Amanda Rose Sloan, a senior English major in Mercer University’s College of Liberal Arts, performed oboe and English horn with the National Wind Ensemble at Carnegie Hall in New York on May 28. The ensemble was developed for young musicians to display their musical talent with other performers from across the nation. The musicians were directed by one of the top directors in the country, H. Robert Reynolds.
Sloan described her experience as “incredible” and “amazing.” “The moment I stepped onstage in Carnegie Hall, my breath was taken away from me and tears came to my eyes.” Sloan continued, “I never thought that I’d ever have the opportunity to perform there. It felt like all of my hard work finally had paid off.”
One of the musical works performed by the ensemble was “American Salute” by Morton Gould. Sloan adds, “I had a very important English horn solo in this piece. In addition, the composer’s daughter was there to hear us play.
“This was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform with some of the best musicians in the country. I know that will remember this experience forever and mark it down as one of the most important days in my life,” Sloan said.
Sloan studies oboe under Maestro Adrian Gnam, Distinguished Artist-in-Residence at Mercer University and Music Director and Conductor of the Macon Symphony Orchestra. Sloan is a member of the Mercer University Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Douglas Hill, Director of Instrumental Ensembles and professor of music at Mercer. She also performs in the Mercer/Macon Symphony Youth Orchestra, conducted by Dr. Giselle Hillyer, Caroline Paul King Assistant Professor of Violin and Viola at Mercer.
Sloan is a native of Ellenwood, Ga. She is the daughter of Kenneth and Kim Sloan.
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