Heritage Landing Concert Series in July

Saturday, October 25, 2025 7 PM
Fruitport Performing Arts Center

(located inside Fruitport High School)

West Michigan Concert WINDS

Gail A. Brechting, Conductor & Artistic Director

Concert Program

Groovitude - Randall Standridge

With Pleasure (Dance Hilarious) - John Philip Sousa

Catch Me If You Can - John Williams Arr. Jay Bocook
Alto Saxophone Soloist - Justin Auten

At The Gremlin Ball - Charles Lee Hill

Blue Shades - Frank Ticheli

INTERMISSION

Teal Fusion - Chris Evan Hass

Cafe 512 - Ryan George

Rhapsody In Blue - George Gershwin Arr. Donald Hunsberger
Piano Soloist - Dr. Sidney Yin

Chinese-Canadian pianist Sidney Yin was born and raised in Hong Kong.  After his family emigrated to Canada in 1991, he continued his studies and rigorous training at world renowned Juilliard School of New York where he also taught as an Teaching Fellow.  Later, he became an adjunct professor of keyboard studies at Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University where he earned his Doctorate of Musical Arts in 2012 while also serving as an adjunct faculty member at Loyola University in Baltimore, Maryland.

His performing career started after winning 1st Prize at the National Piano Class of the British Columbia Festival of Arts. Soon after, he became a prize-winner at the Shean Piano Competition held in Edmonton, Alberta. In 1999, he also won the Grand Prize at the 5th Annual International Pacific Piano Competition held in Vancouver, British Columbia. In the same year, he was also awarded the ARCT Gold Medalist for scoring a near perfect mark of 99%, the highest in the history of The Royal Conservatory of Music in Canada.

As a guest soloist, he has performed with the San Diego Symphony, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, New Juilliard Ensemble, Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, Burnaby Symphony, Symphony of the North Shore and others both within and outside of North America.  He has been invited to perform at Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and Juilliard Theatre in New York City. In the 2001 and 2003 "Focus!" series of The Juilliard School, he was also invited to be the featured pianist.  In October 2003, he was invited to be a guest pianist to perform a commissioned work by Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Project in New Jersey.

Sidney moved to San Diego in 2012 to serve as Associate Director of Conservatory Programs for San Diego Youth Symphony & Conservatory, where he and the conservatory faculty worked with over 650 families yearly to further youth music education and their exposure to classical music.  During his tenure at the Youth Symphony, He spearheaded special projects like creating the first San Diego pre college conservatory program in partnership with La Jolla Music Society as well as taking over 120 of the most advanced youth symphony musicians on an international tour to Beijing, Shanghai, and Yantai, China in 2015 where he also performed the famous Rhapsody in Blue as soloist on the same tour.

Most recently, Sidney has collaborated with local musicians such as GVSU faculty Dr. Abigail Walsh on several piano and flute recitals throughout Michigan.

Gail is in her thirtieth year as the conductor of the award-winning West Michigan Concert WINDS.  Under her direction, the WINDS received the John Phillip Sousa Foundation’s Sudler Silver Scroll Award, America’s most prestigious community concert band award.  She has organized five international tours with the WINDS, most recently to Scotland and Ireland. She has had the privilege of conducting the WINDS in Chicago’s Symphony Hall, as well as the historic Carnegie Hall in New York City.   Before becoming conductor, Mrs. Brechting was principal trombone with the WINDS and performed with many area music ensembles including the Traverse City Symphony, the Lansing Concert Band, The Lake Effect Brass, and the West Shore Symphony.  She has just returned from the 2025 European Tour as conductor of the Lifelong Arts International Community Band with Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.

From 1996-1999 Mrs. Brechting represented MSBOA as the State Representative for the Michigan Youth Arts Festival.  For over forty years, she has been an active district and state level adjudicator for low brass, band and orchestras as well as teaching private trombone and tuba lessons to students of all ages.

Mrs. Brechting is the 2019 & 2022 recipient of the Harry Begian Conductor Scholar Award, through Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. She has been the guest conductor with the Acadia Winds in Louisiana, Hot Springs Community Band in Arkansas, was the featured conductor with the Louisiana MS Honors Band.  She has also had the honor to be a guest clinician and conductor with the Winter Park High School in Florida, the 2024 All-New England Band Festival, New Hampshire, and the 2024 Three Rivers Honor Band of Purdue University Ft. Wayne.

Mrs. Brechting is the Past President of the Association of Concert Bands, an international organization serving adult community bands, serving two previous terms on their board of directors. She is the Lifelong Arts Program Director with Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, serving since 2019.  Gail conducted the Blue Lake International Community Band the Summer of 2025 on a four country European tour. She is an Associate member of the American Bandmasters Association, a member of the National Band Association, an Emeritus member of Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association, P.E.O. and the Women Band Directors International.  She was the first woman selected by the John Philip Sousa Foundation to serve on the Sudler Silver Scroll Award selection committee, and is presently the chairwoman.   She holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Central Michigan University and a Master of Arts degree from Western Michigan University.  Mrs. Brechting is a past music faculty member of Muskegon Community College. She retired in 2019, after a 40-year public school music education career, 34 of those with the Reeths-Puffer Schools in Muskegon, MI.  In her spare time, she trains to compete as a US Masters swimmer, loves to play golf and travel.

Mrs. Brechting lives in Spring Lake with her engineer/pianist husband Frank.  Their daughter Annelise, is a Physician Assistant in Greenville, SC.

West Michigan Concert Winds Musicians
* Indicates Principal Player

Flute/Piccolo

Kelyn Celeskey
Roxanne Deibel
Ashley Godin
Sarah Graham
Kathleen Johnston
Susan Kiehl
Anita Lauterberg*
Suzanne M. Lavin
Rachel Martineau
Jenny VanDenHeuvel
Jillaena Weesies

Oboe

Michele Wheeler*
Susan Stoltzfus

English Horn

Michele Wheeler

Bassoon

Michael Hanley*
Mandy Tomlinson
Nick Verbanic

Clarinet

Jane Bednarz
Jim Brunner
Cathy Lintula
Matthew Lintula
Tom Oatmen
Terri Jo Parker
Lynne Paul
Debra Sheckler
Thomas Schurino
Angela Vis
Paula Whisman*

Bass Clarinet 

Judy Hardenburgh
Mike Hill*
Paul Martin

Alto Saxophone

Justin Auten*
Jaydon Castillo
Danielle Jaimes
Martin  O’Toole
Steven Vitto
JR Whitby

Tenor Saxophone

Rebecca Gierhart
Amanda Serocke

Baritone Saxophone

Dave Lintula

Trumpet

James Baker
Shar S Bourdon
John Brunner
Kimberly Brayton
Sarah Haney
John Highhill
Thom Lemon
Gary Oberlin*
Junie Parrish
Gary Smith*
Sean Sweany
Trevor Watrin
Ian Wright

French Horn

Allen Beck
Judy Fuller
Terrie M. Hampel
Elizabeth (Betty) Johnson
Ken Kloet
Scott Peterson
Jennifer Reeths
Elizabeth Rider
Amber Dawn Russell
James Sheckler*
Carrie Sorensen
Judith Ann Wagley

Trombone

Sara Adams
Thomas Allport
Keith Danielson
Chuck Hornung
T Rose
Dale Smith*

Bass Trombone

Bill Price

Euphonium

Jennifer Carey
Daniel Horton
Mihiro
Jeremy Nyenhuis
Robert Tuttle*
Stephen Westfield

Tuba

Rob Hardenburgh
Kim Reynolds*
Richard J. Rothe
Bret Wazny

Bass Guitar

David Martin

Piano

Frank J. Brechting III

Percussion

Sandy Beck*
Frank J. Brechting III
Emily Cihos
Dan Cole
Margaret Shay
Andrew Susalla

Support the WINDS 

Please consider supporting the the West Michigan Concert Winds by making a donation.

Support The WINDS

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Community Fellowship Church 104th Ave. Zeeland, MI

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