Alumni and faculty perform with concert band at national convention

“Windiana: Professional Concert Band of Northwest Indiana” performed for the national convention of the Association of Concert Bands on May 12. Windiana was one of five bands nationwide chosen to appear. The Association of Concert Bands is the international voice of adult concert bands.

The Confucius Institute at Valparaiso University (CIVU) brought Chinese virtuoso erhu soloist Jia Chen to the United States to perform with Windiana. Windiana has toured China every summer since 2006, under the auspices of CIVU, and will tour China again in 2011.

Windiana also performed this year for the state convention of the Indiana Music Educators Association.

Many alumni and staff members of Valparaiso University participated in the performance, including Jamie Anthony, Kathleen Steder Brannen, Jesse Lee Evans, Laurel Paul Hahn, Philip Hahn, Alexander Keim, Tamara Harrell Kenning, Roger Luekens, Charles Mann, Debbie Peterson, Johann Sletto, Jamie Anthony, Jeffrey Doebler and Joanne Pesavento.

Windiana is a professional-level concert band, based in Valparaiso. Windiana’s mission is to perform concert band literature at the highest level and to provide a concert band opportunity for professional-level musicians. Members of Windiana have studied with some of the most notable musicians in America, and are highly recognized for their performing and teaching.

Founded in 2000, Windiana debuted in 2001 at Chesterton High School and at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis for the state convention of the Indiana Music Educators Association (IMEA). Windiana performed again for IMEA conventions in 2004 and 2011. In 2010, Windiana performed in the concert series for the Portage Township Live Entertainment Association. Windiana was recently presented with the Zhiyin Award by the Confucius Institute, for outstanding achievements in promoting cross-cultural exchange through music.

Windiana has completed five acclaimed concert tours of China (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010), performing more than 40 concerts in major concert halls, in schools, and on television for millions of people, and will tour China again in 2011. Windiana also toured New Zealand and Australia in 2007, which included a performance in the Sydney Opera House.

Erhu virtuoso Jia Chen performs with the Zhejiang Provincial Singing and Dancing Theater, Hangzhou, China. She is an award-winning artist who has been featured extensively in China and worldwide. She soloed with Windiana on the annual China tours and in the United States. The erhu is the traditional Chinese two-stringed fiddle.

Windiana conductor Jeffrey Scott Doebler has served as director of music education and bands at Valparaiso University since 1992.

Windiana’s next two performances are 7 p.m. Aug. 11 at Fox Park in LaPorte; and 7:30 p.m. Nov. 17 at the Memorial Opera House in Valparaiso.