South Florida Pride Wind Ensemble Celebrates 25 Years!

On June 12, 2011 the South Florida Pride Wind Ensemble will mark their 25^th Anniversary with a special concert at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in the Amaturo Theatre. Founded in 1986 with just six members in a band member’s living room, the then named Flamingo Freedom Band was born.

One of their first performances was with the Ft. Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus at the White Party in Miami. Since its inception, the band has been entertaining audiences throughout Florida.

In 2005, ten-year artistic director Ron Hughes stepped down and was replaced by Dan Bassett, a past member of the band. The band soon changed their official name to the South Florida Pride Wind Ensemble to better reflect the standard of musical excellence they had achieved for some time. Their marching and jazz bands also took on new names as the South Florida Pride Marching Band and South Florida Pride Jazz Ensemble.

In the past two years the wind ensemble has joined with the Ft. Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus and Ft. Lauderdale Women’s Chorus to form South Florida Performing Arts. This parent organization has helped all three groups grow by collaborating on concerts, producing one season-long concert program, recruiting monthly giving donors, and selling season ticket subscriptions. In 2010, Dan Bassett was also named by the Miami Herald as one of its “20 under 40” artists making a change in South Florida’s arts scene.

Each year the wind ensemble performs two major concerts at the Broward Center and appears at several pride events throughout the state. This year will mark their second year going on a tour of Florida’s west coast with the Ft. Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus to raise funds for local charities in Naples and Sarasota.

“Our Anniversary Concert will celebrate 25 years of great music and great collaborations. We are going to pull out all of the stops on this one. Our audience will be treated to our usual fantastic visual effects, guest musicians and other entertainers and of course, amazing music.” commented Dan Bassett, artistic director.

A number of previous guest artists we be returning for the 25^th Anniversary Concert including The Harling Irish Dancers dancing to “The Irish Washerwoman”, The Ft. Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus performing a “Les Miserables Medley”, soprano soloist Maria Denison recreating her role as “Carmen” and Gary Burton, 6-time Grammy Award winner will solo with the Pride Jazz Ensemble. Other highlights will include “The Barber of Seville Overture” performed to the classic Bugs Bunny cartoon “The Rabbit of Seville”, and the “Overture to Candide”. The band is also very excited to be premiering a commissioned work by local composer Robert Longfield entitled “The Road Less Traveled”, inspired by the Robert Frost poem “The Road Not Taken.”

Tickets are now on sale through the Broward Center box office by calling 954-462-0222 or at www.browardcenter.org/sflpridewindensemble.