NEW YORK — The Fresno State Wind Orchestra has concluded tonight’s Evening Showcase Concert with their performance at Carnegie Hall.

Months of preparation finally paid off as the band, conducted by Dr. Gary P. Gilroy, Steven McKeithen and guest conductor Ed Otto, executed their six-song setlist with blue-chip precision.

The audience, filled with many alumni, family members and Fresno State music department staff who paid their own way to New York City for the orchestra’s performance, roared as the group took their bow on the Carnegie stage.

The night of noteworthy musical presentations was finished off with a recognition and celebration of all the directors and conductors from today’s performances, where they received a plaque and a gift bag– and a minutes-long standing ovation, of course.

This marked the culmination of the Tuesday, April 8, 2025 New York International Music Festival.

NEW YORK — The Evening Showcase Concert has officially begun. Three groups are performing in tonight’s concert: Jonge Strijkers Nederland, Hope College Orchestra and the Fresno State Wind Orchestra.

Brandon Hatch graduated from UCLA in 2022 and is now a student in Fresno State’s music composition Masters program. Hatch is feeling all of the emotions as they prepare to head backstage for tonight’s performance.

“It’s surreal. It’s an amazing hall with so much history behind it, and it sounds incredible,” Hatch said. “All that being said, it feels like there’s a good deal of pressure. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I don’t want to mess it up. At the same time, I feel confident in all the preparation we’ve done as a group, and I think we’re going to have a great performance. I’m a bit nervous, but more excited than anything!”

NEW YORK — The Fresno State Wind Orchestra is in its soundcheck for their performance at tonight’s Evening Showcase Concert in the New York International Music Festival.

This is the last time the ensemble will have a chance to run their set before taking the stage to close out tonight’s concert, which begins at 8 p.m.

The ensemble will be playing six pieces in tonight’s performance:

• Millennium Cannons – Kevin Puts (arranged by Mark Spede)
• When the Earth Stands Still – Don MacDonald (arranged by M. J. Wamhoff)
• Motu – Christopher Buchanan
• To the Bells of the Berlin Cathedral – Julie Giroux
• Joyce’s 71st New York Regiment March – Thornton Barnes Boyer
• Pulsing Onwards–A California Pastorale – James David

Their final piece, Pulsing Onwards, was commissioned for Dr. Gilroy’s retirement, meaning David wrote the piece specifically for him and his fulfillment.

Additionally, Motu composer Buchanan will be in the audience at tonight’s performance.

NEW YORK — The Fresno State Wind Orchestra started their day off by attending the Afternoon Adjudicated Concert in the Isaac Stern auditorium / Ronald O. Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall for a few hours before their own soundcheck.

They were able to enjoy the performances from high school Clovis East’s Orchestra and Wind Orchestra, a fellow Central Valley school who also received the opportunity to perform at this year’s festival.

Alexandra Gilroy Golden, the Clovis East Orchestra director, is the daughter of Fresno State Wind Orchestra Dr. Gary P. Gilroy. This makes for an interestingly special moment, as this father and daughter will each lead their respective ensembles to perform on the same day, in the same festival, at the renowned Carnegie Hall.

The Fresno State Wind Orchestra will reconvene at 4 p.m. to soundcheck on the stage one final time before the Evening Showcase Concert commences.

NEW YORK — The Fresno State Wind Ensemble spent the night preceding their Carnegie Hall performance at the Festival Dinner / DJ Dance Cruise with other participants of the International New York Music Festival.

The cruise took them down the Hudson River for a stunning view of the Statue of Liberty as they ate dinner and danced the night away.

Ellie Flynn, a graduated senior, enjoyed her glimpse of Lady Liberty from the deck.

“The views on the dinner cruise were pretty sweet,” Flynn said.

They headed back to their hotel rooms after a night of fun to prepare for the big day ahead of them.

NEW YORK — On Sunday, April 6, the wind ensemble gathered for a 60-minute group rehearsal in the New York Ballroom from 10:45-11:45 a.m. This was their last rehearsal before their soundcheck at Carnegie Hall on Tuesday.

Danielle Densmore is a fourth year music education major. She described this morning’s rehearsal as a bit frantic and stated that emotions were high.

“Rehearsal was very emotional, as we decided to dedicate our Carnegie Hall performance to Dr. Ritchie Clendenin,” Densmore said. “He was one of the largest influences on the Fresno State Music Department, and he passed away on Thursday.”

Dr. W. Ritchie Clendenin was the Trumpet Professor at Fresno State from 1973 to 2001, retired in 2002 and received emeritus status in 2003. He created the $300,000 Clendenin Brass Endowed Scholarship in 2018 in memory of his mother, June Clendenin. Dr. Clendenin was the former director of the ensemble of scholarship recipients, the Clendenin Brass Quintet.

NEW YORK — On Saturday, April 5, the ensemble spent their first afternoon in New York at the 1 p.m. matinee performance of “Hamilton” at the Richard Rodgers Theatre.

Isabella Caso is a fourth year music education major. This wasn’t her first time seeing “Hamilton,” but she profoundly enjoyed the show.

“This is my third time seeing ‘Hamilton,’ so I already had high expectations especially with it being the Broadway production,” Caso said. “I have a lot of favorite moments from the musical, but I would say my favorite from yesterday’s performance was the very last scene when Eliza is telling the story of Hamilton and at that end of that song is Eliza taking her last breath and seeing that hers and Hamilton’s story was being told to the audience.”