Prof. Westover guest conducts Newton Mid-Kansas Symphony

Denison University Assistant Professor Chris David Westover, director of bands, is guest conductor for the Newton Mid-Kansas Symphony, the orchestra, and winners of the Dwight Beckham Young Soloist Competition for its Winter Classics Concert at 4 p.m. Feb. 16 in Memorial Hall at Bethel College.

The concert reflects on peace and hope for our country, with the words of Lincoln’s inaugural address narrated by USD 373 students. American composer Vincent Persichetti’s “A Lincoln Address” is a setting of the text with a full orchestral score. The concert also features the “Symphony No. 2″ by American composer Charles Ives. The early twentieth-century work embodies the character of the American melody, set in the European Romantic tradition.

An award-winning conductor, Westover has directed wind ensembles and orchestras nationally and internationally. In October 2019 he was awarded First Prize by the jury of the Warsaw Wind Ensemble Conducting Competition. Westover’s work has been described as “elegant, bold, vibrant, inspiring and centered,” by composer Augusta Read Thomas. He has conducted across the United States and in the People’s Republic of China and Poland. He previously led wind ensembles, orchestras and operatic performances at Bethel College, the University of Oklahoma, and the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University.