DETROIT, MI (February 25, 2004) - Detroit Chamber Winds will be performing James Hartway's "Portrait of a Man" for Wayne State University Department of Music's 85th Anniversary Benefit Concert on April 20, 2004. The family of T. Norris Hitchman through the Detroit Chamber Winds and the Office of the President at Wayne State University commissioned the piece. "Portrait of a Man" will be performed as the opening work for WSU Music's fund raising concert at Orchestra Hall. Tickets for the concert may be purchased by calling (313) 993-4354.

James Hartway's "Portrait of a Man" is a work for ten brass instrumentalists and one percussionist. T. Norris Hitchman, born in Detroit in 1909, was a graduate of Wayne State University and a financial manager for Kenower, MacArthur & Company for 58 years. The three-movement work follows three important elements of Hitchman's life; his work, his friends, and his jovial nature. "Portrait of a Man" will be premiered on March 7, 2004 at the First Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Michigan and again on March 14th at Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Detroit.

James Hartway, Distinguished Professor of Music and director of Wayne State Music's composition/theory division, holds a Ph.D. in music composition from Michigan State University. Hartway maintains and has received distinction in his dual careers, education and composition. He has received numerous awards as a music educator, such as the Presidential Citation for Outstanding Achievements and the Board of Governor's Recognition Award, among others. As a composer, Hartway has received major commissions from the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Meadow Brook Festival, Michigan Opera Theater, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit, and the Chrysler Corporation. His "Cityscapes", commissioned by the Detroit Symphony, was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.

The Detroit Chamber Winds, in its twenty-second year, is a nationally renowned ensemble that utilizes six to twenty musicians to bring to life a large body of repertoire. The ensemble uses an unusual instrumentation, focusing on music for wind and brass players. To expand their repertoire, the Detroit Chamber Winds have recently added outstanding string personnel to the organization.

The ensemble's high level of artistic excellence has earned them critical acclaim from Stereo Review, Chamber Music, BBC Music Magazine, The New York Times, Audio, the Indianapolis Star, as well as all of Detroit's major media. In celebration of their 20th Anniversary, the Detroit Chamber Winds performed a week of concerts in Switzerland. The ensemble has recently performed concerts in New York, Texas, New Mexico, Illinois, Colorado, and Ohio. They have also worked with many artists including Ruth Laredo, Ida Kavafian, James Tocco, Julius Baker, Paul Schoenfield, Seymour Lipkin, Peter Oundjian and Miriam Fried.

In support of their commitment to expand the repertoire, the ensemble annually mounts a world-premiere by a composer of national stature. The Detroit Chamber Winds have performed works by composers Michael Daugherty, William Thomas McKinley, Evan Chambers, Eric Ewazen, David Dzubay, John Thow, and Robert Maggio among many others. The organization has also collaborated with virtually all of Detroit's leading arts organizations, including the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Michigan Opera Theatre, Lyric Chamber Ensemble, The Detroit Institute of Arts, Meadow Brook Hall, Rackham Symphony Choir, Detroit Oratorio Society, Birmingham Community House, and the College for Creative Studies.

Also performing on the WSU Department of Music's 85th Anniversary Benefit Concert is Motown singer and impressionist Spyder Turner and the legendary Johnny Trudell Big Band.