Mechanics Hall is the premier event venue and concert hall in Central Massachusetts.
US Air Force Academy Band
April 15 @ 7:00 pm
Free Admission – Registration Required
The United States Air Force Academy Concert Band proudly represents the Air Force Academy, the leading institution for educating, training, and inspiring men and women to become officers of character. The Concert Band is composed of 51 active duty Air Force professionals and is one of nine Academy Band ensembles. In addition to performing for Air Force troop morale, recruiting, and community outreach events, the group often appears on radio and television broadcasts and presents educational performances and clinics at national music conferences. For over 60 years, the Academy Band has used the power of music to honor our nation’s heroes, inspire Air Force personnel and the nation they serve, produce innovative musical programs and products, and communicate Air Force excellence to millions around the world. The United States Air Force Academy Concert Band appears on behalf of Lieutenant General Richard M. Clark, Superintendent, United States Air Force Academy.
Colonel Michael James Willen is Commander of the United States Air Force Academy Band, Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado. He is responsible for organizing, training, equipping and deploying 60 Airmen in 10 different musical configurations throughout a nine-state region of more than 869,000 square miles in addition to supporting the U.S. Air Force Academy’s recruiting mission throughout the 48 contiguous states. The band performs over 400 missions annually that support U.S. Air Force and U.S. Air Force Academy outreach and engagement priorities to increase public understanding of the importance of airpower, the dedication and sacrifice of Airmen, and to build relationships that enhance the reputation of the Air Force as a respected, professional organization charged with an integral role in maintaining U.S. national security. A native of Marion, Ind., Colonel Willen was raised in Yuma, Ariz. He graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Arizona in 1991. During that same year, he was selected by audition for the graduate program in Wind Conducting at Northwestern University. After completing his Master of Music degree at Northwestern in 1992, Colonel Willen became the Director of Band Organizations at Canyon del Oro High School in Tucson, Ariz. In 1999, he earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Wind Conducting from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music. Prior to joining Air Force, Colonel Willen served as the Director of Bands at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and was principal conductor of the NewEar Contemporary Music Ensemble. He earned his commission from Officer Training School in March 2001. Prior to his current position, Colonel Willen was the Commander, U.S. Air Force Band of Mid-America, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.
Captain Michael P. Flynn is the Flight Commander and Associate Conductor of the United States Air Force Academy Band located at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Capt. Flynn earned his commission and was a distinguished graduate from Officer Training School in 2019 at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. Captain Flynn’s previous assignment was as Flight Commander and Associate Conductor of the United States Air Force Band of the West, San Antonio, TX. Prior to his commission as an officer in the USAF, Capt. Flynn was a university professor in academia as the Director of Bands and Brass Instruction at Western State Colorado University in Gunnison, CO, Director of Bands at Sheridan College, Sheridan Wyoming, and Director of Bands and Western Music Specialist at the Edward Said and Daniel Barenboim National Conservatory of Music located in Jerusalem and Bethlehem, Israel. Capt. Flynn holds a Doctorate in Trumpet Performance with a conducting cognate from the University of Miami, FL. Conducting mentors include Catherine Rand, Gary Green, Jerry Junkin, and Thomas Sleeper. An advocate for new music for winds and percussion, Flynn recently conducted World Premiers of Craig Fitzpatrick’s Leap of Faith, and Steve Danyew’s Into the Silent Land. Future consortium participation includes works by Omar Thomas and Björn Hallman. Capt. Flynn maintains an active schedule as a guest conductor and clinician, and has led regional Honor and Select Bands across the country. He also conducted the first ever performance of both the First Suite and Second Suite for Military Band by Gustav Holst in Bethlehem and Ramallah, Israel, and in Damascus, Syria during a concert tour in 2011. As an orchestral trumpet player, Capt. Flynn has performed with symphonies and bands across the globe under conductors such as Michael Tilson Thomas, Daniel Barenboim, Marin Alsop, Eduardo Marturet, Jeff Tyzik, Jerry Junkin, Frank Batisti, Eugene Corporon, and Garry Green. In addition to his Doctorate in Trumpet Performance, Capt. Flynn is currently on track to complet his second doctorate in Wind Conducting at the University of Southern Mississippi.