerby, a four-movement work depicting Parisian neighborhoods including the Latin Quarter at dawn and the lively entertainment district of Montmartre.
Youth soloist Alyssa Eder, a junior from Tecumseh, Michigan, follows as the band's 46th Youth Solo Competition winner. She performs a flute concerto by Reinecke — while her mother, Evans notes with delight, is simultaneously performing an operatic work at Carnegie Hall. Principal alto saxophone player Brian Van Tol, director of bands at Portage Central, then steps forward as soloist for Claude Debussy's beloved The Girl with the Flaxen Hair.
Evans previews selections from Les Misérables, Count Basie's arrangement of April in Paris and more. Evans also previews an ambitious 2025–26 season, including a circus-themed concert and a fall program called America's Story at 250 that chronicles pivotal moments in U.S. history through music.
The concert is free and family-friendly. Visit kalamazooconcertband.org for details.
The interview was summarized by Claude AI and edited by the author.
