(Norman, Okla) Feb. 08, 2012- “This will be a very special concert for the choir,” says Irv Wagner, professor of trombone with the OU School of Music. “This is a once-in-a-life-time, experience to have a Trombone Choir as the guest soloist with an Orchestra.”

The University of Oklahoma School of Music’s Trombone Choir is the special guest soloist for the Oklahoma City Community Orchestra concertat 8 p.m., on Sunday, Feb 19, in Sharp Concert Hall.

Wagner composed two of the works and arranged most of the repertoire featured in this concert. His compositions include “Royal Music” and “And the Greatest of These is…” His arrangements include “New Orleans Dixieland Medley,” “Trombone Tactics,” “I Like You Just The Way You Are,” “In The Mood,” “New Orleans Dixieland Medley,” “Trombone Tactics” and Billy Joel’s “I Like You Just The Way You Are.” Other highlights during the concert feature Beethoven’s “Three Equali,” Dubensky’s “Concerto Grosso,” Stravinsky’s “Because and Finale,” Mozart’s “Magic Flute” and Stolzer’s “Fantasia (c.1500).”

“I composed the ‘And the Greatest of These Is…’ for an International Festival in Brisbane, Australia. And conducted the premier performance with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra with Trombonists from 32 different countries from around the world.

The blank last word can be substituted by the listener, for some the greatest of these might be ‘love,’ for some ‘peace,’ for others ‘freedom,’ and so on.   The concert I conducted at that time was broadcast live over the entire Southern Hemisphere, and it is an honor to be doing this composition here in Norman,” says Wagner.

The choir recently released a cd that features the OU Trombone Choir along with featured guest soloist Jacques Mauger, professor of trombone at the Paris Conservatory of Music in France. This CD as well as their first CD will be available for purchase at the concert.

The choir specializes in performing music originally written for trombone ensembles of trombones from the 15th century to the present and strives to serve as a location where students can gain experience in performing all the styles commonly required of professional trombonists, from the Renaissance to jazz and avant garde. Additional information on the OU Trombone Choir can be found here,http://outrombonechoir.com/index.php .

The OKC Community Orchestra is handling the tickets for this performance, which are $10 and can be purchased at the door. All concert performances are in OU’s Catlett Music Center, 500 W. Boyd, in your OU Arts District!

Please visit http://music.ou.edu/ for a full calendar of events and performances at the School of Music.

The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. For accommodations on the basis of disability, please call the Box Office at (405) 325-4101.

Please visit http://music.ou.edu/ for a full calendar of events and performances at the School of Music. The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. For accommodations on the basis of disability, please call the Box Office at (405) 325-4101.

If you would like more information about the Trombone Choiror to schedule an interview please email Holly Jones, hollyjones@ou.edu or call (405) 325-6673.