Concordia's premier instrumental ensemble performs in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas

The University Symphonic Band from Concordia University, Nebraska will perform at churches and schools throughout Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas during its annual tour. The band will perform March 5–14 on tour and at St. John Lutheran Church in its hometown of Seward, Nebraska, on March 22.

“I think the most meaningful part of the tour experiences for me—and hopefully the students—is the opportunity to make connections,” said Assistant Professor of Music Andrew Schultz. “Our daily devotions connect us with God’s word. Our daily musical performances connect us with a deeper and broader understanding of ourselves as musicians and the music we are performing. Our daily connections with our host families connect us to people we might have never had the opportunity to meet. All of those connections build us up as we continue to grow as individuals and as a group of people who are using our musical talents to share Christ’s love.”

Schultz conducts the 49-member ensemble, which is open to all Concordia students by audition each year.

The University Symphonic Band formed in 1906 and is the oldest continuing musical organization at Concordia. The ensemble places emphasis on sacred, multicultural and contemporary literature, as well as traditional concert band repertoire.

The band tours a part of the United States each year and toured internationally to China in the summer of 2007.

Schultz earned his Bachelor of Science in Education from Concordia Nebraska and a Master of Music in wind conducting from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts in music education at Boston University.

2015 Symphonic Band performances include:
Messiah Lutheran Church
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma,
Thursday, March 5, at 7 p.m.

St. Paul Lutheran Church
Denton, Texas
Friday, March 6, at 7 p.m.

Trinity Lutheran Church
Spring, Texas
Sunday, March 8 at 4 p.m.

Gloria Dei Lutheran Church
Houston, Texas
Monday, March 9, at 7 p.m.

Our Savior Lutheran Church
Houston, Texas
Tuesday, March 10, at 7 p.m.

Faith Lutheran Church
Georgetown, Texas
Thursday, March 12, at 7:15 p.m.

Zion Lutheran Church
Dallas, Texas
Friday, March 13, at 7 p.m.

Ascension Lutheran Church
Wichita, Kansas
Saturday, March 14, at 7 p.m.

St. John Lutheran Church
Seward, Nebraska
Sunday, March 22, at 3 p.m.

Performers include (alphabetically by state, city and last name; international at end):

California
Ryan Gross, junior, Riverside, Calif., trumpet
Abigail Connick, senior, Salida, Calif., clarinet

Colorado
Cassie Nagel, junior, Lafayette, Colo., flute

Florida
Joseph Koenig, senior, Orlando, Fla., bass clarinet

Illinois
Leah Maag, senior, Waterloo, Ill., flute
Karina Keating, junior, Woodstock, Ill., flute

Indiana
Jennifer Reynolds, senior, Fort Wayne, Ind., trumpet

Iowa
Cole Wohlgemuth, sophomore, Alton, Iowa, trombone
Courtney Upmann, senior, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, flute
Charity Espinosa, freshman, Clarinda, Iowa, euphonium
Hannah Weber, senior, Manchester, Iowa, trombone
Ellen Franzmeier, senior, Newell, Iowa, alto saxophone
Hannah Hester, senior, Walnut, Iowa, clarinet

Kansas
Caleb Wehling, junior, Liberal, Kan., percussion
Marcelino Varona, senior, Olathe, Kan., flute
Zachary Klatt, senior, Shawnee Mission, Kan., trumpet
Kelsey Adcock, freshman, Wamego, Kan., clarinet
Molly Goltl, sophomore, Wichita, Kan., alto saxophone 

Michigan
Carlie Mueller, junior, Frankenmuth, Mich., alto saxophone

Minnesota
Jessica Krome, senior, Fairmont, Minn., French horn
Megan Suter, junior, Owatonna, Minn., percussion

Missouri
Emily Steensma, freshman, Blue Springs, Mo., trumpet
Todd Brueckner, junior, Perryville, Mo., oboe
Karl Rovey, senior, Springfield, Mo., trumpet
Sarah Brutlag, sophomore, St. Louis, Mo., flute

Nebraska
Andrea Leising, senior, Arapahoe, Neb., clarinet
Daniel Heiser, senior, Aurora, Neb., trumpet
Zach Hagenson, senior, Bellevue, Neb., tuba
Courtney Burma, senior, Columbus, Neb., clarinet
Joel Ristvedt, sophomore, Crete, Neb., French horn
Naomi Ristvedt, senior, Crete, Neb., flute
Erika Neugebauer, senior, Gering, Neb., French horn
Jonathon Carnoali, senior, Hampton, Neb., tenor saxophone
Clara Rich, junior, Lincoln, Neb., alto saxophone
Angelica Blomenberg, sophomore, Norfolk, Neb., oboe
Cara Colligan, freshman, Norfolk, Neb., clarinet
Cassie Boeka, junior, North Platte, Neb., trumpet
Ethan Kesar, senior, Omaha, Neb., baritone saxophone
Emily Taylor, senior, Pierce, Neb., percussion
Jordan Schut, junior, Scribner, Neb., tenor saxophone
Cole Berry, sophomore, Seward, Neb., tuba

Nevada
Nicholas Harding, senior, Yerington, Nev., euphonium

North Carolina
Joel Marquardt, senior, Denver, N.C., percussion

North Dakota
Erika Borslien, sophomore, West Fargo, N.D., clarinet

Oklahoma
Allison Seeliger, sophomore, Edmond, Okla., clarinet

Pennsylvania
Beth Holle, junior, Stewartstown, Pa., percussion

Texas
Mikayla Eifert, sophomore, Houston, Texas, trombone

Washington
Rachel Dahlke, senior, Everett, Wash., clarinet

International
Heather Rasch, sophomore, Jos, Nigeria, French horn