BVU Concert Band Presents Spring Concert

The featured guest artist will be Dr. Josh Calkin, the associate professor of low brass and assistant director of bands at Wayne State College in Wayne, Neb.

The Buena Vista University Concert Band, under the direction of Jerry Bertrand, assistant professor of music, will present its annual Spring Concert on Sunday May 13 at 3 p.m. in Schaller Memorial Chapel on the BVU campus. 

The Concert Band’s portion of the program will include “The High School Cadets” by John Philip Sousa, “Prelude and Fugue in D Minor” by J. S. Bach, “Psalm 46“ by John Zdechlik, “A Longford Legend” by Robert Sheldon, and “Homestretch Galop” by Karl L. King.   

The featured guest artist will be Dr. Josh Calkin, who is the associate professor of low brass and assistant director of bands at Wayne State College in Wayne, Neb. Calkin will perform “Willson Suite” by Robert W. Smith, as well as two movements of “Partita in A Minor” by J. S. Bach. Calkin will conclude with a work written for solo tuba and electronic accompaniment, called “Tomes of Hardened Steel” by Benjamin McMillan. 

Calkin’s duties at WSC include teaching all applied low brass, directing the Jazz Band, Brass Ensemble, Pep Band, Symphonic Band, and Mariachi Oro y Negro, as well as assisting with the Marching Band, and teaching low brass methods and jazz pedagogy. Calkin holds a Bachelor of Science degree in music education from Plymouth State College, a Master of Music degree in tuba performance from Boise State University, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in tuba performance from the University of Iowa. He is currently an Adams Custom Brass Performing Artist. 

Calkin maintains an active performing schedule, both as a recitalist and in area ensembles. Recent solo appearances include recitals at the 2017, 2013, and 2011 Great Plains Regional Tuba-Euphonium Conferences, the 2017 Midwest Trombone, the Euphonium and Tuba Conference, the 2017 Tuba Euphonium Conference of the Rockies, and guest appearances at Cornell College, Hastings College, and the University of Nebraska-Kearney. 

Calkin is also an in-demand clinician and teacher. Recent highlights include serving as guest clinician with the Nebraska Class C All-State Band, the Northwest Iowa Bandmasters’ Honor Band, and the Wayne State College Honor Band. He also recently appeared as adjudicator for the Northeast Jazz Festival and Nebraska District Music Contest. 

Calkin is a member of the International Tuba-Euphonium Association, the International Trombone Association, the Nebraska Bandmasters' Association, and the Nebraska Music Educators' Association. He is an honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi, the national band fraternity. He is a 2004 inductee into the Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society and was the recipient of the 2006-2007 Outstanding Graduate Student Mentor Award at the University of Iowa. He has studied tuba with John Manning, Michael Fischer, Thom Untersee, and Matt Walters. He has also studied trombone with James Chesebrough and conducting with Marcellus Brown and Gary Corcoran. 

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