Pegasus Wind Symphony: Unique, World-Class Music
If you’re like me, you were recently asked to take part in something special. In my case, “recently” was back in September when I was wandering around Krape Park for Art In The Park. I had purchased a statue for my wife’s birthday and was trying to figure out how to hide it from her since we were taking the same vehicle home. It was while concocting this scheme that I ran into my former high school band director, Bill Petersen, and he told me about the Pegasus Wind Symphony.
Simply, Pegasus is a collection of top-level musicians coming together to play some of the best music from around the world. Both new and existing work will be performed in live concerts at different venues, starting around Northern Illinois. Excellent musical performance will be made more widely available through Pegasus. I took away three essential concepts from our conversation.
1.) The group will largely perform symphonic pieces that most people haven’t heard before. There is an embarrassment of riches when it comes to symphonic music. The embarrassing part is that most of it doesn’t get played. Groups are too often focused on the safety of pieces. It’s safe for the audience because they have heard it before or it’s safe for the group because everyone has played it before.
This has led to a very small selection of pieces that get played regularly. Symphonic arrangements have been around for hundreds of years and new ones are still being created. What does it say that most of us have heard the same five or six pieces? Pegasus will perform pieces that your ears likely haven’t encountered before.
2.) The group will be made up of world class musicians from all over. If you rise to a high enough level in any field, you know everyone else in that field. With musicians, this is very much the case because they are all looking for the same opportunities to perform music or to be moved by a performance. Musicians all know each other and want to combine talents with other highly skilled musicians but are often prevented by geography or other obligations.
The Pegasus Wind Symphony is made up of supremely skilled musicians coming from other cities and states who play in other top tier groups. This is a unique opportunity for the players as well as the audience. There will be some familiar names for the avid music fans in the area, but there will be many new performers adding their talents to the presentation.
3.) Every performance will be unique. The pieces performed will change, some of the musicians will change, and the venues will change. Pegasus endeavors to offer one-of-a-kind, musical and emotional experiences that will only be amplified by some of the area’s historic theaters. The acoustics, (the way the architecture plays with sound) of those old venues make any performance unique to that specific location. No Pegasus performance will be like another.
I’m thrilled to have been asked to be a part of this group. While I won’t be playing, (I’m not that good) I will be part of the inaugural performance for the Pegasus Wind Symphony, and I hope to see you there. It will be January 11th, 3:00pm, at the Freeport Masonic Temple as part of the Community Concert Series. You can call 815-232-4214 for ticket information.
I managed to sneak my wife’s birthday present out of Art In The Park without her catching on. I distracted her by talking about this new musical endeavor I was going to help with. Saturday will be something special.
