Concert Bands
Ohio University Concert Bands
Founded in 1923, the Ohio University Bands continue a nearly century-long tradition of excellence in concert halls and stadiums. The program consists of four concert bands including the Wind Symphony, Symphonic Band, University Concert Band, and Communiversity Band, and three athletic bands, including the Marching 110, Varsity Basketball Band, and Alumni Volleyball Band. Over 500 undergraduate and graduate students as well as community members perform in one or more of these ensembles each year. The Wind Symphony, the premier ensemble of the concert program, was the first collegiate wind band to perform in the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and in 2017 debuted at New York City’s famed Carnegie Hall, collaborated with renowned composers, conductors, and soloists, and is engaged in an ongoing commercial recording project.
Since 1967, the Marching 110 has been coined as “The Most Exciting Band in the Land,” entertaining enthusiastic audiences at on- and off-campus university athletic events, National Football League games, international venues in France, Ireland, and Italy, and tens of millions more through the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day, Tournament of Roses, and Presidential Inaugural parades as well as viral online videos, and in 1976 was the first collegiate marching band to perform in New York City’s famed Carnegie Hall. Alumni of the Ohio University Bands hold prominent positions as conductors, performers, and teachers in the nation’s military bands, major universities, and every level of public and private educational institutions.
All Ohio University Concert Bands are open to students of all majors across campus. Auditions and placement are required for Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band, while University Band and the Communiversity Band are open to any interested students and community members. Below is a brief description of each ensemble, followed by each conductor's contact information.
Wind Symphony
The Ohio University Wind Symphony is one of four concert bands in the School of Music. This auditioned ensemble’s membership is selected from among the finest wind and percussion performers in the university. Dedicated to the performance of outstanding repertoire from the Renaissance to the present, the Wind Symphony utilizes a flexible approach to instrumentation, allowing for stylistic accuracy in the performance of wind music by the world’s greatest composers.
As the premier concert band in the School of Music, the Wind Symphony performs approximately six campus concerts each year, and has performed for conferences of the College Band Directors National Association (1977, 2004, 2012), Ohio Music Education Association (1996, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2014, 2019), the Society of Composers, Inc., the World Projects Band and Orchestra Festival (2008), the Women in Music Conference with guest composers Joan Tower and Nancy Galbraith (1999), a subscription concert performance on the Southern Ohio Performing Arts Series (2012), at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. (1973, 2008), and in Dublin, Ireland and Rome, Italy as part of a European Tour in May 2013. In February 2017 the Wind Symphony commemorated the Ohio University School of Music centennial by making its debut performance at New York City’s famed Carnegie Hall.
The Wind Symphony has released two commercial albums: MOTHERSHIP, featuring the world premiere recording of Mason Bates’ Mothership in 2013 and COLOR + LIGHT in 2016, both on the Mark Masters Label and with multiple appearances on the Grammy Entry List. Members of the Wind Symphony have enjoyed opportunities to collaborate with a variety of distinguished artists including conductors Eugene Migliaro Corporon, Jack Delaney, Thomas Fraschillo, Gary Hill, Thomas Lee, Donald Schleicher, and composers Donald Erb, Nancy Galbraith, Jack Gallagher, Jere Hutcheson, Jennifer Jolley, Dave Malloy, James Mobberley, Mark Phillips, Roberto Sierra, and Eric Whitacre. The Wind Symphony has also performed with an array of outstanding international soloists including Denée Benton, soprano and star of Broadway’s Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812; the Canadian Brass; Allen Vizzutti, trumpet; and Larry Zalkind, trombone; as well as the outstanding faculty and accomplished alumni of the Ohio University School of Music.
In an effort to support the creation of new works for wind band, the Wind Symphony frequently sponsors commissioning projects. Composers whose works have been premiered or jointly commissioned by the Ohio University Wind Symphony include Mason Bates, Timothy Broege, Steven Bryant, Eli Chambers, Richard Danielpour, Michael Daugherty, Andy Francis, Nancy Galbraith, Daron Hagen, Huck Hodge, Libby Larsen, Christopher Lee, Lowell Lieberman, David T. Little, Dave Malloy, Michael Markowski, Turner Matthews, Walter Mays, Rob McClure, Cindy McTee, Robert Moran, Sean Parsons, Mark Phillips, Anthony Plog, Bill Reichenbach, Robert Xavier Rodriguez, Michael Schelle, Roberto Sierra, Zhou Tian, Jess Langston Turner, Dana Wilson, Chen Yi, and Gregory Youtz. The Wind Symphony also serves as the core of the annual Ampersand Festival, which celebrates interdisciplinary collaboration across the arts and disciplines to create innovative and authentic performances.
For additional information, please contact:
Dr. William Talley
wtalley@ohio.edu
Symphonic Band
Comprised of 70 members, the Symphonic Band is committed to the highest level of performance of standard and contemporary band repertoire. Open by audition to all Ohio University students, this ensemble provides an opportunity to study and perform outstanding literature at the highest standards and to collaborate with guest composers, conductors, and soloists. The Symphonic Band performs an average of six on-campus performances each year.
For additional information, please contact:
Dr. Richard Suk
suk@ohio.edu
University Concert Band
The University Concert Band is open to all students in the university regardless of major, as well as members of the greater Athens community, who wish to continue to perform on their instruments in a large ensemble setting. This group rehearses once a week in preparation for two concerts each semester. The goal of the University Concert Band is to provide an outlet for musical creativity, offering maximum enjoyment with appropriate performance demands. Auditions are not required for participation in this ensemble.
For additional information, please contact:
Justin G. McCrary
mccraryj@ohio.edu
Communiversity Band (UNDER the ELMS Summer Band)
A long-standing tradition at Ohio University, the Communiversity Band serves as the core ensemble for the "Under the Elms" Summer Concert Series. This popular event takes place over the course of five weeks during June and early July on the College Green, located just outside of Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium. The group consists of current Ohio University students and alumni, current and retired faculty members, as well as community members from Athens and beyond. The ensemble plays host to many guest conductors, soloists, and ensembles each season, including past guests such as Eugene Migliaro Corporon (University of North Texas), John Lynch (University of Georgia), Jon Woods (Ohio State University), Dennis Fisher (University of North Texas), Shelley Jagow (Wright State University), Robert Meunier (Drake University), John Cody Birdwell (University of Kentucky) and many others.
The Communiversity Band also performs a Holiday Concert every December in Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium with special guests the Athens Community Music School Children's Chorus.
Performances:
Traditionally, the band performs Wednesdays during the concert season (typically June-early July) beginning at 7:00 pm on the College Green (Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium if inclement weather).
For additional information, please contact:
Professor William Talley
wtalley@ohio.edu