Kansas City
Wind Symphony
USA
Spain Tour
June 1 - 10, 2025
PROGRAM
Concert Program Notes:
The Kansas City Wind Symphony is currently on tour in Spain, having been invited to participate the in the Edeta Arts Festival in Llíria, in the Valencia region, an area with an international renowned reputation for wind bands. Llíria and Kansas City are both members of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, a worldwide organization that champions cultural exchange and artistic collaboration. The tour will take place over 10 days, beginning in Barcelona, and travelling to Valencia and Alicante, with concerts in Castalla, Burriana, the Teatro Primativa in Llíria, and the legendary Teatro Montecarlo in Buñol.
Tonight’s program features a mix of classic Americana and traditional Spanish music. From the iconic Spanish march, the paso doble (Suspiros de España) to the equally iconic Sousa March (Hands Across the Sea), the KCWS takes you on a musical journey celebrating the rich culture and music of both countries. The ensemble will feature Missouri composer Claude T. Smith, whose daughter, Pam Smith Kelley, helped found the Wind Symphony 26 years ago. Accomplished soprano Victoria Botero will perform an aria from “El Carro del Sol”, a famous work from the beloved Zarzuela. The John Williams classic “The Cowboys” is a nod to America’s wild west as well as to the Valencia region, where many westerns were filmed, due to the topographical similarity of the southeast of Spain and the southwest of the U.S. Finishing off the program, we honor the musical roots of Kansas City, with the city’s official song, “Kansas City”, and ending with a classic Sousa march.
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The concert program will be announced from the stage and will be chosen from the following repertoire list:
Suspiro de España
by Antonio Alvarez
Wilderness
by Cait Nishimura
Una voce poco fa
by Gioachino Rossini
Victoria Botero, soprano
Summertime
by George Gershwin
Victoria Botero, soprano
El Carro del Sol
by José Serrano
Victoria Botero, soprano
The Wizard of Oz Medley
arr. Charles Story
God of Our Fathers
by Claude T. Smith
Fantasy on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
by Ralph Vaughan Williams
Adapted/Arr. Jay Bocook
The Cowboys
by John Williams
Hands Across the Sea
by John Philip Sousa
Kansas City
by Leiber and Stoller
Concert Dates
BUÑOL
Friday, June 6
Teatro Montecarlo
19:00h
BORRIANA
Sunday, June 8
Teatro Payà Borriana - Banda Filarmónica de Borriana
19:00h
Kansas City Wind Symphony
The Kansas City Wind Symphony was founded in November of 1998 as a volunteer ensemble of professional and accomplished amateur musicians selected by competitive audition. The ensemble is comprised of musicians from throughout the Kansas City metro area who are dedicated to the performance of modern and classic works for winds and percussion.
The group was founded by William Baker and Pam Smith Kelly, daughter of legendary Missouri composer Claude T. Smith. Dr. Phil Posey, conductor emeritus, became music director and conductor of the ensemble in 2001. Under Dr. Posey’s baton, the Wind Symphony performed over 100 concerts throughout the Kansas City region and across the state. In 2008, Dr. Posey took the ensemble to New York for a performance in Carnegie Hall.
The group has performed three times at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, including a special invitation for the grand opening of the concert hall in 2011. In fall 2017, Dr. Langston Hemenway became conductor and music director of the Wind Symphony. The ensemble continues to grow and evolve, playing exemplary music at a high caliber.
LISTA PERSONAL
Fort Worth Youth Orchestra
Miembros
VIOLÍN I
Isabel Opat
Carlos Lee
Juliana Marquart
Miah Shaffer
Anthony Harnan
Olivia Lassman
Stella Staneva
VIOLÍN II
Bethany Grassi
Melea Hwang
Harper Berzon
Nancy Jageman
Jay Sriram
Arianna Eclar
Zoe Amoguis
Liam Amoguis
VIOLA
Aiden Flora
Alex Corley
Enzo Sagun
Daniel Kim
Shashwat Gupta
Charlotte Adams
Alex Yim
VIOLONCHELO
Christopher Tran
Sean Hong
Caleb Marquart
Emilia Lyons
Harmon Hong
Finn Belk
Nicholas Castillo
Jackson Gourley
BAJO
Martin Clapper
Benjamin Brooks
Ava Hoyt
Michaela Lukusa
FLAUTA
Jane Claire Anderson
Emily Sylvester
Madelynn Bell
OBOE
Elena Van Ronk
Caroline Stevenson
Mckinley Surface
CLARINETE
Edie Flunker
Ivory Spencer
Diego Tapia
FAGOT
Dominick Ring
Bryce Orupabo
Landon Peugh
TROMPA FRANCÉS
Asher Isgitt
Madilyn Perry
Ian Lawler
Jessye Northam
TROMPETA
Ryder Huskins
Jackson Schneider
Christopher Ray
TROMBÓN
Samuel Ditto
Edwin Garcia
Jack Keefe
TUBA
Nick Smith
PERCUSIÓN
Eli Everett
David Meeke
Jude Schuknecht
ARPA
Isabella Grace Ebo
DIRECTORs
Dr. Langston Hemenway
Conductor
Dr. Langston Hemenway, Conductor, earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Instrumental Conducting from the University of Michigan, his Master’s degree in Conducting from the University of Kansas, and a Bachelor’s in Music Education from the University of Oklahoma.
Dr. Hemenway is the Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Instrumental Studies at William Jewell College, where he conducts the Symphonic Band, directs the Jazz Band, teaches conducting and instrumental technique classes, supervises music education students, and administrates the instrumental division of the music department.
Dr. Hemenway is an active conductor, adjudicator, and clinician, regularly working with community and school bands from a wide array of experience levels. Prior to his position at Jewell, he served on the music faculty at North Central College in Naperville, Ill. and also taught for seven years as a public school band director in Texas and Kansas, working with distinguished high school programs in the Houston and Wichita areas. He has worked with numerous distinguished composers including Michael Daugherty, John Mackey, Kristin Kuster, Steven Bryant, Joel Puckett, Carter Pann, and Roshanne Etezady.
Dr. Hemenway’s professional affiliations include the College Band Directors National Association, the National Association for Music Education, and the Music Educator’s Associations of Illinois, Kansas, and Missouri. He holds membership in Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia and is an honorary member of Sigma Alpha Iota. Dr. Hemenway is published by GIA Music.
Dr. Amy Knopps
Associate Conductor
Amy M. Knopps, DMA, is the Associate Director of Bands and Director of Athletic Bands at the University of Missouri where she directs Marching Mizzou, Mini Mizzou, Symphonic Band, and teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in the music curriculum of the School of Music. At Mizzou, Dr. Knopps was named Associate Professor of the Year and received the Purple Chalk Teaching Award from the College of Arts and Science in 2021. Prior to her appointment in the fall of 2017, Dr. Knopps served for seven years as Associate Director of Bands and Director of Athletic Bands at Eastern Michigan University. While at Eastern Michigan she was a Faculty Spotlight Recipient, and featured in a historic exhibition titled, “In Her Shoes: Forging Paths at EMU,” as she was the first woman to direct the EMU Marching Band. Dr. Knopps earned degrees from The University of Georgia (DMA), the University of Kansas (MM), and the University of Missouri (BS, Ed.) where her principal conducting teachers were Dr. John P. Lynch and Dr. Dale J. Lonis. Additional teaching experience includes numerous years as Director of Bands at Center High School and Center Middle School in her hometown of Kansas City. Dr. Knopps continues to be a very active conductor, clinician, and adjudicator across the United States and internationally having worked and performed throughout Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe, and South America. She currently resides in Columbia, Missouri with her cats Rocky and Macy.
Featured Soloist
Victoria Botero
Soprano
Colombian-American Soprano, Victoria Botero, has a performance repertoire spanning Medieval to New Music, and traditional songs in 15+ languages. The Kansas City Star recently wrote, “Soprano Victoria Botero is one of Kansas City’s most passionate and caring performers. A concert by Botero is more than just a recital of beautiful songs, it’s a reflection on the human condition.” Victoria’s recent soloist work includes the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, Kansas City Symphony, Banda Sinfónica de Pereira (Colombia), St. Joseph and Liberty Symphonies, KC Wind Symphony, KC Baroque Consortium, KC Chamber Orchestra, William Baker Choral Foundation, Early Music Missouri, Sunflower Baroque, TEDxKC, and L’Istituto di Musica Antica in Milan. Her Operatic work includes Lyric Opera Kansas City, Union Avenue, Des Moines Metro, Wichita Grand, and Tulsa Operas. An avid educator, Victoria is a teaching artist with Lyric Opera KC and Starlight Theatre.
As a concert producer, Victoria created The Cecilia Series out of a desire to bring inclusive performance to the traditional concert hall. Her innovative, critically acclaimed concerts, explore global themes through the lens of gender, race, and identity. Her latest production, “Gabo: A Love Letter,” is a theatrical and musical adaptation of Gabriel García Márquez’s work. Victoria has a B.M in Vocal Performance from The Catholic University of America and dual Master’s in Voice/Musicology from University of Missouri-Kansas City. She was recently named a 2025 National Leader of Color Fellow by Creative West. www.victoriabotero.com