American Wind Symphony

It is with great excitement that we announce the return of the American Wind Symphony Orchestra aboard the Point Counterpoint II. The silvery vessel draws a great deal of attention when it arrives. It has been almost 10 years since it was here. The orchestra had such a positive experience in Sturgeon Bay that when they decided to do a Great Lakes tour for 2009, Sturgeon Bay was on the top of the list for a repeat visit.

This vessel has been touring the world since 1976 under the direction of Mr Robert Boudreau. Counterpoint II is a 195 ft vessel that has a roof that opens to reveal a magnificent 75 foot stage that is completely self contained, acoustically designed and has permanent pedestal seating designed by Japanese sculptor, Yasuhide Kobashi. The vessel also carries a magnificent art collection gathered from all over the world. This summer's exhibit showcases contemporary art and crafts from the Americas. Attendees of a limited seating Patron concert will be treated to a personal art tour, and a meet and greet with the musicians during a wine and cheese reception.

The musicians are young talented men and women from colleges and universities all over the world. Ideally the musicians are hosted in private homes in order to interact and inspire young musicians and potential musicians.

Commissioned works for this season include: CONCERTO FOR THREE MARIMBAS by Venezuelan Efrain Amaya, GOLDSTEIN VARIATIONS by American William Goldstein, PRISM-PROTONIC CONSTRUCTIONS II by Greek Minas Borboudakis, THE ART OF SEVEN by American David Morgan, TOONE by Japanese Kaoru Wada, CONCERTO FOR FLUTE by Venezuelen Efrain Amaya, MEMORIAL by German composer Rolf Rudin, COLLOQUY by American William Goldstein, CONCERTO FOR GUITAR by American Sergei Tcherepnin, ADAGIO FOR HARP by American Carlos Rivera, FESTIVAL ON THE OTHER SIDE by Japanese Masashi Ishida and VERTIENTES by Argentinian Javier Gimenez Noble.

The American Wind Symphony is an incredible experience that is phenomenal for all ages. The vessel will be docked at Graham Park which is the new park near the Maple/Oregon Street Bridge. The vessel should be arriving on Friday, July 24th and departing on Monday, July 27th. A public concert will be held on the lawn at Graham Park on Saturday, July 25th at 7:30pm. Attendees are encouraged to bring a chair or blanket and enjoy this fantastic concert. The Sturgeon Bay Visitor Center will also be renting chairs to help fundraise in order to cover the expenses related to bringing the orchestra here.

There will also be a private PATRON CONCERT on Sunday afternoon. This unique opportunity and exclusive concert is limited to 70 attendees. In addition to the wonderful concert, the patrons will be treated to an intimate tour of the onboard art gallery and a private wine and cheese reception with the musicians. For additional information, please call the Sturgeon Bay Visitor Center at 800-301-6695 or 920-743-6246. Don't miss this extraordinary event.