RILEY RAINS / ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR 

USD’s  Wind  Ensemble  and Concert Choir  hosted their first student  concert  of  the  season on  Nov.  7  in  the   Conrad Prebys  Performing   Arts  Center in La Jolla. The concert  hosted  a  plethora  of   compositions,   with an   emphasis  on  Latin creators.  The directors offered  all commentary  that was said in  between  songs in Spanish  and   English,  for  a fully immersive experience into  the “Bienvenidos” student concert. 

Brian Lustig pictured conducting USD’s Concert Choir at the Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center. Lara Dominique Solante/The USD Vista

The  wind  ensemble began the  night  with  “Of   Endless Miles and Empty Rafts,” composed by Michele Fernández, concluding  with José Ricardo Alva da Silva’s “Dança Brasileira Nos 2,1.” Every composition featured a gentle light show; whether it was blue orbs dancing to crescendos or glowing beams mimicking the Trombone’s roars, the visual show was a fan favorite. USD senior Tanner Blackington shared his thoughts on the spectacle.

“I thought it was incredible,” Blackington exclaimed. “I thought the lights were crazy. That was not something I was expecting.”

However exciting the visual spectacle was, the Torero musicians stole the  show.  The USD   Wind   Ensemble  is composed of 25 Toreros out of the 37 band members.

Blackington explained what drew him to “Bienvenidos.”

“I thought the composers were incredible,” Blackington emphasized. “It is cool to know that it is mostly students out there.  I  know  they   had  a few fill-ins in the band, but I mean, I  was really  amazed. You look out in the band and you see so  many faces of people you’ve  seen  around — that’s not something  that  you  can   typically get from one of these things.”

Flutes, clarinets, bassoons, trombones, trumpets, saxophones and more all  came  together to cultivate magical tunes that audience members thoroughly enjoyed. The rainstick advanced the ensemble’s progression, and director Pierre Tang even included  audience involvement — urging  them into clapping along with the beat. 

The   second   half  of the concert also contained multitudes of talent — the USD Concert Choir, containing 32 Toreros, began with Peter Anglea’s “Jubilate Deo” in Latin. The night ended with the USD Wind Ensemble and the Concert Choir coming  together to perform a beautiful rendition of Marques L.A. Garrett’s “Earth Song.” 

USD senior and soprano Tatum Mosley described the preparations that took place before “Bienvenidos.”

“We spent every Tuesday, Thursday for  about an hour and twenty practicing this,” Mosley recalled. “We had the Arts and Culture Festival a couple   weeks  ago  and  that was a  good  prep  session.  And from   there we  just  kind of fine  tuned  everything  to  make it perfect.  I had so much fun. I thought it was really great.”

USD hosted  their annual Arts and Culture  Festival on Oct. 25, which welcomed a variety of singers, dancers, actors, poets and ensembles from campus. Concert Choir and the Wind Ensemble were just a few of many artists that performed in preparation for their various events. The Arts and  Culture   Festival   was  free to attend, as   was  “Bienvenidos.” 

Music Department Chair Jeffrey Malecki shared the department’s goal. 

“The music department is really proud of our mission to bring these concerts to our musical community free of charge,” Malecki boasted. 

The USD  Wind  Ensemble and USD    Concert  Choir  will host their  next  performance  on Friday, Dec. 5   in Founders Chapel. 

The ‘Bienvenidos’ included light spectacles along with the music. Lara Dominique Solante/The USD Vista