About the ensemble
The Harvard University Wind Ensemble, a select group of up to fifty musicians, was founded in the 1960's by conductor James Walker to offer talented musicians of the Harvard community the opportunity and challenge to study and perform original literature for winds and percussion. Much of the repertoire for winds includes music for chamber ensemble (Mozart's Serenades), brass ensemble (Gabrieli's Canzoni) and percussion ensemble (Chavez's Toccata).
The Wind Ensemble performs up to eight concerts on and off the Harvard campus each year, including annual performances in New York City, Boston and programs sponsored by the Office of Community Affairs at Harvard. The Wind Ensemble has performed at New York's Lincoln Center, Boston's Symphony Hall, Montreal's Pollack Hall, and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
The ensemble has premiered works by Gordon Jacob, Harvard Professors Leon Kirchner (emeritus) and the late Ivan Tcherepnin, Daniel Pinkham '43, and the notorious P.D.Q. Bach, among others. Guest condutors include Gunther Schuller, Vincent Persichetti, Arthur Fiedler, Frederick Fennell, Peter Schickele, and Karel Husa. The ensemble has featured performers such as harpist Ann Hobson Pilot, Ron Barron (Principal Trombonist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra), pianist Luise Vosgerchian, the New World String Quartet, actor John Lithgow '67, and Danish trombonist Carsten Svanberg.
Rehearsals are normally held Tuesday evenings 7-9:15 P.M., and Thursday evenings 5-6:30 P.M., all in Lowell Hall.