Central Florida Winds Silver Anniversary Concert Set at Suntree United Methodist Church April 6

wind ensemble of preeminent local musicians

ABOVE VIDEO: Central Florida Winds Overture to Candide Performance

BREVARD COUNTY • SUNTREE, FLORIDA — The Central Florida Winds silver anniversary season will culminate in a 25th Anniversary Concert on Sunday, April 6 at 3 p.m., at Suntree United Methodist Church, 7400 N. Wickham Road in north Melbourne.

Richard Sabino has been wielding the baton of the Central Florida Winds ever since he started the group in 1999. For the past 25 years, his wind ensemble of preeminent local musicians has provided lovers of symphonic band music with countless hours of enjoyable concerts.

As is often the case with the Central Florida Winds, many different styles and periods of music are represented in the program for the 25th Anniversary Concert. The audience will hear the lyrical and effervescent Prelude Siciliano & Rondo by prolific English composer, Malcolm Arnold, alongside Interstate 90, a fun and lively musical sketch depicting a drive along (you guessed it) Interstate I-90.

Gustav Holst’s 2nd Suite in F for Military Band has English folk songs at its core, while the finale from Symphony No. 5 by Shostakovich expresses Soviet-era triumph. Local saxophone player and music educator, Andy Kropp will be featured during the concert centerpiece, Concerto for Alto Sax by Paul Creston. Attendees to the 25th Anniversary Concert are encouraged to arrive early for best seating.

The 50+ members of the Central Florida Winds orchestra are a mix of professional players, retired professional musicians, talented music teachers, and gifted high-school and college students. The performing ensemble are players of woodwind, brass and percussion instruments from Brevard and other Central Florida counties. While all concerts by the Central Florida Winds are free, a donation of $10 is suggested. Call 321-405-2359 or visit CFWinds.org for a complete concert schedule of the Central Florida Winds and their chamber ensemble.

The first concert of the Central Florida Winds was held at Merritt Island High School on April 9, 2000. A quarter century later, the 25th Anniversary Concert will be directed by the group’s founder and conductor, Richard Sabino, who is excited to celebrate the milestone achievement.

“25 years ago, I organized a group of advanced musicians with the idea of performing challenging works from the concert band repertoire,” said Sabino. “For the last two and a half decades, we have presented concerts of some of the most beautiful music ever composed. All free– for the people of Brevard. I couldn’t be prouder of this very talented ensemble.”

Under the baton of Richard Sabino, the nonprofit Central Florida Winds and its chamber ensemble perform free concerts from the classical musical repertoire in the fall, winter and spring months throughout Brevard County. In addition to his work with the Central Florida Winds and the Riverside Chamber Orchestra in Cocoa Beach, Maestro Sabino has experience conducting orchestras in the U.S. and abroad. Call 321-405-2359 or visit CFWinds.org for more information about the all-volunteer music organization.

WHAT IS A WIND BAND?

A wind band, also known as a concert band, is a performing ensemble consisting of members of the woodwind, brass, and percussion families of instruments. It is similar to an orchestra, but without the strings, and may also include saxophones. The most common form of wind band is typically called a concert band, wind ensemble, or symphonic wind band.

ABOUT SOLOIST ANDY KROPP

Andy Kropp is a woodwind doubler from Harrisburg, North Carolina. He holds a bachelor of arts in music in saxophone performance from East Carolina University and a Master of Music in Saxophone Performance from the University of Northern Colorado. He is an active performer with orchestral credits including the National Repertory Orchestra, Boulder Festival Orchestra, Greeley Philharmonic, and the Ft. Collins Symphony. As a pit musician Andy has worked in numerous playhouses including serving as a reeds musician for the national tour of the Musical, Chicago.

Andy is an avid educator. His teaching credits include the University of Northern Colorado and Laramie County Community College where he served as the orchestra conductor, applied woodwinds teacher, and instructor for numerous music academic classes. Andy currently serves as the band director at Edgewood Jr. Sr. High School on Merritt Island and happily resides in Titusville with his wife and daughter.

ABOUT THE CENTRAL FLORIDA WINDS

The Central Florida Winds orchestra was formed in 1999 and draws on the talent of professional players, retired professional musicians, talented music teachers, and gifted high-school and college students. The 50+ member performing ensemble are players of woodwind, brass and percussion instruments from Brevard and other Central Florida counties. Under the baton of Richard Sabino, the nonprofit Central Florida Winds performs free concerts from the classical musical repertoire in the fall, winter and spring months throughout Brevard County. More information about the Central Florida Winds and its performing ensembles, the Central Florida Chamber Winds and the Central Florida Chamber Brass, may be found on their website at CFWinds.org or by calling 321-405-2359.

Richard Sabino

At age six, Conductor Richard Sabino began his musical training. His first instruments were the piano and the trumpet. In 1973, Richard received his Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education and Performance from the University of South Florida. In 1978, he received his Master’s Degree in Arts Administration from the University of Illinois. While in Illinois, he performed in the Springfield Symphony Orchestra and the Millikin University Faculty Brass Quintet.

Management positions included assistant manager and then acting manager for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, assistant manager for the Florida Gulf Coast Symphony Orchestra, and the Wichita Symphony Orchestra, program and festival director for the Baton Rouge Arts Council, and executive director of the River City Festivals Association, and the Jackson/Hinds County Arts Council.

Leaving the field of arts management behind, Maestro Sabino returned to Melbourne in 1991 to begin a career in financial management. As a financial adviser he provided portfolio advice to over 500 households and businesses. He served as principal trumpet for the Community Band of Brevard and co-principal of the Melbourne Municipal Band. He also served on the boards of the Brevard Symphony Orchestra, the Brevard Symphony Youth Orchestra and the Henegar Center.

Richard began the study of conducting while in junior high school. At age 16, while participating in a summer music festival with the London Symphony Orchestra in Daytona Beach, he received his first important conducting advice from Andre Previn. Maestro Sabino created Central Florida Winds in 1999 and Central Florida Chamber Winds in 2001. In 2008, he participated in the Professional Level of the Michael Palmer International Conducting Workshop with the New Atlanta Philharmonic in Atlanta.

Since 2012 he has appeared as guest conductor of the National Philharmonic of Ukraine (Dnepropetrovsk) and has twice been guest conductor of the State Academic Concert Orchestra in Kiev. In 2016 he was the guest conductor for the “Black Sea Orchestra”, in Constantia, Romania, and in June 2019 he conducted a concert in Paris, France for the New York Classical Music Society.

Maestro Sabino currently serves as music director and conductor for Central Florida Winds and Central Florida Chamber Winds, as well as for the Riverside Chamber Orchestra and Chorus (Cocoa Beach, FL), which he organized in 2012. He is also the artistic director for the Dr. Vernon Boushell Concert Series in Cocoa Beach, Florida. More information about the Central Florida Winds and their performing ensembles may be found on their website at CFWinds.org or by calling 321-405-2359.

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