Concert features Youngstown native as guest soloist
A Youngstown native who now is a music professor at the University of Maryland will perform Sunday with the W.D. Packard Concert Band.
French horn player Gregory Miller earned his bachelor’s degree in horn performance from Oberlin College Conservatory of Music. His orchestral career began in 1991 as a fellow with the New World Symphony, led by Michael Tilson Thomas. He appeared on three of the symphony’s recordings, one of which received a Grammy nomination. He was appointed hornist of the Empire Brass in 1997 and, over 15 years, performed in 25 countries and at such venues as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Suntory Hall, the Barbican Centre, the Mozarteum and the Musikverein.
In addition to recording with New World Symphony and Empire Brass, Miller released his first solo recording, “From Bach to Bernstein,” in 2002 on the MSR label. With the Packard band, Miller will be the featured soloist on James Naigus’ “Harvest Light” and Hoagy Carmichael’s “Stardust.” His nephew, Quinton Miller, a French horn major at Dana School of Music, will be playing in the horn section for Sunday’s concert.
Other selections on the program, conducted by Galen S. Karriker, include James Curnow’s “Hail the Champions,” Franz Biebel’s “Ave Maria,” Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “Sea Songs,” Richard Saucedo’s “Heroes Near and Far,” Russell Alexander’s “Colossus of Columbia” march, William Himes’ arrangement of “Amazing Grace,” a tribute to John Williams and John Philip Sousa’s “The Stars and Stripes Forever” march.
The outdoor concert starts at 7 p.m. Sunday at the south lawn bandshell of Packard Music Hall, 1703 Mahoning Ave. NW, Warren. Admission is free, and funding is provided by the W.D. Packard trust.