Eastern’s Wind Symphony Band will celebrate the music of Leonard Bernstein at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in the Dvorak Concert Hall of Doudna Fine Arts Center.

Leonard Bernstein was a world-renowned conductor, composer and pianist. Eastern’s Wind Symphony will be performing many of Berstein’s works, many of them from his famous musical “West Side Story.”

Eastern’s Wind Symphony band has been practicing and preparing for the Bernstein Bash concert for months. This will be the band’s last performance of the semester, and for many, their last concert performing at Eastern.

Robert Brickner, senior music major and percussion player, said that although they have had small concerts over the past few months, they have been practicing for the Bernstein Bash in-between shows for a while.

“Practicing for this concert has been a lot of fun,” Brickner said. “Everyone is running around playing a bunch of different instruments.”

Brickner said that the percussionists, including himself, play at least five different instruments each during the span of the concert.

Along with the Wind Symphony band, Eastern’s Theater/Opera ensemble and Jazz Combo Band will be performing.

Together, EIU Bands will hold a silent auction from 6 to 7:20 p.m. before the concert and 20 minutes following the concert.

The auction will include art pieces, piano tuning services, babysitting and dog-walking services, a brass quintet available for holiday parties and weddings, and an opportunity to join the Wind Symphony on stage in a future concert.

All of the money raised from ticket sales and the silent auction will go toward the Earl Boyd Friends of the Band Scholarship, a scholarship available to Eastern Music students. Many local businesses and music students have also donated goods and services to raise money for the scholarship.

Senior music major Maja Dinger, who plays the oboe and English horn, said she was excited for the concert.

“We are truly lucky as music majors because we constantly get to celebrate what we do,” Dinger said.

For both Dinger and Brickner, the Bernstein Bash concert will be their last time performing at Eastern.

“This Saturday night will be a celebration of music, and since it’s my last Wind Symphony concert here at EIU, for me it will be a celebration of my four fantastic years here,” Dinger said.

Dinger said she has enjoyed the amount of focus that goes into each rehearsal and appreciates feeling the ensemble grow closer throughout each semester.

For Brickner, he said it will just be great to have one last concert with all of his friends.

“It’s so much fun to play with them all of the time, it’s going to be really hard to say goodbye when I graduate in May,” he said.

Tickets for the Bernstein Bash are $5 for Eastern students, $13 for general audience members and $11 for seniors over 62. Tickets can be purchased online through Doudna’s website or at the Doudna Fine Arts Center Box Office.

Loren Dickson can be reached at 581-2812 or ladickson@eiu.edu.