Titan Civic Band to highlight women’s contributions to classical music in concert on March 5
Published on: February 28, 2025
Women’s contributions to classical music will be on full display Wednesday, March 5, when the Titan Civic Band presents a concert showcasing the history of women in classical music.
The concert, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at the Centennial Station Arts Center in High Point, will feature a female conductor, female soloist, and a full lineup of music written by women.
Founded in 2023, the Titan Civic Band is a collaboration between Guilford Technical Community College students, faculty, and instructors, and the High Point Arts Council.
“This piece means a lot to me because there were few female composers of classical music like Cecile,” said May Jhou, GTCC music instructor who will be a flute soloist during the concert. “This performance is a good way to celebrate women's contributions to music history.”
Jhou will be featured in the Flute Concertino, written by Cecile Chaminade, a prolific female composer in the early part of the 20th century.
“There is pressure to perform the music the way the composer intended, for sure,” Jhou said of her upcoming performance. “There is always pressure to get it right, especially if you are a soloist trying to honor the music.”
A piece written by North Carolina composer Brittany Green, “Edge of the Sacred Rainforest,” will be one of eight pieces performed. Patty Saunders, who is the conductor of the University Band at UNC Greensboro, will be the guest conductor on Green’s composition.
Amanda Fields, the chair of the GTCC English department, will be one of the band’s trumpet players, reviving performance skills long dormant. Her interest was piqued by the formation of the civic band, leading her to find and dust off her trumpet.
“My trumpet was haunting me,” said Fields, who had last played sousaphone while in the Appalachian State University marching band in 1992 and had not played trumpet in an ensemble since high school. “I’m still getting back in the swing of things, but they kind of put up with me as I improve.”
This will be Fields’ sixth performance with the Titan Civic Band. Fields’ family is steeped in music, and she’s been joined in two of those performances by family members, twice by her son and this time by her brother. This concert holds a special place for her.
“I’m delighted they are placing emphasis on women,” she said. “Music is one of those areas where their contributions have been very frequently overlooked.”
The concert is March 5 at 7:30 p.m. at Centennial Station Arts Center, 121 S. Centennial St., High Point. Tickets are available through the High Point Arts Council and are $15 VIP Front Row, $10 General Admission and $8 Students. For more information, visit https://gtcc.me/3Xpfwch.
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