Composer Christina Huss
Our February 22 program features Christina Huss’ When an Angel Gets Its Wings. This is the Band’s inaugural performance of When an Angel Gets Its Wings.
Ms. Huss says of this work:
When an Angel Gets Its Wings tells the story of a new, young angel quietly watching over the world and learning from the kindness and courage of people. At first, the music is gentle and calm, representing the angel’s patience and curiosity. As the piece progresses, the melodies grow and harmonies become more intense as our little angel anticipates that very special moment. As a composer, I tried to symbolize the newness and excitement of a young band student with that special moment of realizing their first realization of success in their musical journey.
With a career spanning 38 years in music education, Christina Huss has taught and conducted bands at both the middle school and high school level, most recently as director of bands at Valdosta Middle School, where she retired in 2016. Throughout her career, Ms. Huss’ bands have performed in venues throughout the southeastern United States and have consistently received superior ratings in various state and regional events.
She has served in a variety of roles in state music affiliations and has enjoyed various honors and awards, including Teacher of the Year and STAR Teacher, during her 28-year tenure at Brooks County High School in Quitman, Georgia. Since retiring, Christina enjoys composing music for bands and orchestra, and continues to mentor and teach middle school band part-time for the Lowndes County, Georgia, band program. Before coming to Lowndes County, she served as director of bands at both Valdosta Middle School in Valdosta, Georgia, and Berrien Middle School in Nashville, Georgia.
Huss’ primary focus is instrumental literature for young bands and orchestras and can currently be found at Excelcia Music Publishing, Randall Standridge Music, Wingert Jones Music, and Carl Fischer Music. Her compositions are found on numerous state festival and contest lists, as well as J.W. Pepper’s Editor’s Choice picks and Bandworld’s Top 100. Most recently, Christina’s music has been featured in performances throughout the country, including the prestigious Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago.
Ms. Huss is an alum of Valdosta State University, where she earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music education. She is a founding co-director and conductor of the Azalea Winds Community Band, where she continues to perform and serve as an adjudicator, guest conductor, and clinician.
Most recently, Huss is a 2021 Recipient of the Citation of Merit from the Women Band Directors International. Currently, Ms. Huss lives in Valdosta, where she enjoys spending time with her family and is often found in the park or at the beach with her granddaughters.
We contacted Christina Huss and asked her to share her journey in music, her favorite musical memory, and more.
Please tell us about your journey in music and life. I was that little kid who was always trying to make music wherever she was! I wasn’t the best singer in the world, but my parents knew that my becoming a musician was inevitable, so they put me in band as soon as they could, and bought me a saxophone! As school progressed, so did my love of learning all of the instruments! By my senior year of high school, I was playing French horn and bass clarinet in the symphonic and concert bands, tenor sax in the jazz band, and mellophone inthe marching band! From that point on, I couldn’t get enough of band and music in my life, and decided to be a band director. I have now taught for 40 years, and began composing band music (for publication) in 2019.
What have been some of your musical influences? My parents were both into music, and they listened to everything: jazz, classical, Motown, musicals, band, international hits, pop … and they taught me to enjoy them all as well! From the time I could take band, my influences were all over the place! I especially enjoyed the sounds of Chicago, Tower of Power, Earth, Wind and Fire, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, John Coltrane, John Williams, Henry Mancini … too many even to list!
Please share your favorite musical memory. I don’t have just one favorite musical memory, but if pressed to choose, I would probably pick my first band concert in the fifth grade. I had a solo on Close to You by the Carpenters and got to wear my first band uniform that night!
What is on your Spotify playlist or in your music library? My music library is filled with popular music and jazz music of the 70s and 80s (I am a 1962 edition after all!). There is also a fair amount of concert band music in there, soundtracks from my favorite musicals and movies, and, because I am a Nana, lots of Disney tunes!
Which composer/musician, past or present, would you most like to meet for a coffee and why? There are so many amazing musicians and composers to choose from, but if I could only pick one, it would have to be the amazing John Williams (Paul McCartney is a close second). To me, John Williams is the pioneer of soundtracks and the way we listen to music today.
What inspires you? Honestly, most of my inspiration comes from experiences in my daily life. Whether it’s hanging out with my granddaughters, taking a scenic drive through the mountains, or maybe even a special dream, I tend to write from those special moments.
What do you do to relax? My favorite way to relax is by going to the beach or maybe hanging out at a park with my granddaughters. Once in a while, I curl up on the couch with a good set of headphones and listen to really good instrumental music. I like to lie there and just spend time with melodies, harmonies, and amazing performances.
Do you have any advice for young musicians? Listen to professional-quality instrumental music. Listen to professional players play your instrument, and listen to how amazing your instrument sounds when you master it. Strive to make those sounds, and above all, have fun!
Please share any thoughts that you may have about the Northshore Concert Band. The Northshore Concert Band is one of the preeminent wind ensembles in the country. It is truly an honor to be included in this program, and I am grateful beyond words to have my music performed by this incredibly talented group of musicians.
Is there anything else that you would like our audience to know about you? After teaching instrumental music in the Georgia public school system for 40 years, I retired to become a full-time band and orchestra composer. I wrote and arranged music throughout my career, but after retirement, I wanted to dedicate my time to composing music that addressed all of the musical elements that I would like to have taught my own students. I hope that in some small way I can continue to contribute to this beautiful world of instrumental music, and perhaps in some small way, “pay it forward” for the wonderful life that I have had in it.
A special thank you to Christina Huss for speaking with us and giving permission to reproduce this material. Please visit her website christinahuss.com to learn more about her and her work.
IN GOOD COMPANY
Sunday, February 22, 2026, 3:00 p.m. Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, Evanston, Illinois
Learn more about the Northshore Concert Band at www.northshoreband.org
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