First Coast Wind Symphony Celebrates its 25th Season
with a New Work by Robert W. Smith

The First Coast Wind Symphony celebrated its 25th anniversary season by commissioning a new work from Robert W. Smith, one of the most popular composers of concert band music in America today. The new work, Postcards from the First Coast, was premiered on February 21, 2015 at Jacksonville University, conducted by the composer.

Postcards from the First Coast is a musical impression in three sections of the natural beauty and vibrate life of Northeast Florida. In the first section, “Beach Holiday,” a clarinet introduces a happy and buoyant tune that is then picked up by the ensemble. The second section, “St. John’s Twilight,” features solo flute singing a melody that captures the majesty and beauty of the St. John’s River meandering through Jacksonville. The work concludes with “Summer Nights,” a festive, Latin-tinged dance music that builds to an exciting ending.

Listen to a recording of Postcards from the First Coast performed by the FCWS:

Robert W. Smith also conducted other works on the concert that he composed, including his popular Symphony No. 3 “Don Quixote.” One of the First Coast Wind Symphony members, Benjamin DeAngelis, was featured as soloist in Smith’s Willson Suite, a three movement work for euphonium and wind symphony.

Robert W. Smith’s website is rwsmithcomposer.com