News in Brief

Honeymoon isn't over

Conductor of University Bands and Orchestra Dr. Nicholas Contorno says, "I never came to work. I came to Marquette."

By his best estimation, Dr. Nicholas Contorno guesses he worked with 10,000 students during 23 years as director of Marquette University Bands and Orchestra. Every moment, he says, was sublime. But he does recall a few particularly memorable performances: conducting the Marquette Band in 1970 at the NIT finals, in 2005 at Marquette’s first Big East Conference tournament and in the Superdome at the Final Four tournament in 2003, and guest conducting the U.S. Marine Band on the Varsity Theatre stage.

Contorno began his career at Marquette in 1983 by leading the band through the “Marquette University March” written by John Philip Sousa. He closed the era on April 23 the same way, with the band playing Sousa’s joyful march. “I still get goose bumps every time the band plays,” he says. “It never got old.”

Although Contorno is retiring, he has promised to stay close, conducting the orchestra and teaching on a part-time basis.