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Ensembles

Wind Symphony

Photo of the Wind Symphony at Carnegie Hall in 2012.
The Wind Symphony at Carnegie Hall in 2012.

Recognized internationally as a premiere university wind ensemble, the California State University, Long Beach Wind Symphony continues to expand the school's rich tradition of performance excellence. Composed of the finest wind and percussion performers within the Department of Music, its mission is to stimulate musical growth and provide advanced performance opportunities for the department's instrumental music students. Performance goals encompass the identification, performance, and appreciation of the best of wind and percussion literature.

The Wind Symphony and its members bring the highest quality wind literature to a professional level of performance, thus engaging the listening audience. The Los Angeles Times hailed the group as "…thoroughly disciplined and euphonious!" Based on a foundation of traditional wind repertoire, the ensemble performs both standard and contemporary wind literature. Long a champion of music commissioning projects and contemporary repertoire, the Wind Symphony has premiered over twenty new works during the recent past.

Photo of the Wind Symphony at Shinsegae Square Outdoor Stage in South Korea, 2014.
The Wind Symphony at Shinsegae Square Outdoor Stage in South Korea, 2014.

With many invitational performances in Japan, Austria, England, Germany, Scotland, Switzerland, Australia and Canada, the ensemble enjoys a true international reputation for performance excellence. The Wind Symphony has been invited to the annual All-Japan Band Directors National Conference twice as a guest of the Yamaha Corporation of Japan. In addition to the ensemble's international travels, the Wind Symphony has been honored with invitations throughout the United States including performances at the College Band Directors Association National and Regional Conferences, the American Bandmasters Association National and Regional Conferences, the Music Educators National Conference National Convention, the California Band Directors Association State Conference, and many California Music Educator Association Regional and State Conferences.

Graduates of the ensemble currently perform in several major symphony orchestras, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, New World Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic, Milwaukee Symphony, Mexico City Philharmonic, and the Long Beach Symphony. Graduates also perform in major movie and television recording studios and musical theater productions.

Auditions for the group occur the first week of the semester.

Photo of the Concert Band rehearsing in Colorado in 2009.
The Concert Band rehearsing in Colorado in 2009.

Symphonic Band

The California State University, Long Beach Symphonic Band is an auditioned group comprised of music majors, minors, and non-music majors. Symphonic Band’s mission is to stimulate musical growth and provide performance opportunities for the Conservatory’s instrumental music students while maintaining ever increasingly high standards of musicianship. Performance goals encompass the identification, performance, and appreciation of the best of wind and percussion literature.

Also recognized as an outstanding wind ensemble, the group performs concerts throughout the region.

Concert Band

The CSULB Concert Band is open to all University students regardless of major. It is the largest performing ensemble in the Bob Cole Conservatory, and is dedicated to performing both traditional and contemporary wind and percussion literature. This ensemble is unique in that Music Education students from the department, as well as Jazz Studies majors are encouraged to perform on secondary instruments; allowing them to increase their ability on these instruments. As an open ensemble for all Univeristy students this ensemble allows students who have a love for music and performing, regardless of major, to continue to foster and increase that love.

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