The Pittsburg State University Wind Ensemble filled the Bicknell Family Center for the Arts with music on Sunday, Feb. 22. Their performance served as both a showcase for the department and a preview of what’s to come on a bigger stage.
The concert marked the ensemble’s final local performance before traveling to Wichita for the Kansas Music Educators Association (KMEA) State Convention.
At the heart of the performance was “Carmina Burana,” a piece based on medieval poetry from the 11th and 12th centuries and famously set to music by German composer Carl Orff. The wind ensemble arrangement performed on Sunday was adapted by John Krance in the 1960s.
The program concluded with “Sound and Smoke” by Viet Cuong, bringing the emotional cycle to an energetic close.
Following the performance, the ensemble director described the concert as the result of months of demanding preparation.
“I don’t think there’s anyone here who could just handle it without making huge strides,” Director Dr. Andrew Chybowski said. “Some were either going to have to step up, or it wasn’t going to work.”
The repertoire, Chybowski explained, pushed every section technically and musically. Students responded by committing additional time outside scheduled rehearsals. Some met for extra practice sessions, including weekends, to improve difficult passages.
“They didn’t have to come on Saturday morning, but they did,” Chybowski said. “They’ve definitely been putting in the work.”
Preparation was not limited to students. Faculty members across the music department contributed by attending rehearsals, offering feedback, and working with performers individually during lessons.
“It’s been a team effort from the faculty as well,” Chybowski noted.
Chybowski expressed pride in the ensemble’s improved over the semester.
“It has not been easy,” Chybowski said. “But they are rising to the challenge.”
For music major Adriel de la Cruz on trombone, Sunday’s performance represented the culmination of nearly a year of work.
The process began last school year when the ensemble recorded a spring concert and submitted selections for consideration to perform at the Kansas Music Educators Association convention. After receiving the invitation, preparation for the program began in August 2025.
“We’ve been working on this music since then,” de la Cruz said. “We played a few of these pieces at other concerts already, but this was kind of our prep concert before Wichita.”
While preparation came with challenges, de la Cruz emphasized that the most recent month has shown the greatest improvement.
“This past month has been the most beneficial,” de la Cruz said. “We’ve really been working on the small details that take it to the next level.”
He described the experience as demanding but deeply rewarding.
It’s been fun putting it all together, de la Cruz added.
The Wind Ensemble will perform at KMEA. The event hosts hundreds of band directors, university faculty, alumni, and some of the most accomplished high school musicians from across the state.
“It’s a great chance to show off and let people see what we’re doing here in Pittsburg,” Chybowski said. “We’re kind of a best-kept secret here in Southeast Kansas.”
The opportunity carries both honor and responsibility. An earlier invitation to perform at the convention had to be declined due to severe winter weather. This year, the ensemble is taking extra precautions to ensure nothing interferes with the trip this go-round.
“We’re going the night before to make sure nothing stops us from performing,” Chybowski explained.
Traveling to Wichita requires a charter bus, overnight accommodations, and meals, expenses that exceed the ensemble’s typical annual budget. To help offset costs, the department has been accepting donations from community members.
Still, Chybowski stressed that community support goes beyond financial contributions.
“The most important thing is that you’re here,” he told Sunday’s audience.
As the ensemble prepares to take the stage in Wichita, Sunday’s performance at the Bicknell Center functions as both a milestone and a launching point for the ensemble.
For de la Cruz and his fellow musicians, the upcoming performance represents more than another concert. It is the chance to represent Pittsburg State University before a statewide audience; a moment earned through discipline, determination, and dedication.