Director of Bands and Music Activities Director Dr. Timothy Rhea will celebrate his 30th year at Texas A&M University with a Texas A&M Wind Symphony Concert on April 30 at 2 p.m. at Rudder Theater.
The concert will feature music written and played by Associate Professor and Trombone Soloist David Wilborn along with pieces by Leonard Bernstein, Malcolm Arnold and Percy Grainger. Wilborn works in Texas A&M’s School of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts. As a clinician and trombone soloist, he has presented sessions and performances at conference venues throughout the United States, Puerto Rico and Europe.
Wilborn wrote a piece for the Wind Symphony that premiered at their 2008 Carnegie Hall performance and the group will perform the piece again April 30 featuring Wilborn on trombone.
In addition, the concert will feature “Pines of Rome,” a tone poem in four movements by the Italian composer Ottorino Respighi.
“It will be an incredible musical experience,” Rhea said. "All the music is accessible to the audience. You will likely be singing the melodies long after the performance.”
A Texas native, Rhea grew up in the music programs of Texas public schools. His time at Texas A&M began in 1993 as associate director of bands.
During his time as conductor, the Wind Symphony has represented Texas A&M in places such as Italy, Germany, Ireland, Austria, The Czech Republic, England and Carnegie Hall in New York City. In addition to conducting, Rhea maintains a successful career as an arranger and composer. He has composed and arranged more than 300 works, with more than 50 publications.
Rhea has been involved with the Texas Aggie Band since the beginning of his career at A&M and he has served as the director since 2002. Each performance by the Texas Aggie Band is carefully crafted by Rhea as he serves as both the music arranger and drill designer for the band.
During his career, he has grown the Department of Music Activities’ concert band program from one band to four and has mentored countless students, all of whom benefit from their time in the program. Rhea said working with students has been the highlight of his career.
“They're so passionate about music,” he said. “They have an expectation for excellence that parallels whatever they are doing, and they have a drive to always do their best.”
The Texas A&M Wind Symphony is composed entirely of students from a variety of majors with a passion for music.
“We are all part of this group because we want to get together and play music,” said senior clarinetist Mikayla Hamilton. "We are part of a great community of genuine, hardworking people.”
Tickets for the Wind Symphony concert on April 30 are available through the MSC box office. General admission is $5.00 and free to students with a Texas A&M ID.
The concert will also be livestreamed.
Help the Texas A&M Wind Symphony spread the spirit of Aggieland across the globe by making an online donation at give.am/MusicActivitiesTravelEndowment or contact Senior Director of Development Reagan Chessher at givetostudentaffairs@txamfoundation.com or 979-458-1689.
Courtesy of Olivia Garza ’23, Texas A&M University Division of Student Affairs
