Bowling Green, Ky. - Dr. John Carmichael and the WKU Wind Ensemble have been invited by the Russia Ministry of Culture to perform in Moscow next month for the 60th Victory Day Anniversary.

More than 60 heads of state from Europe and around the world, including President Bush, are expected to attend the May 9 event where the WKU group will be the only American musical ensemble represented.

"This is possibly the most significant invitation ever received by a group of students at Western Kentucky University," Dr. Carmichael said. "It speaks quite well of the quality of the WKU Music Department and the band program."

The 65-member group will perform at several of Moscow's finest concert venues, including the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory. In addition, ensemble members will don Big Red Marching Band uniforms and march in the Victory Parade in Red Square.

The WKU Wind Ensemble also will perform at a reception at the U.S. Embassy for President Bush and at a reception for the International Olympic Committee.

The group will conduct a Russia Preview Concert at 7:30 p.m. April 28 at Van Meter Auditorium. Admission is $10 for adults; $5 for students and senior citizens. Donations for the trip also may be made by contacting the WKU Music Department at (270) 745-3751.

Members of the WKU Wind Ensemble include the following:

Flute: Beth Alexander of Harned; Casey Allmon of Hopkinsville; Jessica Carmichael of Bowling Green; Jen Crump of Elizabethtown; Meredith Lopez of Dale City, Va.; James Lynch of Tell City, Ind.; Mary Alice Ratzlaff of Orland, Calif.

Oboe: Jennifer Gottfried of Bowling Green; Laura Beth Taylor of Scottsville; Megan Wheat of Scottsville.

Bassoon: Vicki Thompson of Bowling Green; Katie Beth Winters of Central City.

Contrabassoon: Tyler Rice of Nashville, Tenn.

Clarinet: Hilary Bogert of Louisville; Adam Buky of Louisville; Stephen Dickinson of Henderson; Jessica Mays of Scottsville; Christina Napier of Scottsville; Cassandra Smith of Greenville; Rachel Stewart of Central City; Michelle White of Mt. Juliet, Tenn.; Courtney Nicole Wright of Lexington.

Bass Clarinet: Meghan Anderson of Taylorsville; Bridget Jaggers of Brownsville; Destiny Smith of Bowling Green; Kathryn Williams of Midland, Mich.

Saxophone: Jonathan Blum of Louisville; Ricky Dudgeon of Leitchfield; Jeremy Huffman of Evansville, Ind.; Steven T. Lopez of Franklin; Chris David Westover of Bowling Green.

Trumpet: Donald M. Adams of Greenville; B.J. Britt of Bowling Green; Jessica Broady of Scottsville; Christi Bryan of Greenville; Jonas Franklin Butler of Nashville, Tenn.; David Cunningham of Elkton; Joseph Jackson of Bowling Green; John Paul Lack of Russellville; Troy Puckett of Bowling Green.

Horn: Natalie Adcock of Central City; Jordan Dial of Greensburg; Suzanne Doss of Scottsville; Hannah Johnson of Russell Springs; Jeff Payton of Portland, Tenn.; Rachel Short of Newburgh, Ind.

Trombone: Amberly Bush of Bowling Green; Richard Hayes of Mammoth Cave; Allen Kennedy of Russellville; Daniel Thomas of Auburn.

Bass Trombone: Kyle Norris of Glasgow.

Euphonium: Jason Gibson of Lexington; Brandon Jones of Bremen; Joshua A. Morton of Utica; Tom Wimsatt of Elizabethtown.

Tuba: Jedidiah W. Chandler of Central City; Crissy Priddy of Bowling Green; Shawn P. Robinson of Elizabethtown.

Percussion: Grant Calvert of Hartford; Christopher Kelley of Georgetown; Matthew Kreslein of Lexington; Christopher Osborne of Robertson, Tenn.; Jon Porter of Franklin.

Piano Double Bass: Patrick O 'Rourke of Bowling Green.

More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu. If you'd like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.

For information, contact John Carmichael at (270) 745-5893.