An Anniversary Kickoff: A Golden Jubilee
Sunday, October 18, 2026 | 7:30PM
Strauss Performing Arts Center | University of Nebraska at Omaha
Joshua Kearney, Music Director
Chris Tucker, Associate Music Director
Rick Richards, Guest Conductor
Jason Johnson, Guest Soloist
Premiere: A new work for concert band by Larry MacTaggart
You are invited to us as we kickoff the Golden Jubilee season of the Nebraska Wind Symphony, Omaha’s Community Concert Band. We present a program that concurrently celebrates the ensemble’s musical roots while looking toward the future. NWS is truly excited to kick off this special 50th anniversary season with the community!
Review the printed concert program.
Come early and enjoy pre-concert music by NWS members beginning at 6:55PM in the Strauss Lobby! Please join us to meet our playing members and enjoy some refreshments at the post-concert reception.
The program features music that reminds us of days gone. An arrangement of music to the film Silverado by Bruce Broughton feature soaring woodwind lines intertwined with bold brass melodic statements.
Old Home Days by Charles Ives is a suite of songs and sketches reflecting Ives’s lifelong love of familiar tunes and home grown music making.
We have to include a Sousa march! John Philip Sousa wrote Golden Jubilee March in 1928 to commemorate his fiftieth year as a conductor. It is one of his most brilliant marches.
We end with Luigi Zaninelli’s arrangement of The Star-Spangled Banner, the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from “Defence of Fort M’Henry,” a poem written in 1814 by lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry. This arrangement consists of music for the first two stanzas of Key’s poem.
NWS also introduces contemporary works during this concert that offer a reflective and imaginative musical journey fitting for a 50th anniversary celebration.
Haley Woodrow’s 2026 work, Where We Meet, was written for the Seventy-Six Consortium, in honor of the 150th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The work reflects a search for connection across difference much like the work of the writers of the Declaration of Independence. It features three historic tunes, each bringing their own distinct voice, history, and character.
Crucifixus is by NWS member and local composer Dave Gardner with trumpet soloist Jason Johnson, UNO trumpet professor. Crucifixus sequentially follows the journey of Christ to the cross. The score portrays the deep emotional and spiritual impact on those witnessing these events, musically painting each of the scenes for the listener.
NWS is pleased to premier Once Around the Moon by former NWS Music Director Larry MacTaggart. NASA’s return to the moon via a whirlwind trip around the moon in April of 2026 captured the imagination of the world. The crew of the Artemis II space craft inspired millions and reminded us of the importance of looking to the stars. Starting with a solemn trumpet solo, the piece evolves to a fast but controlled journey through space destined to enchant both performers and audiences.
You Make It Possible!
Our concerts are presented with no admission charged. We are supported by generous area businesses, our playing members, and many friends like you. Thank you for helping to bring great concert band music to the Omaha area!