The University of Dayton New Horizons Music Program will hold a 25th anniversary concert at 3 p.m. May 3, at the Roger Glass Center for the Arts. 

The performances will feature the program's concert bands and string ensembles, and will host guest conductor Roy Ernst, professor emeritus of music education at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, founder of New Horizons Music. 

The event also will honor University of Dayton Professor Emerita of Music Linda Hartley, who established the UD group of the New Horizons International Music Association in 2000 to provide opportunities for adults 50 and older to start or get back into playing music.

The concert is free and open to the public, with a gala reception following the performance. 

"This is a momentous occasion for our program and the Dayton community," Hartley said. "New Horizons has provided opportunities for adults to rediscover their love of music, and we are proud to celebrate 25 years of musical growth and camaraderie."

UD's program, sponsored by UD Special Programs and Continuing Education, has more than 150 participants from across the Miami Valley.

"Besides the opportunity to advance my musical skills and play music with others, the program provides friendships, social opportunities, a sense of belonging which is often lost after retirement, and the opportunity to again be a 'band kid' and hang out with other 'band kids,' and so much more!! My life is so much richer because of the program," said Nancy Dickinson of Germantown.

Doug Saintignon of Beavercreek said his wife encouraged him to learn to play the saxophone because he enjoyed the music of Kenny G. After a year of lessons, he decided to try the New Horizons Music Program.

"The program allowed me, as a beginner, to be part of a band, which was something I never dreamed I would be part of," he said. "It also provided for social interaction, volunteering, and a joint activity with my wife, who joined as a new drummer."

Click here for more information about the program. For more information about the program's 25th anniversary celebration, contact Phil Aaron, anniversary committee chair, at 937-856-7633 or paaron1@udayton.edu.

For interviews, contact Shawn Robinson, associate director of news and communications, at srobinson1@udayton.edu, 937-229-3391 or 937-545-5421.