The NDSU Wind Symphony, under the direction of Warren Olfert, director of bands, has been invited to perform at the Minnesota Music Educators Association In-Service Clinic Feb. 14 at 7:30 p.m. at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Cecilia Kang, professor of clarinet, will be the featured clarinet soloist and Sigurd Johnson, director of athletic bands and associate professor of music, will conduct one piece.

Schools from throughout the state of Minnesota auditioned for a performance opportunity and the NDSU Wind Symphony is the only out-of-state school selected. They will perform pieces by Holst, Grainger, George and others in addition to “Liquid Ebony” by Dana Wilson, a piece featuring Kang that pays tribute to the Klezmer traditions of Eastern Europe.

Johnson will conduct “A Mighty March” by Timothy Mahr, a tribute to Johnson's uncle and Mahr's mentor, Miles "Mity" Johnson. The work was written to honor Mity Johnson’s relationship with the Minnesota Symphonic Winds and premiered in 1999.

The NDSU Wind Symphony has performed at the North Central Regional Conference of College Band Directors National Association in addition to the North Dakota Music Educators Association Convention. The ensemble has engaged in the commissioning of new works for wind band, including works by Timothy Broege, Frank Tichelli, Jack Stamp, David Maslanka and Jocelyn Hagen, and continues to seek out new opportunities for the creation of new music. Performances have included Frank Battisti, Craig Kirchhoff, Allan McMurray and Thomas Hooten.

NDSU is recognized as one of the nation's top 108 public and private universities by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.