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Lamar University’s Wind Ensemble has been honored with an invitation to perform before the Texas Music Educators Association's 2015 convention in San Antonio. They will present a local preview of their upcoming TMEA performance at 7:30 p.m., Feb. 5, in the Julie Rogers Theatre. The ensemble will perform selections from Percy Grainger, Samuel Hazo, Henry Fillmore and others. Admission is free.

Under the baton of Scott Deppe, LU’s director of bands, the Wind Ensemble is composed of 56 students from several different colleges and majors throughout the university. The concert will also feature guest conductors Barry Johnson, retired chair of the music department, and Eric Shannon, director of athletic bands. LU alumnus Master Sergeant Scott Gearhart of “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band will perform two trumpet solos.

A Beaumont native, Gearhart performs with the Marine Band and Marine Chamber Orchestra at the White House, throughout the Washington, D.C. area and across the nation during the band’s annual concert tour. He performed lead trumpet for the Marine Jazz Orchestra’s inaugural performance at the Kennedy Center and frequently performs concerts for the Marine Chamber Series.

Selections at the concert include Samuel Hazo’s “Exultate,” Percy Grainger’s “Walking Tune,” David Maslanka’s “Traveler,” Joseph Willcox Jenkins’ “American Overture for Band,” Bernardino Bautista Monterde’s “La Virgen de la Macarena,” Joachin Rodrigo’s “Concierto de Aranjuez” and Henry Fillmore’s “The Circus Bee March.”

Begun in 1920, TMEA is an organization of more than 11,000 elementary through post-secondary school music educators dedicated to promoting excellence in music education. It is the largest organization of its kind in the world, meeting yearly in San Antonio. Only four university bands were invited to perform at the 2015 convention and clinic.

“It’s an honor to represent Lamar University at TMEA,” said Deppe, “and I think it’s going to be a treat for our many alumni from the Mary Morgan Moore Department of Music who have gone on to become band and choir directors and will be present at this conference.”

The LU Wind Ensemble’s TMEA performance will take place at 11:30 a.m. on Feb. 12 in the Lila Cockrell Theatre of the San Antonio Convention Center.

For more information, contact the Mary Morgan Moore Department of Music at (409) 880-8144 or lamar.edu/music.