KSU Symphony Orchestra and Wind Ensemble to Perform Peter Gabriel's "New Blood"

For Peter Gabriel fans, the KSU Symphony Orchestra and Wind Ensemble's upcoming performance of "New Blood" will offer a unique take on many of Gabriel's most famous and beloved songs of the last thirty years. In the first Scholarship Series performance of the spring semester, the concert will be held Thursday, January 10 at 8 p.m. in Morgan Hall in the Dr. Bobbie Bailey & Family Performance Center. All ticket proceeds from the concert will directly fund scholarships for music students. 

Described by KSU's Director of Orchestras Michael Alexander as "yet another milestone for the instrumental program at KSU," the concert marks the first time an orchestra other than Gabriel's will be performing these songs. The ambitious project came to KSU due in large part to Samuel Robinson, assistant dean of the College of the Arts and self-described "ardent fan" of Gabriel. After hearing Gabriel's CD release of "New Blood," Robinson shared a copy with Alexander, thinking Alexander might appreciate it both as a fellow classic rock fan and as a musician and conductor.

Alexander did appreciate the CD, and he decided to take the next step by contacting Gabriel's management team to explore the possibility of KSU's Symphony Orchestra and Wind Ensemble performing the iconic songs in a special concert. Robinson views the concert as a unique opportunity for KSU's student musicians to connect with a rock legend, one whose example of musicianship and social awareness is to be emulated. "Gabriel seems to be constantly striving to say something of significance," Robinson explains. "He walks a line that is both consistent with who he has always been as a musician and artist, and at the same time streches out into new areas and breaks new ground." Gabriel is also consistently involved with important social and human rights issues, and "he has long been someone who has seen a greater role for his art than just entertainment."

Alexander says the concert marks the School of Music's "continuing effort to give our students a wide breadth of experiences that will prepare them to be versatile musicians committed to great art, in whatever shape or form it may appear. The performance serves as a great example of how the school collaborates, with the orchestra and wind ensemble working together to bring this to fruition." It is also important for its role in scholarship funding, providing financial help for the students who "will be leading the cultural experiences in our region for years to come."

In the months leading up to this performance, the KSU Symphony Orchestra and Wind Ensemble have been promoting the concert by performing excerpts from Gabriel's "Sledgehammer" in flash mobs throughout campus, including in the Student Center and outside of the Social Sciences building. To view the performance in the Student Center, click here.

Tickets for this special performance range in price from $7 to $50. For more information, visit the KSU Box Office or call 770-423-6650.

Kennesaw State University is the third-largest university in Georgia, offering more than 90 graduate and undergraduate degrees, including doctorates in education, business and nursing, and a Ph.D. in international conflict management. A member of the 35-unit University System of Georgia, Kennesaw State is a comprehensive, residential institution with a growing population of 24,100 students from more than 130 countries.

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