Newsroom

Two Thiel College students picked for prestigious annual intercollegiate band festival

Posted February 24, 2019   Print
PIBF story

GREENVILLE, Pa.-- Two student-musicians in the Tomcat Marching Pride have been selected to participate in the 72nd Pennsylvania Intercollegiate Band Concert from Friday, March 8—10 at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

Representing Thiel College are:

  • Cassie Gray ’20, of Leechburg, Pa., is a conservation biology major and a 2016 graduate of Leechburg (Pa.) Area High School. She participates in concert band and the Tomcat Marching Pride; and
  • Jacob Orczeck ’22, of Roaring Spring, Pa., is a media and journalism and information systems double major and a 2018 graduate of Central (Pa.) High School. He participates in the Thiel Tomcat Marching Pride, concert band, and jazz ensemble on trombone.

Gray plays the flute, and Orczeck plays the tuba. This is Gray’s second time participating in this festival and the first time for Orczeck. The festival will conclude with a concert at 2 p.m. with guest conductor Major Michelle Rakers, a retired member of the United States Marine Corps.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for our students to rehearse and perform with their peers from across the state and to work with a world-class conductor and musician,” Director of Bands Brian Harris said. “I am proud to have had two students selected for this prestigious event.“ 

The Intercollegiate Band Festival, established in 1948, is held annually at different colleges throughout Pennsylvania. It is the longest running band festival of its kind in the United States. Every year, institutions who are members of the Pennsylvania Collegiate Bandmasters Association submit student applications for the Intercollegiate Band Festival. Additionally, a well-known guest conductor is chosen and selects a challenging repertoire of music to perform for the festival. Selected musicians and their conductors partake in two days of intense rehearsals at a host school, followed by a concert on Sunday afternoon to showcase their hard work.

In the past three years, Thiel College has had five student musicians participate in the band festival.

Related Links

Related Stories

Office of Admission

Media Contact

Dominick DiRienzo
Assistant Director of Communications and Marketing

 ddirienzo@thiel.edu
 724-589-2188

BROWSE BY CATEGORY

Academics ( 764 )
Admission ( 231 )
Alumni ( 317 )
Athletics ( 160 )
College Advancement ( 261 )
Community ( 436 )
Events ( 347 )
Faculty & Staff ( 610 )
In The News ( 38 )
Performing Arts ( 132 )
Students ( 804 )

BROWSE BY YEAR

2024 (45)
2023 (152)
2022 (150)
2021 (141)
2020 (146)
2019 (123)
2018 (157)
2017 (129)
2016 (119)
2015 (110)
2014 (52)
2013 (33)
2012 (41)

Thiel College Shield

Thiel College
75 College Ave
Greenville, PA 16125
1-800-248-4435