Central ND News

The University of Mary Concert Band will hold its annual fall concert on Sunday, November 2, at 3 p.m. in Founders Hall at the Lumen Vitae University Center on the university’s campus in Bismarck. The event is free and open to the public.

Professor Dennis Gowen, director of Bands and High Brass at the University of Mary, will lead the ensemble in its first major home performance of the 2025–26 season. This concert follows a recent tour through South Dakota.

“Our first home concert of the 2025–’26 year will take place following our fall tour to South Dakota,” Gowen said. “We can’t wait to share our love of music with our wonderful home audience.”

The program includes a range of works from different periods and composers, such as Bach, Bizet, Mozart, and Nowlin. The concert will begin with “Réjouissance” by Andrew Yozviak and also features “Impression” by Ryan Nowlin, conductor of the President’s Own United States Marine Band, and “Mouvement Frénétique” by Jonathan Dagenais.

A featured part of the event is guest horn soloist Andrew Karr, Acting Principal Horn of the Florida Orchestra. Karr has studied under Barry Tuckwell and Myron Bloom and has performed across the United States as well as internationally in Shanghai, Moldova, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

“We are so excited to invite Andrew Karr as our special guest artist this fall,” Gowen said. “Andrew is a captivating, engaging soloist who brings a world-class artistry to every performance.”

Karr will perform Mozart’s Horn Concerto No. 3 with the band. “We can’t wait to feature Andrew’s artistry alongside our wonderful University of Mary Concert Band members,” Gowen added.

The concert will close with “Florentiner March” by Julius Fučik and “Farandole” by Georges Bizet from L’Arlésienne Suite No. 2.

The University of Mary Concert Band is one of more than 20 music ensembles on campus that provide students opportunities for musical performance during their studies.