University Wind Ensemble To Perform In China

May 15, 2008 10:27 p.m. EST

Lexington, KY (AHN) - The University of Kentucky Wind Ensemble has been invited to tour and perform in China, the only American collegiate musical ensemble to be invited.

The ensemble, under the direction of John Cody Birdwell, will play in numerous cities in China and take part in cultural and musical showcase festivals related to the Olympics, according to a statement from the University of Kentucky.

UK's ensemble earned the invitation to perform in China in the wake of their recent compact disc release, "Distilled in Kentucky: Premieres from the Bluegrass State," which features new recordings and several premiere performances by the group.

"It's really a testament to the quality of the (UK) School of Music as a whole and to Dr. Birdwell specifically. We have a band program that we're now being afforded this honor based purely on our notoriety as a program," said Kyle Forsthoff, a graduate student and member of the UK Wind Ensemble, in a statement. "We're definitely going into this with the mindset that we're cultural ambassadors for the U.S. for the time that we're in China."

According to the UK statement, the United States-China Cultural and Educational Foundation pledged $30,000 to help the UK group make the trip. Additional fundraising has been going on in Kentucky for the past year since the announcement was made.

The China tour, which runs May 19 to 30, comes as the Asian nation prepares to host the 2008 Summer Olympics.