The DePaul Wind Ensemble, conducted by Donald DeRoche, will debut "American City," a new work for piano and wind ensemble by composer and New Music DePaul director George Flynn, during a wind ensemble concert on Nov. 7. The free, public concert begins at 8 p.m. in the DePaul Concert Hall, 800 W. Belden Ave. Pianist Paul Failla, a DePaul School of Music composition student, is the featured soloist.

"‘American City’ seeks to suggest a variety of activities, sounds, moods and atmospheres of a large city, in this case Chicago, a quintessentially multicultural American city," said Flynn, chairman of the department of musicianship studies and composition at DePaul’s School of Music.

Flynn said the work recalls a collection of city images and sounds including "midtown noise and traffic, city parades and celebrations, the sounds of industry and manufacturing, gusts of debris laden wind, the sense of city snow in winter, the quiet of early morning hours, perhaps a sense of gentle intimacy between city lovers, as well as a panoramic sense of the city." The work was written by Flynn especially for DeRoche and the DePaul University Wind Ensemble.

Flynn has composed more than 100 musical works in all media, including orchestral, chamber, solo (piano, harpsichord, violin) and vocal/choral. His music is performed internationally and has appeared on six critically acclaimed recordings. As a pianist Flynn has performed and recorded New Music for many years in the United States and Europe.

In addition to teaching at DePaul, Flynn is the musical director for New Music DePaul, the contemporary professional music series. The series features performances by faculty members from the School of Music and its Community Music Program, DePaul alumni and distinguished guest artists who play with prestigious area orchestras and ensembles. The dates for this season’s concerts are Nov. 13 and Feb. 26 and May 14 at DePaul’s Concert Hall. The concerts are open to the public and free of change.

The DePaul Wind Ensemble’s performance of Flynn’s "American City" is one of many public events that DePaul is sponsoring to commemorate the 100^th anniversary of the founding of the university. The centennial celebration continues through June.

For more information about the concert and other DePaul music performances, call 773/325-7260.