The Marshall Philharmonic Orchestra is celebrating another milestone!  The “Salute to 60 Season” will begin on Sunday, October 30^th, featuring Dr. Lucas Willsie, clarinet instructor and Fine Arts Coordinator at Central Methodist University in Fayette, MO.  He will be performing the 3^rd movement of the Weber “Clarinet Concerto No. 2 in E-flat”, as well as the famous “Blues” from George Gershwin’s “American in Paris”.  This admission-free concert, underwritten by Wood & Huston Bank, will be held in the Harold L. Lickey Auditorium of Bueker Middle School in Marshall and will begin at 2:30 p.m.

Conductor Kevin Lines says the 2022-23 season represents the orchestra’s deepest artistic values:  showcasing great creative talent of today alongside powerful orchestral music of the past. He further comments that while much has changed in the world over the last 60 years, one element has remained steadfast and vigorous: live, high quality music right here in Marshall, MO, still free of charge, a rarity and a treasure by today’s standards.

Praised for his “accentuated juxtaposition of lyrical lines and passage work” (The Clarinet Online), Lucas Willsie continues to make a name for himself as a soloist and pedagogue.  He completed his DMA in clarinet performance at the University of North Texas where he taught Woodwind Methods for undergraduate music education students.  He has performed as a soloist across North America and Europe.  He has performed with the North Texas Symphony Orchestra and can be heard on several recordings as a member of the North Texas Wind Symphony including a recording of Gernot Wolfgang’s “Three Short Stories” as bass clarinet soloist.  Lucas is a member of the Hijinx Clarinet Quartet that regularly performs around the United States with the goal of bringing a hybrid of musical experiences to diverse audiences using traditional chamber music, new compositions, multimedia, and more.  Dr. Willsie holds a master’s degree in clarinet performance from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he was a Graduate Teaching Assistant, and bachelor’s degrees in music education and clarinet performance from Truman State University.  His primary teachers include Dr. Kimberly Cole Luevano, Dr. Diane Barger, and Dr. Jesse Krebs.

The MPO board invites the entire community to come support and celebrate the orchestra’s Salute to 60 Season. “While some American orchestras have made the decision to dissolve under the financial strain post-COVID, now is the time to preserve our hometown musical tradition and keep it alive and well in Marshall.”