Skip to main content
Intellect

BYU Wind Symphony to bid farewell to long-time director in concert April 2

David Blackinton will retire after 43-year career

The Brigham Young University Wind Symphony will bid farewell to longtime director David P. Blackinton in his final performance directing the group on Wednesday, April 2.

The performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. Admission is free. A reception in Blackinton’s honor will be held in E-250 Harris Fine Arts Center following the performance.

The symphony will perform Blackinton’s favorite pieces from his 43-year career as a band conductor and 28 years as BYU’s director of bands, including the Overture to "Colas Breugnon" by Dmitry Borisovich Kabalevsky, “Liebestod” by Richard Wagner, the Symphony in B flat by Paul Hindemith, "Lincolnshire Posy" by Percy Grainger and “Marche Militaire Francaise” by Camille Saint-Saëns.

Faculty guest artist Ray Smith, alto saxophone, will join the group for Paule Maurice’s "Tableaux de Provence," and the concert will conclude with Vaclav Nelhybel’s "Trittico."

During his tenure at BYU, Blackinton has conducted the Wind Symphony in Taiwan, China, Philippines, England, Wales, New Zealand, Australia, Russia, Finland, the Baltic States, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and across the United States.

Blackinton is active as a performer, guest conductor and adjudicator. In 2000, he traveled to Riga, Latvia, to guest conduct the Riga Wind Orchestra and Lecture at the Music Conservatory of Riga. His notable career includes a service as president of the Western Division of the College Band Directors National Association and president of the Utah Music Educators Association.

He plays the trumpet for the BYU Faculty Brass Quintet, has recorded with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, performed in the Sydney Opera House and recorded music for the card company, Hallmark. He has performed at the International Brass Conference in Montreaux, Switzerland, and has been a soloist at the Midwest Band Clinic in Chicago.

For more information, contact BYU Performing Arts Management at (801) 422-3576.

Writer: Marissa Ballantyne

Related Articles

data-content-type="article"

Want to thrive in your 30s? BYU study says education and service in your 20s are key

July 16, 2025
New BYU research shows that hitting the books and helping others in your 20s leads to a happier, more regret-free life in your 30s.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

Wildflowers not wildfires: How BYU and Provo City are helping to restore Rock Canyon Trailhead

July 10, 2025
At Rock Canyon Trailhead in Provo, Utah, BYU researchers are fighting fires with flowers. By replacing a problematic weed called cheatgrass with wildflowers, students and faculty are working to protect and restore one of Provo’s most popular hiking spots.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

Wildfires in residential areas are on the rise; why hydrants and the water system behind them were never meant to stop those fires

July 01, 2025
BYU professor Rob Sowby teaches and studies environmental engineering, urban water infrastructure and sustainability. He has particular expertise in the planning, design, construction and operation of public water systems. That expertise has been increasingly important (and regularly sought out) in the wake of apocalyptic wildfires that have taxed those public water systems.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText=