The community is invited to hear the last concert of the season of the Metropolitan Atlanta Youth Wind Ensemble (MAYWE) on May 6 at 4 p.m. at Harps' Crossing Baptist Church. The concert will be held in the new sanctuary of the church located on Ga. Highway 92 south. Due to the church's support, the concert will be free.

The Metropolitan Atlanta Youth Wind Ensemble (MAYWE) was formed in 2003 to provide an outstanding performance opportunity for talented young musicians in the greater Atlanta area. Under the direction of music director and principal conductor Dr. Robert J. Ambrose and executive director and assistant conductor Joanne Brandes, the ensemble rehearses on Monday evenings in the beautiful state of the art Aderhold Learning Center on the Georgia State University campus.

MAYWE draws many of the most talented musicians from nearly a dozen Georgia counties. The ensemble is intended as a supplement to the student’s school band program and requires that musicians be members of their own school band if one exists.

In 2004, MAYWE was selected by a competitive taped audition to perform at Carnegie Hall. Their May 2005 performance in the famed hall was nearly sold out and received a standing ovation. Other highlights from previous MAYWE seasons include collaborations with local public school band directors as guest conductors and the release of two compact disc recordings. The ‘06-’07 year represents the ensemble’s third season.

Auditions for MAYWE are held at Georgia State University in early September and are open to all students in ninth grade through age 21 as of fall semester. The ensemble presents three to four concerts each season.

For this concert they will be performing works by Grainger, Tschesnokoff, Zdechlik and Shostakovich. Guest soloists include Georgia State University flute professor, Sarah Kruser Ambrose and Georgia State University clarinet professor, Dr. Kenneth Long. Long, will be performing the first movement of the Brahms Sonata for Clarinet and Piano in Eb Major. Also featured will be a university woodwind quartet and brass quintet.

Among the 65 plus members of the ensemble are 21 Fayette County high school students. The Fayette County flutes are Meghan Williams, from Starr's Mill; Lydia Carroll, who home schooled; Louisa Kalinke, from McIntosh; Sidney Williams, from Fayette County; and Stephanie Ross, from Sandy Creek.

Other local student musicians include bassoonist Alec Hawthorne from Whitewater; clarinetists Becky Atkinson, Mattie Mullen, from McIntosh, Matthew Walker, from Sandy Creek, and Joni Barnard, from FCHS; bass clarinet Michael Carr, from Fayette County, and tenor saxophone, James Reilly. Baritone saxophone, is Avi Bheodari, Whitewater. Trumpet section includes Taylor Krzeminski, Whitewater, Jason Colbert, Jacob Roszell, McIntosh, Jaime Rivera, Fayette County, Mitchell Watson, Flat Rock. French Horn, Jonathan Harper, and among the euphoniums, Margaret Chupp, Fayette County, and John Boren, Whitewater.

Don't miss this opportunity to hear this outstanding ensemble of talent assembled for the last concert of their season.

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