W&L’s SonoKlect Series Presents the JMU Brass Band A reception in Lykes Atrium will follow the band’s Feb. 17 performance in Wilson Concert Hall.

By Emily Innes
February 2, 2024

Washington and Lee University presents the James Madison University Brass Band on Saturday, Feb. 17, at 8 p.m. in Wilson Concert Hall, followed by a reception in Lykes Atrium. The performance is part of the SonoKlect Series, a program dedicated to bringing modern music to local audiences in Lexington, VA.

The event is free and open to the public. No tickets are required.

Under the direction of Kevin Stees, professor of tuba and euphonium at JMU, the JMU Brass Band is one of the most successful collegiate brass bands in the world today. The band features a lineup of top-notch musicians who are masters of their craft and consistently praised for their virtuosic solos, tight harmonies and dynamic stage presence.

Stees formed the JMU Brass Band in the fall of 2000, and the group was named the North American Brass Band Association (NABBA) First Section Champion in 2004 and 2005, and the section runner-up in 2006, 2007, 2010, 2016, 2019 and 2022. The group maintains an active schedule, performing regularly throughout the academic year, and has been featured at numerous festivals and conferences, including the Great American Brass Band Festival in Danville, Kentucky. In 2009, the ensemble became the first brass band to perform a full-length concert at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

The JMU Brass Band is always interested in showcasing new repertoire, and a highlight of their Feb. 17 performance will be Terry Vosbein’s three-movement composition “Pillars of Brass,” composed specifically for this award-winning ensemble.

For a full list of this season’s performances, visit the Lenfest Center’s website.

The Lenfest Center for the Arts, home of the Department of Theater, Dance, and Film Studies and the Department of Music and Department of Art and Art History is a multi-use facility designed and equipped to accommodate a broad spectrum of the performing arts, including theater, musical theater, opera and operetta, choral and band music, dance and performance art in one energizing complex.