Faculty artist Geoffrey Deibel, professor of saxophone, will appear as soloist with the Wichita State University Symphony Orchestra at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17, in WSU's Miller Concert Hall. The program, featuring music by Beethoven, Tomasi and Robert Moran, will be conducted by Mark Laycock.

Laycock is a professor of music at WSU, where he holds the Ann Walenta Faculty of Distinction Endowed Professorship.

Tickets are $7 for general admission and free to students with WSU ID. They may be purchased through the Fine Arts Box Office at 316-978-3233.

“Points of Departure,” a buoyant, energetic piece by American composer Robert Moran, will open the program.

The concert will also include Beethoven's groundbreaking First Symphony. Premiered in 1800, the symphony builds on the work of Haydn and Mozart, distinguishing the genre with greater drama, complexity and formal cohesion. From the stately introduction – playfully beginning in the wrong key – to the lightning fast finale, Beethoven skillfully balances personal expression and universal appeal.

Deibel, a member of the critically acclaimed h2 saxophone quartet, will perform the Concerto for Alto Saxophone by Henri Tomasi.

A Washington native, Geoffrey Deibel maintains a multi-faceted career as performer, teacher and researcher. Recent concert highlights include performances at Merkin Hall and Zankel Hall in New York, and recitals in Stuttgart, Germany; Cortona, Italy; and Wichita.

Deibel is also a seasoned orchestral performer, serving as principal saxophonist with the Wichita Symphony. He is also executive director of the Wichita Jazz Festival.

The 2015-16 season of the WSU Symphony Orchestra will feature numerous concert appearances, the annual Concerto-Aria program and two fully staged opera productions. Featured artists include faculty members Walter Mays, composer; Deborah Baxter, soprano; and Justine Sasanfar, pianist. Evgeny Zvonnikov, associate concertmaster of the Wichita Symphony Orchestra, will appear as violin soloist.