The MTSU Wind Ensemble will pay tribute to military members past and present with a special free concert set for Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11, inside the university’s Wright Music Building.

The 7:30 p.m. event in Hinton Hall will celebrate veterans and their families with rousing musical selections from composers including John Phillip Sousa, Henry Fillmore and Morton Gould.

Dr. Reed Thomas

“This concert is to recognize each veteran by his or her respective branch of service and to say ‘thank you’ for the sacrifices made by these brave men and women for their undying commitment to this country,” said Dr. Reed Thomas, director of the MTSU Wind Ensemble.

Veterans are welcome to wear their uniforms to the concert, organizers added, noting that the event is open to the general public too.

MTSU plans its 34th annual “Salute to Veterans and Armed Forces” this Saturday, Nov. 7, with a daylong series of events culminating in a special halftime celebration at Floyd Stadium during the MTSU-Marshall University football game.

You can find a full timeline of the day’s events, plus game ticket information, here.

The MTSU Wind Ensemble is the university’s premier performing group for wind, brass and percussion students. It also is the only university band in Tennessee with recordings released by Naxos of America, the Franklin, Tennessee, U.S. headquarters for the Hong Kong-based Naxos classical music group.

You can learn more about the MTSU Wind Ensemble and listen to one of its performances in streaming audio here.

Veterans Day, a federal holiday observed every Nov. 11 across America, honors the men and women who have served in the U.S. armed forces. It was first observed in 1919, the year after the signing of the armistice that ended World War I.

For details on more MTSU School of Music performances, call 615-898-2493 or visit the School of Music’s Concert Calendar online.

— Gina E. Fann (gina.fann@mtsu.edu)