In The Dust People, Johanna is a woman of the land, farming the same plot that’s been in her family for generations. When a young, idealistic couple with big ideas about sustainable energy and wind farms buys the farm next door, she’s convinced they and their ambitious eco-friendly plans won’t last. Their rural community is thrown into chaos by a murder, forcing every resident to reckon with the winds of change. 

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The Dust People

Simmons Pioneer Memorial Theatre

Symphony Band

Music Building and Recital Hall

The Symphonic Band’s second winter-quarter concert features five contemporary voices who are adding fresh perspectives to the wind band medium. Adam Schoenberg conceived his two-movement work Rise as a piece that could bookend an entire program, and the ensemble will honor this vision by separating the two movements. Omar Thomas’s setting of the well-known folk song “Shenandoah” is, in the words of the composer, “mysterious, somewhat ominous, constantly introspective, and deeply soulful.” Kevin Charoensri’s Rising Light is a powerful statement about anti-Asian hate and represents his non-apologetic celebration of the bicultural identity of Asian Americans. Kevin Day’s energetic Shimmering Sunshine opens the second half of the program, followed by Ryan George’s An Gé Fhiáin (The Wild Goose), a celebration of the Celtic people and their belief that the Holy Spirit was represented by this wild, untamed bird.

Symphonic Band

Northwestern University

A varied program of dynamic works includes Pegasus Fanfare from The Sleeping Spirit by John Gibson, Starry Ocean by Shuying Li,  Anahita by Roshanne Etezady, Hands Across the Sea by John Philip Sousa, and The Wild Goose by Ryan George. David Thornton, conductor.

Ryan George

Events

Upcoming events

Mar 6, 2026

Symphony Band · Butler School of Music

Mar 13, 2026

Symphonic Band · Northwestern Bienen School of Music

Mar 17, 2026

Symphony Band · Michigan State University College of Music

Past events

9 - 11 Jun, 2023

The Dust People · Pioneer Theatre Company

About

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