Tuesday, November 18, 2025
7:00 PM Rialto Center for the Arts
Lawrence Williams, principal conductor Julianna Pinero, conductor Braeden Weyhrich, conductor
Charles Carter | 1926-1999
Overture for Winds
Julianna Pinero, conductor
During his residency at Florida State University, Charles Carter composed Overture for Winds in the year 1959. This piece provides great challenges to both the performer and the audience members. The performers must execute tempo, dynamic and articulation changes without “giving away” abrupt shifts to the audience. For the audience, the piece can seem like a roller coaster ride of changes, shifting between fast and slow, yet seamlessly regaining strength and driving toward a brilliant close. This work is underplayed in wind band/ensemble programs, which is quite a shame given the strength and focus required to accomplish such a feat. Mr. Carter created a masterpiece of academic and entertainment value. - Program Note from Illinois State University University Band concert program, 5 October 2017
Michael Colgrass | 1932-2019
Old Churches
Braeden Weyhrich, conductor
In Old Churches, Michael Colgrass conjures the hushed atmosphere of an ancient sanctuary: echoes in vaulted stone, voices drifting in candle-lit aisles, the collective memory of walls that have heard countless prayers. Drawing on the free-flowing melodies of Gregorian chant and combining them with graphic notation, Colgrass invites performers into a soundscape that is both ritual and exploration.
Zo Elliott | 1891-1964
ed. Quincy Hilliard
British Eighth
The British Eighth March was copyrighted in manuscript in 1943 and published in 1944. It was dedicated to Gen. Bernard Montgomery and the Eighth Army after a triumphant sweep across North Africa in 1942. Following the defeat of Rommel’s forces at El Alamein, Montgomery was promoted to field marshal, and he soon became the idol of the British public. In 1944 he commanded all Allied ground forces during the invasion of France, and in 1951 he became deputy commander of the Atlantic Pact nations. Since the war, Zo Elliott’s impressive march has retained its popularity on both sides of the Atlantic. In a 1980 random survey of 69 members of the Texas Bandmasters Association, for example, British Eighth March was ranked third in a list of nearly 80 favorites. - Program Note from “Program Notes for Band"
Steven Reineke | B. 1970
Fate of the Gods
Inspired by the sweeping myths of the Norse twilight—Ragnarök— Fate of the Gods narrates the dramatic cycle of creation, destruction, and renewal. The opening passages evoke a primordial world of elemental forces, where light and dark are born. As the work progresses, the sinister theme of Loki rises in the brass and woodwinds, contrasting with the warm lyricism of Balder’s theme—an embodiment of purity and hope. Then the horn of Heimdall sounds — heralding the final battle — and the frenetic clash of gods, giants and monsters surges until the world collapses. From the wreckage emerges a new, idyllic dawn: only forces of goodness remain. With advanced yet accessible writing, Reineke uses bold brass chorales, racing woodwind runs, driving percussion and moments of hushed reflection to carry the narrative. Ensembles will find the piece both demanding and rewarding: precision in rhythmic energy, clarity in thematic contrast, and dramatic control in transitions will bring the mythic journey to life.
Lawrence Williams
Lawrence Williams serves as the Assistant Director of Band at Georgia State University where he conducts the University Concert Band, teaches undergraduate conducting, and co-teaches the Panther Marching Band. Williams joins the faculty following successful appointments at Summerour Middle School and McIntosh High School. He is currently in the final year of his Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree in Wind Conducting at Louisiana State University, studying with Dr. Damon Talley. He also holds a Master of Music degree in Wind Conducting from LSU, where he assisted with all aspects of the Department of Bands. Prior to his graduate studies, Williams taught in the Georgia public schools, most recently as Assistant Director of Bands at McIntosh High School in Peachtree City, Georgia. At McIntosh, he helped coordinate all aspects of the band program, including instruction of the marching band, three concert ensembles, jazz band, and percussion ensemble. During his tenure, the Concert and Marching Bands consistently earned Superior ratings at Georgia Music Educators Association (GMEA) Large Group Performance Evaluations and sponsored marching festivals. Before his appointment at McIntosh, Williams served as Associate Director of Bands and Instructor of Music Technology at Summerour Middle School in Norcross, Georgia. While at Summerour, he launched the music technology program and helped lead all aspects of the band program. Under his direction, alongside Mr. Ricardo Rodriguez, the program grew to over 270 students. The Summerour Symphonic Band and Concert Band consistently earned Superior ratings at GMEA Large Group Performance Evaluations. Williams holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the Hugh Hodgson School of Music and a Music Business Certificate from the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia. He is an active clinician, adjudicator, and private instructor for both tuba and conducting. His professional affiliations include the Georgia Music Educators Association (GMEA), College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA), National Association for Music Education (NAfME), Kappa Kappa Psi, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and the Pi Kappa Lambda Honor Society.
Julianna Pinero
Julianna Pinero is in the second year of the Master of Music in Wind Band Conducting degree program at Georgia State University. She earned the Bachelor of Music in Instrumental Music Education at the same institution. While at Georgia State, Julianna was involved in many music ensembles including the University Orchestra, Wind Orchestra, Concert Band, Panther Band, Panther Basketball Band, and Choral Union. In 2022, Julianna was a member of the Music City Drum and Bugle Corps trumpet section. Her teaching experience includes pre-school instruction with Jumpstart Education, strings instruction at Drew Charter School in Atlanta, student teaching in Gwinnett County, marching band instruction with a number of ensembles in metro Atlanta, and serving as a visual educator for the Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps. Julianna has twice been selected as a conducting fellow in the Atlanta Summer Conducting Institute, and has participated in the Columbus State University and University of Georgia Conducting Workshops
Braeden Weyhrich
Braeden Weyhrich is a Master of Music student and graduate assistant at Georgia State University, where she studies wind band conducting with Dr. Robert Ambrose and works in all facets of the concert and athletic band programs. Additionally, she is a Teaching Artist for the Atlanta Music Project, teaching elementary and middle school students in the Preparatory Band and Junior Youth Orchestra. Before graduate studies, Braeden was the Band Director at Hinton Community School in northwest Iowa, where she taught and administered all aspects of the band program for students in grades 5-12. She was also the Associate Conductor of the Siouxland All-America Concert Band, Librarian for the Sioux City Municipal Band, and a member of several district and state-wide committees of the Iowa Bandmasters Association. Braeden is a part of The Access Collective, a program piloted in Iowa and soon to expand nationally which works to assist band directors in connecting their students to other people and cultures through music. Braeden holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education and an Honors College Degree from Oklahoma State University, where she graduated magna cum laude and was recognized as an OSU Alumni Association Outstanding Senior. Her organizational affiliations include Tau Beta Sigma, Sigma Alpha Iota, Women Band Directors International, Georgia Music Educators Association, and the National Association for Music Education.
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