The Mercer Island High School Wind Ensemble will give a preview concert Thursday, Feb. 16 of their upcoming performance at the National Association for Music Education Northwest Conference. The concert will be held at 6:30 p.m. that evening in the Performing Arts Center at MIHS.

Made up of 53 student musicians and directed by Parker Bixby, the Wind Ensemble was invited to perform during a concert hour at 9:50 a.m. Feb. 17 at the Bellevue Westin. The Wind Ensemble was chosen for this immense honor from a pool of applicants consisting of collegiate, high school, middle school and elementary performing ensembles from Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Oregon and Alaska.

“The Wind Ensemble will have the privilege of performing for the leading music educators from throughout the region,” said Superintendent Dr. Gary Plano. “We consider this a tremendous honor. Our student musicians have earned the invitation to perform through individual and group effort and will represent the District as honorary music ambassadors.”

Held biennially, the conference attracts music educators from the six states in the Northwest region to participate in professional development and attend workshops. Each day a number of outstanding groups are featured during a concert hour in order to highlight excellence in music performance at all levels.

The MIHS Wind Ensemble will be performing a variety of music, featuring a composition written by Dr. Christopher Stark, professor of music at Washington University in St. Louis. Dr. Stark will work with the students next week, discuss the compositional process and attend the performance. The Central Washington University Wind Ensemble and Jazz Ensemble will join MIHS for the preview concert.