Trombonists “save” the Wind Ensemble concert

Although the UCF Wind Ensemble's concert didn't go quite according to plan Sunday night, the talent and dedication of its three trombonists, backed by the other 52 musicians, made the Valentine's Day performance a symphonic success.

Each year the audition-only ensemble, which features students of all majors, invites an international composer to conduct one of his compositions.

But just four days before the show, the ensemble learned that the scheduled guest conductor, Eitan Avitsur, and his son, Haim Avitsur, internationally acclaimed Israeli musicians, were trapped in New York because of the snowstorms.

"It's crazy, so many months of planning to organize this and now they're not coming," said Michael J. Garasi, the ensemble's interim director.

Haim Avitsur was scheduled to perform trombone solos with the band, but when Garasi learned of the change of plans he told the trombone section to start rehearsing.

"They're going to save this concert," Garasi said. "It's sort of stressful and exciting depending on how you look at it."

Amanda Buzzetta, a freshman music and molecular biology and microbiology major, William Connell, a senior music performance major, and Corey Paul, a sophomore music performance and digital media major, had large shoes to fill when they agreed to play the scheduled solos.

"I'm a little nervous, but it's an opportunity that doesn't come up often so I decided to take it," Buzzetta said before her performance.

Despite the last-minute schedule change, the ensemble performed flawlessly. The repertoire included international music, leading the audience from the frigid plains of Russia to the mystic sands of Israel. The songs included a wistful Gaelic tune, a dark Danish concerto and a frantic Italian rhapsody. The audience awarded the musicians with a standing ovation.

"I loved the performance," said Jo Connell, mother of the trombone soloist. "I can't believe what they put together in the past couple of days."

Family members, friends and fans expressed their delight. Many members of the music fraternities and sororities on campus came out to support their fellow music lovers.

"I thought it was amazing," said Autre Howard-Morgan, a senior at UCF and member of the Tau Beta Sigma national honorary band sorority. "We are here not only for support but to bring about awareness for music, the common bond we share."

The wind ensemble hopes the concert will prepare them for the national American School Band Directors Association Convention, in conjunction with the Florida Bandmasters Association, this summer in Orlando. Ensemble members look forward to the challenge.

"Mr. Garasi is doing a great job with keeping up our momentum," said Juan Berrios, a senior music performance major and French horn player. "We need to keep at it and keep doing our best."