Our trumpet players for the show this Saturday!

This Saturday marks the final performance for our Free Summer Series Concerts called, "What is Hip?" We hope you will come join us in Devou Park for a beautiful night during Labor Day Weekend. Pack a picnic, bring a lawn chair or a blanket, and enjoy gorgeous weather and exciting music of the horn bands of the 1970's!

Before the show, we want to highlight the trumpet players that will be playing during the show. Each has his own unique story and has traveled the world playing with big names such as Fred Wesley, The Temptations, Frank Sinatra, Natalie Cole, The Glenn Miller Orchestra, and more (just to name a few). They are well-versed and highly talented trumpet players, who are sure to put on an amazing performance this Saturday. Read more about each player below:

GARY WINTERS

Gary Winters’ career as a professional trumpeter started at the age of 8, when he took his first lessons on the trumpet. Five years later, he was performing R&B in nightclubs. After touring for 9 years with a show band, Winters became Director of Entertainment for The Red Onion, a nightclub/restaurant in L.A. Switching careers completely, Winters moved to northern Kentucky and worked in the corporate world for ten plus years. During a recording session in Bootsy Collins’ studio in 1998, he first met Fred Wesley, music director/arranger/trombonist/primary composer for James Brown in the late 60s-early 70s. That chance meeting led Winters to tour with Wesley for the past ten years, recently returning from a gig with him in Australia. His performance credits are varied and represent the biggest entertainment names both internationally and locally: Rosemary Clooney, American Idol Orchestra, CBS’s “The Genius of Ray Charles,” Manhattan Transfer, Franki Valli, The Temptations, Debby Boone, Lionel Hampton, Wayne Newton, Don Rickles, Aretha Franklin, Little Anthony, Michael Feinstein, the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, the Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra, The Reflections, Clyde Brown, Dee Felice Swing Band, The Blue Wisp Big Band, The Four Tops, Carmon DeLeone New Studio Big Band. In addition, he has recorded for some of Nashville’s top gospel groups, entertainment video games and national jingles.
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GREG WING

Currently Professor of Trumpet at Morehead State University where he received a Bachelor of Music Education degree, Gregory Wing holds a Master of Music degree in Trumpet Performance from Indiana University. Recognized as one of the nation’s leading trumpet artists, Wing has served as lead trumpet with Paul Anka, Tom Jones (for four years) and the Buddy Rich Big Band. He has played for virtually every major entertainer including Natalie Cole, Tony Bennett, Sammy Davis, Jr. and Frank Sinatra, as well as classical performances with Andrea Bocelli and Luciano Pavarotti with the Las Vegas Philharmonic Orchestra. As a studio musician for Westwind Musical Productions in California, he has recorded numerous commercial productions and convention soundtracks including the recent Winter Olympic themes.
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PAT HESSION

Pat Hession’s skills as a trumpeter were influenced from a young age by studying Maynard Ferguson’s recordings, which resulted in his lifetime dream of joining Ferguson’s band years later, playing with him for six years as lead trumpet until Ferguson’s recent passing. Following Ball State University, Hession worked the cruise ship circuit, before becoming third trumpet with Lionel Hampton’s Band. Touring with them on and off for four years, he then played lead book. In between touring with Hampton, Hession was awarded a full music scholarship to the University of Nevada. After graduating, Hession became lead trumpet with The Glenn Miller Orchestra, performing with them for two and a half years.
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Our Conductor, J.R. Cassidy

Hello again,

If you have been to one or two performances, or if you are new to the KSO, or even if you have been an avid fan for many years, I would like to introduce you to our Music Director and Executive Director, James R. Cassidy.

J.R. brings experience as an educator, arts administrator, and conductor to the KSO. Under his 16-year leadership, we have grown 37-fold in budget, launched summer and education programs, and expanded the orchestra’s musical offerings and outreach by launching several subsidiary groups including the KSO Chorale, the Boogie Band, Newport Ragtime Band and Flood Wall Jazz Quintet. These groups allow the KSO to perform in locations that may not be able to accommodate a full orchestra. Also, they add a measure of diversity to the music we offer to our audiences. This past weekend, the Newport Ragtime Band put on an authentic performance called "Black Bottom Stomp," at Devou Park The show featured original ragtime, blues, stride, dixieland and early jazz. The band performed numbers by Scott Joplin, W.C. Handy, Artie Matthews, "Jelly Roll" Morton, and many more renowned ragtime musicians. In the next 6 weeks, the Boogie Band will have two performances that pay tribute to the horn bands of the 1970s. J.R.'s development of the KSO's four subsidiaries and his ability to conduct them has proven to be an invaluable asset to our organization.

A Florida native, Cassidy has been music director of the Florida Ballet Theatre and the Tampa Chamber Symphony. He has guest conducted for the Florida and St. Petersburg opera, the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, and Cincinnati Philharmonia Orchestra and the Cincinnati Opera. Cassidy holds degrees from the Hyperlink to University of South Florida and the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music.

Who We Are

Welcome everyone,

My name is Michelle, a marketing intern for the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra. I have been working here for most of this summer, and will continue here until mid-September. During my time here, I have come to have a much better understanding and appreciation for the symphony. Although an immediate reaction to the word "symphony" may be "boring," "long," or, "stuffy," to many people, it is quite the opposite in reality! The KSO is working very hard to change this state of mind.

As the symphony becomes a less popular form of entertainment, the KSO has taken a different approach to its performances. We want to make symphonic music entertaining and relevant to a new audience, while maintaining the highest quality of music possible. We invest much our time and money in music research and talented, dedicated musicians. And thus, we are able to provide a unique repertoire of music for our audience, which is not only fun and engaging, but authentic and true to form. Our past performances have included many types of entertainment, from silent films, dancers, comedians, zoo animals, to rock and complete operas and musicals, country bands, and even aerobic classes!

The symphony is a long-standing form of musical entertainment that can portray a multitude of genres of music, classical being just one of those genres. Throughout the years, our conductor, J.R. Cassidy, has formed the KSO Boogie Band, the Newport Ragtime Band, Flood Wall Jazz Quartet, and the KSO Chorale. We want to share our love for not only classical music, but also original big band, ragtime, and jazz. Lastly, we have an education program, where a group of musicians go to selected schools and perform concerts and clinics for students.

As you can see, we work hard to bring the symphony to life and share it with everyone we can. I will continue to keep you informed of our upcoming performances and any news on the horizon. Stay tuned for updates!