Western University Wind Ensemble
Music Director
Auditions
Audition required. Open to all Western University students.
Rehearsals
Mondays & Wednesdays
3:30 - 5:30pm
Complete Rehearsal Information
Repertoire
Download Cumulative Repertoire (PDF)
Quick Links
Evolving from the Symphonic Band, the Western University Wind Ensemble was established by Jerome Summers in the 1980s. Acknowledged as one of the finest wind bands in Canada, the Wind Ensemble is indebted to the leadership of past conductors: Donald McKellar, James Ford, Charles Dalkert, Wayne Jeffrey, Jerome Summers, David McKinney, and Gary McCumber. With the appointment of Dr. Colleen Richardson, in 2006, the Wind Ensemble continues its journey towards excellence in performance and wind band education.
The Wind Ensemble is open to all Western Students. An audition is required for participation. Repertoire is selected from standard wind ensemble literature, works for chamber ensembles, transcriptions, concerti, and contemporary works. Although core repertoire is the largest programming component, ensemble members will periodically be exposed to iconic wind chamber music, ranging from the antiphonal music of Gabrieli or Classical Period Harmonie music, to the masterpieces of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Transcriptions are an important part of the history of the band, especially within the military and professional band traditions, and these are honoured through the performance of selected works. Concerti feature faculty, guests, or students. Students are selected through a competitive process.
2024-25 Performances
| Joining us on campus for an in-person event? Please visit the Audience Information page before joining us on campus, and always check the Events Calendar on the day of the event for any schedule changes. | |
| Wind Ensemble concerts are approximately 1.25 hours in length unless otherwise noted. | Download concert programs |
Saturday, Oct. 26 | 3pm | approx. 2 hours
Paul Davenport Theatre
Community; Confluence
The Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band come together for the first concert of the year to celebrate a new year of making music together.
Friday, Nov. 29 | 7:30pm
Paul Davenport Theatre
Merging; Overlapping; Fluctuating
Please join the Wind Ensemble for a performance of evocative American music by composers: Piston, Gjeilo, Jager, Turner, and Mackey.
Friday, Feb. 7 | 7:30pm
Paul Davenport Theatre
Meditation and Exultation
This concert will feature Finn Inglis, clarinet, the winner of the 2024-25 Winds, Brass and Percussion Student Concerto Competition. Repertoire will include works by Jake Runestad, James David, Michael Daugherty, and Benjamin Horne.
Friday, Mar. 21 | 7:30pm | approx. 1.5 hours
Paul Davenport Theatre
The Physiological Sigh
The Wind Ensemble's final concert of the year features international composers, including works by Waespi, Serna, Ito, Giroux, and Shostakovich.
Performance Excerpts
“Polytechnique”, Jonathan Dagenais
Conductor, Dr. Richardson
2017-18
“Tabula Rasa”, Don Macdonald, Mark Hopkins
Conductor, Dr. Richardson
Canada 150 Concert
Excerpt from “Sit de Plata”, José Rafael Pascual-Vilaplana
Excerpt from “Give Us This Day”, David Maslanka
Excerpt from “Metallëphônic Remix”, Daniel Nelson/Arr. Anders Högstedt
Conductor, Dr. Richardson
2018-19
Excerpt from “Pershing”, Gregory Fritze
Excerpt from “One Life Beautiful”, Julie Giroux
Conductor, Dr. Richardson
2018-19
Recordings
Subscribe to our monthly events email for event notifications year-round, or visit music.uwo.ca/events for more information.
