Musician 1st Class Kristine Hsia, a 2010 Fredonia graduate and a past Pops Series performer, is the vocalist for the United States Navy Band Commodores.
When Rockefeller Arts Center presents a free concert with the United States Navy Band Commodores on Sunday, Oct. 27, there will be a familiar face fronting the jazz ensemble.
Kristine Hsia, a 2010 Fredonia graduate and a past Rockefeller Pops Series performer, is the vocalist for the group.
Hsia earned her degree in Musical Theatre and was featured in the Commencement Eve Pops event “All That Jazz” in May 2010. She joined the Navy Band in 2014 as vocalist for the Commodores jazz ensemble, after serving as lead vocalist with the U.S. 7th Fleet Band.
The Commodores are the US. Navy’s premier jazz ensemble and have been performing the very best of big band jazz for the navy and the nation for almost 50 years.
The concert, which is presented free in association with The Observer, The Post-Journal and WDOE/96 KIX Country, is scheduled for 4 p.m. in King Concert Hall.
While the concert is free, tickets are required. They may be obtained in person at the Fredonia Ticket Office, which is located in Williams Center Room G140, by phone at 716-673-3501 or online. Please note a $6 service fee applies to phone and online orders.
Formed in 1969, the Commodores are an 18-member group that continues the jazz big band legacy with some of the finest musicians in the world. Led by Senior Chief Musician William C. Mulligan, the Commodores’ mission includes public concerts, national tours, ceremonial support in honoring our veterans, jazz education classes and clinics.
As a versatile and relevant musical organization in the 21st century, the Commodores write and arrange much of their vast library of music. Their concerts are described as “an eclectic mix of traditional big band music, exciting jazz vocal arrangements and fresh new instrumental music written specifically for the Commodores of today.” The group is constantly in pursuit of musical excellence and strives to find new and exciting ways to communicate with its audiences.
The list of guest artists that have appeared with the Commodores includes Ray Charles, Branford Marsalis, Clark Terry, Grover Washington Jr., Chris Potter, Jerry Bergonzi, Eddie Daniels and many more. Their most recent recording, “Directions,” was released in 2009 to critical acclaim.
They have appeared on television shows, played at nearly all the major jazz festivals and toured across the United States and abroad. In conjunction with the Airmen of Note (Air Force) and the Army Blues (Army), the Commodores host their own annual jazz festival, the Joint Service Jazz Festival, in Washington, D.C.
