Arts & Humanities

UGA’s Hodgson Wind Ensemble welcomes composer John Mackey

John Mackey

The University of Georgia’s Hodgson Wind Ensemble will welcome composer John Mackey to campus for a March 28 concert. 

Mackey will attend ensemble rehearsals, meet with student composers and address the concert audience during his stay. The concert program includes his 2014 symphony for band, Wine-Dark Sea, based on Homer’s The Odyssey.  

The performance will feature the Southeastern Conference premiere of Mackey’s newest work, Places we can no longer go. Written to honor Mackey’s mother and others suffering from dementia, Places we can no longer go is a story told in reverse.  

“It starts in the present, or maybe even in the future, and over the course of 22 minutes, goes in reverse, as confusion turns to clarity, and grief turns to comfort,” Mackey said.  

Soprano Lindsay Kesselman of Charlotte, North Carolina, is the guest soloist.  

Immediately following the performance, the audience is invited to the front of Hodgson Hall for a brief post-concert reflection with Mackey and Kesselman, moderated by Cynthia Johnston Turner, director of bands.

His visit to UGA is supported, in part, by the Willson Center for Humanities and Arts.  

The performance is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in Hodgson Concert Hall. Tickets are $6-$12 and are available online at pac.uga.edu or by phone at 706-542-4400.  

Streaming is available at www.music.uga.edu/live-streaming for those who are unable to attend.