Classic to Contemporary
Music of The American Wind
Symphony Orchestra
American Wind Symphony concerts begin with the spectacular opening of the music shell on Point Counterpoint II, AWSO's floating stage and art center. As the roof rises on hydraulic lifts the first strains of Aaron Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man” are heard – and an evening of fascinating sights and sounds is revealed.
The musicians are arrayed in a series of stainless steel sculptured “trees,” so that all are visible. Even the percussionists perform right out front, with their gleaming batteries of timpani, drums, mallet instruments, chimes and bells.
Music of The American Wind Symphony Orchestra is featured in My Wake Up Call - a new motivational alarm clock.
Take a look at
www.mywakeupcalls.net
Music programs are varied and interesting, including classics such as Handel’s “Water Music” or Mozart’s “Grande Serenade,” as well as newly commissioned works, Broadway medleys and Sousa marches.
Since the AWSO’s early days in its 54-year history, Robert Boudreau has been searching out exciting young composers, and has commissioned over 450 works. In his 55th anniversary season, Boudreau will introduce thirteen new works, emphasizing the AWSO’s longstanding ties to our neighbors in the Americas by including four compositions from Latin American composers, as well as works from Latvian, Estonian, Japanese and French composers.
French composer Karol Beffa has written a brilliant work called “Burning Bright” for wind orchestra, while the Japanese Kaoru Wada features the flute family in his new composition. AWSO harpist Chen-Yu Huang will be featured in Mexican composer Enrique Santos’ “Concertino for Harp and Winds.”
At the end of the evening AWSO audiences are electrified by one or the other of two tour de force works for percussion and wind orchestra. Cuban composer Leo Brouwer’s “Cancion de Gesta” takes the audience on an epic voyage of sound and rhythm; while Japanese Kaoru Wada’s “Three Fragments” develops and mounts into a stunning climax using Japanese traditional instruments.
All in all, a Wind Symphony performance is an unforgettable experience for the whole family!
You can now listen to AWSO year 'round by purchasing our recordings at the AWSO Record Shop. We have created a 10 disc collection for you to enjoy.
Commissioned musical scores of the American Wind Symphony Orchestra are available for purchase at AWSO Original Scores
AWSO COMPOSERS
- Samuel Adler
- Mario Kuri Aldana
- Efrain Amaya
- David Amram
- T.J. Anderson
- Alexander Arutiunian
- Blas Atehortua
- Georges Auric
- Henk Badings
- Robert Russell Bennett
- Warren Benson
- Elmer Bernstein
- William Bolcom
- Minas Borboudakis
- Daniel Bortz
- Eugène Bozza
- Henry Brant
- Leo Brouwer
- Jacques Casterede
- Chou Wen-Chung
- Paul Creston
- Ton De Leeuw
- Daniel Dorff
- James Drake
- Halim El-Dabh
- Akin Euba
- Robert Farnon
- Luboš Fišer
- Jean Françaix
- Bernd Franke
- Blas Galindo
- Philip Lang
- Mats Larsson Gothe
- Carmago Guarnieri
- Alan Hovhaness
- J. J. Johnson
- George Kleinsinger
- Norman Lloyd
- Nikolai Lopatnikoff
- Ivana Loudova
- Eduardo Mata
- Toshiro Mayuzumi
- Robert McBride
- Colin McPhee
- Lyndol Mitchell
- Akira Miyoshi
- Oliver Nelson
- Bo Nilsson
- Javier Gimenez Noble
- Krzysztof Olczak
- Ben-Zion Orgad
- Juan Orrego-Salas
- Krzystof Penderecki
- Andrei Petrov
- Zbigniew Pniewski
- Joaquín Rodrigo
- Bernard Rogers
- Ned Rorem
- Enrique Santos
- Jerzy Sapieyevski
- Lalo Schifrin
- Hale Smith
- Harry Somers
- Carlos Surinach
- Erkki-Sven Tüür
- Sergei Tcherepnin
- Roberto Valera
- Leonardo Velazquez
- Sergei Tcherepnin
- Leonardo Velazquez
- Kaoru Wada
- Heitor Villa-Lobos
- Kaoru Wada
- Patrick Zuk