BEAUTIFUL MUSIC: Savannah Wind Symphony tap-taps John Madden as artistic director

Savannah Wind Symphony has a new director.

After nearly two years without permanent leadership, John Madden now stands at the podium ready to take creative charge of the beloved community ensemble. Appointment of the retired emeritus professor and trumpet player kicks off the symphony’s upcoming performance season.

Madden, who played with the band briefly before being selected as one of three contenders for the position, is focused on continued engagement with the community. He considers the undeniable success of their most recent performance at the end of June.

“More than 700 hundred people attended our Patriotic Concert, and that signals great support and commitment from the community,” said Madden. “That is a special thing, and I want to continue creating special experiences and cultivate concerts that are enjoyable for the band and the audience. We are a community band with lots of professional musicians, though none are paid. Our musicians and audience are deserving of a great experience at every performance.”

'He is really good at getting each section in tune with one another'

In fall of 2022, Savannah Wind Symphony was abruptly without a director after their esteemed leader of 25 years, Mark Johnson, succumbed to cancer. Taking time to re-group, the ensemble then sought a leader from within their ranks. The band auditioned three skilled and equally qualified members during the 2023/ 2024 season.  Each candidate was asked to curate one full performance, and then band and board members provided feedback after each concert.

According to board president and bassoonist Ray Patricio, the ensemble wanted a leader who was easy to follow, was kind and pleasant to work with, and who knew how to get a piece of music sounding better through effective rehearsals.

“We’re looking forward to what John will be able to do with the band,” said Patricio. “He is really good at getting each section in tune with each other, and he leads rehearsals that are enjoyable and educational and that help us become a better group. The way he talks about how to build balance and ensemble and all the intricate parts it takes to make a group sound good, well, I would have loved to have been in his conducting classes.”

Madden, who taught 28 years at Michigan State University before retiring in 2017, comes to the position with a long list of accolades. In 2014 he received the Dortha J. and John D. Withrow Award for Excellence in Teaching and was inducted into the American Bandmasters Association in 2008. The accomplished teacher and conductor is also acclaimed music arranger and clinician.

Not long after his retirement, Madden and wife Shelly relocated to Savannah so she could be closer to her family. Ever the musician, he ventured last summer to the Wind Symphony’s first performance since COVID.

“I loved it,” recalls Madden. “It was wonderful. The caliber was far more than I expected, and I knew I wanted to play with this group. Savannah is pretty big but a lot more like a small town, and it has created a magnetism for the members who love to be in this band, and the community embraces it.”

As artistic director, Madden considers commissioning a musical work in honor of Mark Johnson an important goal. An official commission requires raising money and getting the family involved to create the best possible piece. As for the fast-approaching fall performance, Madden already has it curated.

“It’s a masterworks concert,” emphasized Madden. “Savannah Winds is a concert band, no strings, but with brass, wind, and percussion. This instrument configuration comes out of the 19 ^th and early 20 ^th centuries with military marches and, of course, John Phillip Sousa. In the fall concert we are exploring works from before 1940 and into 1950.”

One piece on the program is by English composer Gustaf Holst, best-known for his WWI-era orchestral composition, “The Planets.” Holst, though, had a penchant for writing for bands and creating more art-centric works.

“His iconic piece, 'First Suite in E-flat' was written over 100 years ago and has stood the test of time,” said Madden. “For this first concert, I want to give the ensemble music they can really sink their teeth into, so I’ve included transcriptions of orchestral music for bands, like the last movement of 'The Pines of Rome,' called 'Pines of the Appian Way.' It’s a real barnburner with a raise the roof ending. There’s also a Braham’s piece that is enticing, I hope, for both bandmembers and audience.”

All music for each concert is presented after just six weeks of preparation, which breaks down to six rehearsals of two hours each for a total of 12 rehearsal hours. The Savannah Wind Symphony is adept at getting ready quickly, prepared to perform.

For Patricio, finally having a permanent artistic director is opportunity to move forward boldly with kind, door-opening leadership.

“A dedicated director gives us stability and allows one person to work with us in developing and improving our abilities as a band,” considered Patricio. “Having a director allows us to do concerts in other venues and to commission works just for our band. It’s a win on many levels, and we’re all looking forward to where our new director takes us.”

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: BEAUTIFUL MUSIC: Savannah Wind Symphony tap-taps John Madden as artistic director