Winds, Brass & Percussion at Western

Wind Ensemble

The Don Wright Faculty of Music offers woodwind, brass and percussion students diverse course options and performance opportunities including solo and studio recitals, weekly faculty-led masterclasses, ensembles, and competitions and awards including the Winds, Brass & Percussion Concerto CompetitionMaritsa Brookes Concerto Competition, Young-Ja Park Chamber Music Competition and the London Music Scholarship Foundation Endowment Award.

Western Music also offers learning opportunities and masterclasses with international artists of renown. 

The Music Building and Talbot College house over 100 practice rooms, studios, and large and small rehearsal spaces, plus three modern performance venues with concert pianos and state-of-the-art recording capabilities. 

Western's Percussion Studio includes more than 2,400 square feet of teaching studios, rehearsal rooms, five large dedicated practice rooms and storage space.


In the Spotlight

August 2024
Percussionist Andrew Busch named to CBC Music’s ’30 under 30’ list

May 2024
Three Western students accepted to World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles Youth Wind Orchestra

January 2024
Congratulations to the winners of the 2023-24 Maritsa Brookes Concerto Competition

November 2023
TorQ Percussion Quartet appointed as an Ensemble in Residence

November 2023
2023-24 Young-Ja Park Chamber Music Award winners announced

In Performance

Western University Wind Ensemble

“Polytechnique”, Jonathan Dagenais
Conductor, Dr. Colleen Richardson
Recorded in 2018

Symphonic Band

Excerpt from “Festivo”, Edward Gregson
Conductor, Nigel Evans
Recorded in 2019

Jazz Ensemble

“Vine Street Rumble”, Benny Carter
Conductor, Dr. Thompson
Recorded in 2019


Alumni of Note

Jayden Beaudoin, MMus'14
Percussionist with the Royal Canadian Artillery Band

Emily Bellman, BMus'14 (trumpet)
Member, The Stadacona Band of The Royal Canadian Navy

Brennan Connolly, BMus'08Dave Robilliard, BMus'04
Founded by Brennan Connolly (who is also an instructor at Wilfrid Laurier University) and Dave Robilliard, Duo Percussion was nominated in 2014 for “Best Percussion Ensemble” by DRUM! Magazine

Sarek Gutierrez, MMus'18
Adjunct Professor of Percussion, Our Lady of the Lake University and Texas A&M University, San Antonio

Jarrett McCourt, BMus'13 (tuba)
Named one of Canada’s “Hottest 30 Classical Musicians Under 30” by CBC Music in 2020; principal tuba, Winnipeg Symphony; New World Symphony alumni

Colin Williams, MMus,'17 (trumpet)
Member, The Royal Canadian Artillery Band

Jim Wiseman, BMus (Hons.)'13
Percussionist with the band Lost in Japan, winner of the 2021 Corus Entertainment Radio "Summer Song Contest", Free 98.1fm "Made in London" contest, Jim Beam "Make History Talent Search", and 2020 Forest City London Music Awards’ fan favourite award