Members of Windiana, the professional concert band centered in Northwest Indiana, returned home recently from a highly successful twelve day, five-city tour of China. The tour included concerts in Shanghai, Hangzhou, Wuxi, Nanjing and Beijing.

Performing in some of the finest concert venues in the world, Windiana members were thrilled with the reception they received from Chinese audiences.

“In my career I have had the privilege of conducting in Severence Hall in Cleveland and Chicago’s Orchestra Hall. I believe Shanghai’s Oriental Performing Arts Center is my favorite, ” said Dr. Jeffrey Scott Doebler, director and founder of Windiana and Director of Bands at Valparaiso University.

One reason the audiences responded so warmly were the compositions written especially for these performances in China.

Chesterton realtor and composer Michael Boo, known primarily for writing over 400 pieces of marching band music, is a member of Windiana since 2001. His Shenzhou Fanfare, commemorating the success of the Chinese space program was a well-received opening selection for most concerts.

Boo’s most popular composition on this tour was Song of Jigong (The Crazy Monk) based on the theme of a popular Chinese TV show. The Crazy Monk served as a “show stopping” encore that had audiences clapping along each time it was played. The most emotional of Boo’s compositions, Spirit of Jasmine Flower, was premiered by Windiana in Nanjing. Musically, it tells the story of the Rape of Nanjing in 1937 when the Japanese invaded Nanjing, brutally killing over 300,000 men, women, and children.

Audiences called for additional bows by Boo and a Chinese erhu soloist who performed with the band. (An erhu is a traditional, mystical-sounding, two-stringed Chinese instrument that features the hair of the bow running between the two strings.) “That moment (the premier of Spirit of Jasmine) was a spiritual experience for me. They were really listening,” said Boo.

Yan Shengmin was a guest tenor soloist for several of the concerts with Windiana in China. A highlight for most members of Windiana was playing with the Hangzhou Utility Band, comprised of people who work for the electric company in Hangzhou. The company provides instruments and music lessons for each of the band’s members.

The Windiana China Tour was planned with the assistance of the Roosevelt Institute at Valparaiso University, which promotes cultural and educational exchanges between the US and China.

Windiana’s next performance will be an outdoor concert on July 20, 7 p.m. at Fox Park, LaPorte, Indiana.

Posted 7/10/2006