The University of Texas Wind Ensemble

The University of Texas Wind Ensemble is a major presence on the wind band scene in the U.S. With a strong commitment to contemporary music, the ensemble has commissioned works from leading American composers and has amassed a substantial discography.

The University of Texas Wind Ensemble should not be confused with the similarly named University of Texas Wind Symphony. Since 1988, when the ensemble began a long career of commissioning contemporary works, the group has gained an international reputation. Its international debut came at the 1991 Conference of the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles in Manchester, England, well before its first New York appearance, at Carnegie Hall in 1998. The University of Texas Wind Ensemble has made numerous appearances at national conferences, including the College Band Directors National Association and the American Bandmasters Association, as well as many appearances in Texas. The group issued the album Bells for Stokowski on the <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Reference+Recordings%22">Reference Recordings</a> label in 2004. Its conductor is <a href="spotify:artist:6IEFj40kRnR24S1ZuTHmnK">Jerry Junkin</a>.

The University of Texas Wind Ensemble is especially notable for the breadth of its engagement with contemporary music. It has given the world premieres of works by major composers, including <a href="spotify:artist:0aHSAeZ39EVErXuOjm2XDR">John Corigliano</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:4LKCxq8mQn0cFlccW9cCBQ">Michael Daugherty</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:26RjlC3ProF6U5fxm5wTu1">Donald Grantham</a>. In addition, the ensemble regularly hosts composer residences, resulting in performances of contemporary music. These include a long list of Pulitzer Prize winners such as <a href="spotify:artist:35OhI7DSls022v9Bz9r0VZ">John Adams</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:0Uj2XBKJsuZZsf5xSEPfmS">William Bolcom</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:1I5nZewR5IFEXy4KYiqAPU">John Harbison</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:4HirYEf3m0K7N1bP2JWcEt">Gunther Schuller</a>. The University of Texas Wind Ensemble has continued to record for <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Reference+Recordings%22">Reference Recordings</a> and other labels, including <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Longhorn+Music%22">Longhorn Music</a> and <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Naxos%22">Naxos</a>; in 2022, on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Reference+Recordings%22">Reference Recordings</a>, it issued the album Migration. By that time, its catalog comprised more than a dozen albums. ~ James Manheim, Rovi