FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 10/11/2021
Music Director Richard Floyd Announces Retirement
Directed Austin Symphonic Band Since 1986
Austin, TX:
Richard Floyd, Music Director of the Austin Symphonic Band since 1986, has announced his retirement. He will continue to appear nationally as a clinician, adjudicator and conductor.
The Board of Directors has appointed a search committee to select the next Music Director of ASB, who will be announced at the end of the 2021-2022 season.
_______________________________________________________
About Richard Floyd
Richard Floyd has been the Music Director of ASB for 35 years and has been a key player (pun intended) in making the band what it is today. Since its founding in 1981, ASB has had three music directors: R. Frank Simon, Randol Bass and Richard Floyd. When Floyd inherited ASB in 1986, the band was 70 members strong; it rehearsed at Pierce Jr. High and gave 3-4 performances a year. Under Floyd’s direction and vision, ASB has grown in size and quality and hosts a busy season of seven annual performances.
Named the Official Band of the City of Austin in 1989, ASB presents three indoor season concerts along with four free outdoor concerts: Mother's Day, Father's Day, Fourth of July, and Fall. ASB boasts the proud achievement of being the first community band selected to perform at the Grand Finale Concert at the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago in 1989, returning in 1997 and 2007. Floyd conducted the group in honorary guest performances at the American Bandmasters Association Conference in 1993 and 2006, the Western International Band Clinic in 2004, and the 2010 Association of Concert Bands National Convention in Richardson, Texas. This is in addition to many presentations closer to home at the Texas Music Educator’s Association Conference and the Texas Bandmasters Association Conference. Under his direction, ASB received the John Phillip Sousa Foundation’s Sudler Scroll for outstanding achievement as a community band in 1994.
Over the years, Floyd has provided abundant live music for Austin and, in particular, brought a substantial amount of new music. The band has performed a total of 352 concerts during Floyd’s tenure, in Texas and nationally. The concert programs reflect 795 unique pieces (not counting separate movements). Over 25% of the pieces were less than 6 years old at the time of performance.
Under his tenure, ASB has hosted numerous guest artists. Concert programs credit 100 guest soloists, musical groups, narrators, clinicians, composers and arrangers, and 40 guest conductors from around the country. Floyd has been a strong advocate for new works for band and ASB was often one of the first groups to play new music by internationally renowned composers such as Frank Ticheli, John Mackey and Brian Balmages.
After more than a year of silence due to Covid-19 shutdowns, ASB came together at last on July 3, 2021, for Floyd’s final concert as Music Director at the Round Rock Frontier Day’s Concert and Fireworks at Old Settler’s Park. Ending the evening with a bang, it seemed a fitting and joyous salute to his many years of service for the community.
__________________________________________________________
Austin Symphonic Band members reflect on Floyd’s leadership and impact over the last three decades . . .
I am very fortunate to have been in the Austin Symphonic Band while Dick Floyd was the music director. Virtually every rehearsal with him is a clinic in conducting and rehearsing techniques. He is always professional and prepared, and every rehearsal is focused on the music. . . He is as comfortable conducting Mozart and Bach as he is Mancini or Gershwin, or Grainger and Sousa. — Clif Jones (clarinet, 30 years with ASB)
He often spoke of how mature musicians bring their life experiences into their playing. — Fred Behning, (oboe, 25 years with ASB)
The April 2nd, 2017 concert that featured my son [Clint Foreman, 2nd flutist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra] was by far the most memorable and most exciting concert I have ever done in my 35 years in the Austin Symphonic Band. I am extremely grateful to Dick for picking Clint to be one of our professional guest soloists that year, and allowing me to perform alongside Clint on the Vivaldi duet. — Beverly Lowak (flute, 35 years with ASB)
Dick Floyd is one of the leading experts in America on modern wind band literature, and he brought that expertise to ASB. He is truly a national treasure. — Thomas Edwards (string bass, 20 years with ASB)
In 2010, Dick Floyd indulged my interest in videography and let me start recording ASB concerts and making most concert performance selections available on YouTube. . . Today the ASB performances are routinely viewed by students working on these pieces as part of their band programs as well as adult fans of concert band music. ASB has over 1,000 YouTube subscribers and there have been over 1.1 million views of ASB videos. I give major credit to the vision Dick had of the potential impact of this and encouraging the endeavor. — Eddie Jennings (saxophone, 19 years with ASB)
…[W]hat a tremendous gift we had in Dick and his dedication to making us better musicians. As the now oldest member of ASB I feel comfortable saying that in 65 years or so of playing I have learned more from Dick musically than anyone else! — Chuck Ellis (French horn, 40 years with ASB)
As ASB looks to the future we are still committed to our mission, which is to provide performances of artistic merit for the benefit of band members, audiences and the Austin community. We hope to see you at one of our upcoming concerts!
###