Listen to the Wind Symphony in concert...
Richard Danielpour - Voice of the City
Percy Grainger - Lincolnshire Posy
John Mackey - II. Kingfishers Catch Fire
Wagner - Elsa's Procession to the Cathedral
CHEN Qian - Snow Lotus
Excerpt from Dahl - Saxophone Concerto with
Kenneth Tse, soloist
Kenneth Tse, soloist
| For up-to-date concert information: |
Thomas E. Verrier is Director of Wind Studies and
Associate Professor of Music at Vanderbilt University’s
Blair School of Music. He serves as Conductor of the
Vanderbilt Wind Ensembles and Artistic Director of the
Vanderbilt Music Acadèmie, in conjunction with the annual
Festival International d'Art Lyrique et de Musique in Aix-
en-Provence, France http://www.vanderbilt.edu/vma. In
addition, Dr. Verrier is the coordinator of the Blair School’s
five-year program in teacher education. His duties also
include undergraduate and graduate level courses in
conducting, pedagogy, and education.
With a diploma in Performance and Music Education, and
advanced degrees in Instrumental Conducting and
Literature, Dr. Verrier is an active conductor and clinician
praised for his artistic approach as well as his pedagogical
knowledge. He has won critical acclaim from composers
Associate Professor of Music at Vanderbilt University’s
Blair School of Music. He serves as Conductor of the
Vanderbilt Wind Ensembles and Artistic Director of the
Vanderbilt Music Acadèmie, in conjunction with the annual
Festival International d'Art Lyrique et de Musique in Aix-
en-Provence, France http://www.vanderbilt.edu/vma. In
addition, Dr. Verrier is the coordinator of the Blair School’s
five-year program in teacher education. His duties also
include undergraduate and graduate level courses in
conducting, pedagogy, and education.
With a diploma in Performance and Music Education, and
advanced degrees in Instrumental Conducting and
Literature, Dr. Verrier is an active conductor and clinician
praised for his artistic approach as well as his pedagogical
knowledge. He has won critical acclaim from composers
including Karel Husa, Joan Tower, Joseph Schwantner, Michael Torke, Richard Danielpour, Michael Daugherty, Steven
Mackey, Frank Ticheli, David Maslanka, Joseph Turrin, Andres Valero-Castells, Luis Serrano-Alarcon, Simon Yau, and
Chen Qian for his interpretive conducting of their compositions. Recognized for his work in the areas of “organic
creativity,” and collaborative arts, Dr. Verrier studied acting techniques, sense memory, and script analysis with
Mackey, Frank Ticheli, David Maslanka, Joseph Turrin, Andres Valero-Castells, Luis Serrano-Alarcon, Simon Yau, and
Chen Qian for his interpretive conducting of their compositions. Recognized for his work in the areas of “organic
creativity,” and collaborative arts, Dr. Verrier studied acting techniques, sense memory, and script analysis with
Dr. Thomas Verrier and composer, Karel Husa rehearse
Music for Prague 1968
Music for Prague 1968
About the ensemble...
The Vanderbilt Wind Symphony
is the premiere wind performing
group at Vanderbilt University
and includes the most
outstanding woodwind, brass,
and percussion students in the
School of Music.
At the Blair School of Music, a
rotation system for instrumental
ensembles provides students
with a wide range of
The Vanderbilt Wind Symphony
is the premiere wind performing
group at Vanderbilt University
and includes the most
outstanding woodwind, brass,
and percussion students in the
School of Music.
At the Blair School of Music, a
rotation system for instrumental
ensembles provides students
with a wide range of
renowned teacher/directorJohn Strasberg at his New York studio, The
International Center for Creativity and Theater Arts Research.
Dr. Verrier maintains a busy schedule both nationally and
internationally. He has accepted invitations to conduct throughout the
United States, as well as in Canada, Mexico, Central America, Japan,
China, Hong Kong, Macau, Czech Republic, United Kingdom, France,
and Spain. He has led concert tours in Europe and in China, and has
conducted performances at conferences of the Congreso
Iberoamericano de Directores, Compositores, Arregladores e
Instrumentistas de Bandas Sinfónicas, the International Society for
Music Education (Tenerife, Canary Islands), the Asian Pacific Band
Directors Association (Macau), the Hong Kong International Band Fair,
the College Band Directors National Association [CBDNA], and the
North American Saxophone Alliance. Dr. Verrier has been a guest
conductor with the Military Band of the Peoples’ Liberation Army
(Beijing, China), the Municipal Band of Albacete (Spain), the Hong
Kong Neo Winds Orchestra, and La Banda de la Unión Musical
Utielana (Valencia, Spain), and is the Artistic Advisor of the Hong Kong
Wind Ensemble. Dr. Verrier also serves as the pedagogical consultant
for the Sistema Nacional Educacion Musical in Costa Rica. While on
leave from Vanderbilt in 2008, Dr. Verrier accepted a position as
Visiting Scholar at the Guangdong University of Foreign Studies in
Guangzhou China. During his semester abroad, he guest conducted
numerous Chinese ensembles from Beijing to Hong Kong and also
served on the panel of judges for the All-China Competition of
Symphonic Bands in Shanghai.
Dr. Verrier is an active member of the College Band Directors National
Association; he is the organization’s National Executive Secretary and
a member of the organization’s Executive Board.
International Center for Creativity and Theater Arts Research.
Dr. Verrier maintains a busy schedule both nationally and
internationally. He has accepted invitations to conduct throughout the
United States, as well as in Canada, Mexico, Central America, Japan,
China, Hong Kong, Macau, Czech Republic, United Kingdom, France,
and Spain. He has led concert tours in Europe and in China, and has
conducted performances at conferences of the Congreso
Iberoamericano de Directores, Compositores, Arregladores e
Instrumentistas de Bandas Sinfónicas, the International Society for
Music Education (Tenerife, Canary Islands), the Asian Pacific Band
Directors Association (Macau), the Hong Kong International Band Fair,
the College Band Directors National Association [CBDNA], and the
North American Saxophone Alliance. Dr. Verrier has been a guest
conductor with the Military Band of the Peoples’ Liberation Army
(Beijing, China), the Municipal Band of Albacete (Spain), the Hong
Kong Neo Winds Orchestra, and La Banda de la Unión Musical
Utielana (Valencia, Spain), and is the Artistic Advisor of the Hong Kong
Wind Ensemble. Dr. Verrier also serves as the pedagogical consultant
for the Sistema Nacional Educacion Musical in Costa Rica. While on
leave from Vanderbilt in 2008, Dr. Verrier accepted a position as
Visiting Scholar at the Guangdong University of Foreign Studies in
Guangzhou China. During his semester abroad, he guest conducted
numerous Chinese ensembles from Beijing to Hong Kong and also
served on the panel of judges for the All-China Competition of
Symphonic Bands in Shanghai.
Dr. Verrier is an active member of the College Band Directors National
Association; he is the organization’s National Executive Secretary and
a member of the organization’s Executive Board.
BLAIR SCHOOL OF MUSIC - VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY - 2400 Blakemore Avenue, Nashville, Tennessee USA 37212
(615) 322-7651 -
(615) 322-7651 -
Percussion soloist Ronald Chin, composer
CHEN Qian, guest conductor Joseph Cheung,
with choreographer Jen Jen Lin
CHEN Qian, guest conductor Joseph Cheung,
with choreographer Jen Jen Lin
Verrier conducts the Military Band of the Peoples'
Liberation Army in Beijing, China
Liberation Army in Beijing, China
Verrier with Yo Yo Ma in
Nashville
Nashville
| THE VANDERBILT WIND SYMPHONY Thomas Verrier, Conductor |
BLAIR SCHOOL OF MUSIC
US Premiere: CHEN Qian's Snow Lotus
Kenneth Tse, Saxophone soloist
Verrier with composer Simon Yau
in Hong Kong
in Hong Kong
Composer Michael
Daugherty and
clarinetist Helen
Goode-Castro
Daugherty and
clarinetist Helen
Goode-Castro
Hsin Hsiao-hung,
Erhu soloist
Erhu soloist
Verrier backstage with
Richard Danielpour
Richard Danielpour
with Composer Claudio Gabriele in Aix-en-
Provence, France
Provence, France
All-China Competition of Symphonic Bands in Shanghai
Verrier backstage with Joseph Schwantner
experiences within a single semester. The Wind
Symphony, Concert Winds,Orchestra, String Orchestra,
Chamber Orchestra, and Opera Orchestra, along with
Chamber Winds, Chamber Players and the Contemporary
Ensemble are all under one "instrumental ensemble"
course, which is team-taught by the conductors and has a
single syllabus and set of grading criteria. This approach
reflects our philosophy that Blair students will thrive best
when given the opportunity to learn in a variety of musical
settings.
Symphony, Concert Winds,Orchestra, String Orchestra,
Chamber Orchestra, and Opera Orchestra, along with
Chamber Winds, Chamber Players and the Contemporary
Ensemble are all under one "instrumental ensemble"
course, which is team-taught by the conductors and has a
single syllabus and set of grading criteria. This approach
reflects our philosophy that Blair students will thrive best
when given the opportunity to learn in a variety of musical
settings.
Performance with
computer generated
visualizations
computer generated
visualizations
J. Schwantner/Boysen - Percussion Concerto I
Joseph Gramley, soloist
Joseph Gramley, soloist
J. Schwantner/Boysen - Percussion Concerto II
Joseph Gramley, soloist
Joseph Gramley, soloist
J. Schwantner/Boysen - Percussion Concerto III
Joseph Gramley, soloist
Joseph Gramley, soloist