Wind Ensemble

The UNCG Wind Ensemble presents a program exploring color, rhythm, resilience, and reflection. Paul Dooley’s Fantasy of Colors and Roger Dickerson’s Essay for Band highlight the range and expressive power of contemporary wind music. Shuying Li’s Coping Cadences will feature a sextet of UNCG faculty musicians.

Gabriela Ortiz’s Kauyumari, arranged by Michael Brignolo, draws inspiration from the blue deer of Huichol mythology. The concert concludes with John Mackey’s monumental The Frozen Cathedral, premiered by the UNCG Wind Ensemble in 2012.

The UNCG Wind Ensemble is the premier wind band of the UNCG School of Music, uniting fifty outstanding musicians from across the United States and around the world. Its members—ranging from first‑year undergraduates to master’s and doctoral students in performance and music education—are selected through a highly competitive audition process. Ensemble musicians regularly earn top solo and chamber awards, competitive scholarships and fellowships, and professional positions in orchestras, military bands, teaching, and arts leadership. Current students represent seventeen states, Slovenia, and Hong Kong.

For decades, the ensemble has built a distinguished record of artistic excellence, with acclaimed performances at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Lincoln Center, and leading venues throughout the eastern United States. Its catalog of more than twenty commercial recordings has received national recognition and helped position UNCG as a leader in wind band performance, commissioning, and recording.

The Wind Ensemble has been featured at major national and regional conferences of the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA), National Band Association (NBA), American Bandmasters Association (ABA), and Music Educators National Conference (MENC). The ensemble has also collaborated with prominent composers and performers, including Pulitzer Prize–winning composer Karel Husa and other influential figures in the field.

Recent highlights include performances at the Music Center at Strathmore; a joint concert with the United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own”; a twelve‑day international tour through the Czech Republic, Austria, and Italy, culminating in a featured performance at Prague’s renowned Dvořák Hall; and a tour of the Southern United States that concluded with an appearance at the national conference of the College Band Directors National Association.

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The UNCG Bands are devoted to the performance, study, and advancement of wind band music at the highest artistic level. Recognized as one of the nation’s premier collegiate band programs, the UNCG Bands maintain an active and distinguished record of excellence through performances, recordings, tours, and appearances at major conventions.

Through exemplary organization, training, and presentation, the UNCG Bands offer exceptional musical experiences for our members and share outstanding performances throughout the year. Together, we enrich the cultural life, spirit, and character of UNCG.

The UNCG Bands also proudly support music education across North Carolina and throughout the region by providing leadership, mentorship, and sponsorship to secondary school band programs and other musical organizations.

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