Symphonic Wind Ensemble presents Mosaics

The Georgia State University Symphonic Wind Ensemble is playing at the Rialto Center for the Arts on Tuesday, November 3, with a program they've titled Mosaics. The GSU School of Music is presenting it, and the title fits what they've put together: three pieces from very different places, all in one night.

It opens with Kimberly Archer's Fanfare Politea, a 2021 work conducted by Israel LaFleur. From there, the evening moves to the center of the program with George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, featuring pianist Mengyao Sun. It's a piece most of us know by heart, and having a soloist on piano gives it the focus it needs. The night closes with the complete Sinfonia, a 2022 work by Zhou Tian. That's a sweeping, large-scale piece that uses the full power and palette of the wind ensemble, so it's the kind of thing that works best when you can hear the whole group in the room.

Between the three, you've got a contemporary fanfare, a mid-century American classic, and a recent large-scale work. The GSU School of Music describes Mosaics as weaving together diverse voices, styles, and traditions in a single evening, and that's a fair summary of the spread. It's a good way to see the ensemble move from a short, sharp opening to a familiar standard and then out with a full-ensemble piece.

The concert is at the Rialto Center for the Arts, 80 Forsyth Street in downtown Atlanta, and it runs from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM. Admission is free.