To commemorate the university’s 50th anniversary, Grand Valley State University’s music department will host a gala concert featuring more than 250 of its current vocal and instrumental performers.

“This is a fabulous school with a strong history in the band program, and we’re building the orchestra program,” said GVSU Symphony Orchestra Director Henry Duitman. “The students have progressed tremendously. This event gives the audience a chance to see what the students have done. It’s a celebration of the student ensemble.”

The celebration concert will be held Wednesday from 8 to 10 p.m. in the Grandville High School auditorium. It will include performances by the Symphony Orchestra conducted by Duitman and the Symphonic Wind Ensemble conducted by Barry Martin and guest conductor John T. Martin.

“I’ve seen wonderful growth in this department, not only in quantity but also in quality,” said Martin, who has served as a professor and the director of bands for 17 years. “The different between the early years and now is so great. The students are playing at a very high level.”

The evening will also feature GVSU’s 2011 Concerto Competition winners Michelle Kozachik and Kelly VanderMolen, who will be performing solos accompanied by the ensembles.

Kozachik, a senior education major from Kentwood, began to play saxophone under the teachings of her father in sixth grade. She continued to play throughout high school. While at GVSU, she has been studying with assistant professor Jonathan Nichol. She has performed with GVSU’s Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, Marching Band, New Music Ensemble, Saxophone Studio and the Shades Quartet.

“It truly feels that the hard work and dedication to my instrument has paid off,” Kozachik said. “I will be able to show my passion for the music and the saxophone.”

Kozachik, who will perform movements one and two from the “Concerto for Saxophone” by Ingolf Dahl, said she is both honored and excited to perform at the concert.

VanderMolen, a senior music performance major from Grand Rapids, first picked up the violin as part of her middle school’s music program and continued to take lessons in high school. She is currently studying with assistant professor Gregory Maytan. Over the last two years, she has served as the concertmaster or co-concertmaster of the GVSU Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra.

“It is an honor to play in a concert that is celebrating fifty years of excellence for Grand Valley and showcases so many of the different musical talents that we have here in the GVSU student body,” said VanderMolen. She will perform the first movement of “Violin Concerto” by Samuel Barber with the Symphony Orchestra.

The concert will also feature Alexander Borodin’s “Polovetsian Dances” as performed by the Symphony Orchestra and 150 voices of GVSU’s combined choirs.

“It’s a larger experience, the piece that we’re doing with the choirs,” Duitman explained. “It’s something bigger than we can do here on campus. This will really give people the chance to experience the size of the department.”

The University Arts Chorale and Select Women’s Ensemble conducted by Ellen Pool, the Varsity Men conducted by John T. Martin and the University Singers conducted by Janice Dudley will all be part of this performance.

“It might be a song people recognize,” Duitman continued. “It has a lot of beautiful tunes, and it ends with a big shout. It’s very celebratory for a gala concert.”

The concert is free and open to the public. Alumni, parents and students are encouraged to attend.

“There is going to be a variety of music performed, something for everyone to enjoy,” Martin said. “It’s a rare opportunity to have all these groups perform together. It’s a special thing for the music department and the university.”

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