Wind Ensemble

Welcome to the Wind Ensemble

Founded in 2009, the Wind Ensemble serves the UIW community as the premier wind band on campus. The Wind Ensemble traditionally performs two concerts annually and is open to all students with a woodwind, brass, or percussion background. Select members typically participate in the Baccalaureate Mass at the end of the Spring semester.

Information about joining

The ensemble is a class you must register for (MUEN 1185) and meets in the spring semester on Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:30-6 p.m. and Fridays from 1:30-2:30 p.m. The band rehearses in the Band and Orchestra Hall (Room 120) on the first floor of the Luella Bennack Music Center located next to the Administration Building.

Mission of the Wind Ensemble

The repertoire selected for the modern wind ensemble should be emotionally enriching, intellectually stimulating and technically demanding. To this end, the mission of the UIW Wind Ensemble is:

To perform the core repertoire for bands and winds, including chamber music.
To perform new compositions and, in the future, premieres of works commissioned by the UIW band program.
To perform with outstanding guest artists and UIW's stellar faculty.
To perform marches with respect for the history and legacy of the form and its inherent style.
To perform some of the finest transcriptions written for bands.

Scholarships

Students registered for ensembles may be eligible for ensemble scholarships. These are based on audition and departmental needs. Contact the ensemble director, Prof. Nieves Villaseñor, for more information.

Auditions

Auditions are usually held with the Director of Bands, Prof. Nieves Villaseñor, during the first week of classes in the spring semester to determine the part distribution and chair placement. Rehearsals begin at the start of the spring semester.